It is toxic to mammals, in all forms; exposure and oral ingestion of the toxin may cause irregular heartbeat and major maladies associated with its impact on blood clotting, depending on dose.[5] As a "second-generation" anticoagulant, diphenadione is more toxic than the first generation compounds (e.g., warfarin).[6]: 436 For purposes of treating toxicity on exposure, diphenadione is grouped with other vitamin K antagonists (coumarins and indandiones); despite being directed at rodents and being judged as less hazardous to humans and domestic animals than other rodenticides in use[when?] (by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency), indandione anticoagulants, nevertheless, "may cause human toxicity at a much lower dose than conventional 'first-generation anticoagulants'… and can bioaccumulate in the liver."[7]: 173
^Bell Laboratories, Inc. July, 1990. Diphacinone Technical: MSDS. Bell Labs, Madison, WI.
^Murphy, Michael J.; Talcott, Patricia A. (2013). "Anticoagulant Rodenticides (Ch. 32)". In Peterson, Michael E.; Talcott, Patricia A. (eds.). Small Animal Toxicology (3rd ed.). St. Louis, MO, US: Elsevier Health Sciences. pp. 435–446, esp. 435–439. ISBN978-0323241984. Retrieved 5 April 2016.