In addition to this, both zinc and phosphorus are found abundantly in the Earth's crust, meaning that material extraction cost is low compared with that of other thin film photovoltaics.

Both zinc and phosphorus are also nontoxic, which is not the case for other common commercial thin film photovoltaics, like cadmium telluride.

Before this, researchers were able to create efficient solar cells from bulk zinc phosphide, but their fabrication required temperatures greater than 850 °C or complicated vacuum deposition methods.

The acid in the digestive system of the rodent reacts with the phosphide to generate toxic phosphine gas.

The odor attracts rodents, but has a repulsive effect on other animals; However, birds, notably wild turkeys, are not sensitive to the smell.

The baits have to contain sufficient amount of zinc phosphide in sufficiently attractive food in order to kill rodents in a single serving; a sublethal dose may cause aversion towards zinc phosphide baits encountered by surviving rodents in the future.

[17] The New Zealand Environmental Protection Authority has approved the import and manufacture of Microencapsulated Zinc Phosphide (MZP Paste) for the ground control of possums.

The application was made by Pest Tech Limited, with support from Connovation Ltd, Lincoln University and the Animal Health Board.