Title
Mercury bioaccumulation in tropical bats from a region of active artisanal and small-scale gold mining
Date Issued
01 September 2020
Access level
metadata only access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Loiselle B.A.
Frederick P.C.
University of Florida
Publisher(s)
Springer
Abstract
Mercury negatively affects human and animal health. Artisanal and small-scale gold mining can be a major local source of mercury contamination, especially into aquatic systems in tropical areas. Animals associated with mercury-contaminated aquatic systems are at high risk of experiencing effects of this heavy metal, but it is not clear how far the effects may extend into nearby terrestrial systems. We report mercury contamination levels in bats in agricultural areas at increasing distances from gold mining (~3–89 km of distance). We hypothesized that bat mercury concentrations would differ between feeding guilds, land use types, and be higher at sites closer to gold mining areas. We collected 112 fur samples from 30 bat species and eight guilds, and provide the first reports of concentrations in 12 species. All mercury concentrations were below the level at which health is likely to be affected (10 ppm). We found guild-influenced differences among mercury concentration levels, with the highest concentrations in aerial insectivores and carnivores, and the lowest in canopy frugivores. Our results suggest insectivorous and carnivorous bats may still be at some risk even at sites distant from aquatic mercury contamination. We did not find an effect of agricultural land-use type on mercury concentrations within species or guilds, suggesting mercury contamination did not extend to agricultural sites from areas of gold mining activities, and that these agricultural activities themselves were not an important source of mercury. We conclude bats did not demonstrate a signature of mercury risk either as a result of proximity of gold mining, or as a result of agricultural activities.
Start page
1032
End page
1042
Volume
29
Issue
7
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Zoología, Ornitología, Entomología, ciencias biológicas del comportamiento Minería, Procesamiento de minerales Mineralogía
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85084073051
PubMed ID
Source
Ecotoxicology
ISSN of the container
09639292
Sponsor(s)
This study was funded by Lewis and Clark Fund for Exploration and Field Research Grant by the American Philosophical Society, Cleveland Zoological Society and Cleveland Metroparks Zoo conservation grant program, and Bat Conservation International. We thank Juan Carlos Suaña, Brian Málaga, Yolanda Alcarraz, Diego Zavala, Luiggi Carrasco, Katherin Mares, Werner Pinero, and Diego Juarez–Sanchez for their invaluable support during field work. We also thank Lewis and Clark Fund for Exploration and Field Research Grant by the American Philosophical Society, Cleveland Zoological Society and Cleveland Metroparks Zoo conservation grant program, and Bat Conservation International for funding the fieldwork and laboratory analysis for this study. We thank Dr. Samantha Wisely, Courtney Pylant, and Diego Juarez-Sanchez for their support to undertake the decontamination of samples. We thank Lindsey Garner, Jabi Zabala for their support during the mercury-content analysis. This study was undertaken under the following permits: University of Florida IACUC Study #201708351, Resolución Directoral Regional No. 948-2016-GOREMAD-GRRNYGA/DRFFS, exportation permit No. 03211-SERFOR, importation permit: CDC PHS Permit NO. 2017-12-017. This study was funded by Lewis and Clark Fund for Exploration and Field Research Grant by the American Philosophical Society, Cleveland Zoological Society and Cleveland Metroparks Zoo conservation grant program, and Bat Conservation International.
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus