Dr. Lucia Amendola, Post-Doctoral Researcher and Dr. Dan Weary have recently published a review in the journal Translational Psychiatry, reviewing scientific evidence of emotional distress during CO2 exposure.
World-wide, most rodents that are used for scientific purposes are killed with carbon dioxide (CO2), but for years debate has swirled regarding the humaneness of this agent. The review, summarizing data from more than 100 peer-reviewed scientific papers on behavioral, physiological and neurobiological responses, describes extensive evidence that rats experience a variety of negative emotional states, including fear, anxiety, dyspnea, distress and panic, when inhaling CO2.
The authors conclude that this evidence indicates that CO2 killing compromises rat welfare, suggesting the need for laboratories to adopt other procedures.
Full-text article: https://rdcu.be/b5PaP