Mercury Concentrations in Big Brown Bats (Eptesicus fuscus) of the Finger Lakes Region, New York.
Arch Environ Contam Toxicol
; 81(1): 1-14, 2021 Jul.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-33796893
ABSTRACT
The northeastern United States receives elevated mercury (Hg) deposition from United States and global emissions, making it critical to understand the fate of Hg in watersheds with a variety of aquatic habitats and land use types, such as the Finger Lakes region of New York State. Bats are valuable and important organisms to study chronic Hg exposure, because they are at risk of sublethal effects from elevated Hg exposure. The objectives of this study were to (1) determine total Hg (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations in big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) of the Finger Lakes region; (2) assess whether morphometric, temporal, or spatial factors predict bat Hg concentrations; and (3) investigate the role of trophic position and diet represented by stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen in explaining variations in bat Hg concentrations. We found comparable THg and MeHg concentrations to previous studies (THg range 1-45 ppm, MeHg range 0.5-38 ppm) in big brown bat fur collected throughout the Finger Lakes region. On average, MeHg made up 81% of THg in bat fur. Fifteen percent of our samples showed higher THg than a proposed toxicity threshold of 10 ppm. Together, dominant land cover and % wetland cover explained bat THg in the Finger Lakes. Trophic position (i.e., δ15N) was strongest in predicting bat THg in forests but was a weaker predictor of Hg bioaccumulation in bats from agricultural and urban areas. The range of Hg concentrations found in this study warrants further examination into the potential toxicological impacts of Hg to wildlife and the role of land use in Hg exposure to terrestrial organisms of the Finger Lakes.
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Poluentes Químicos da Água
/
Quirópteros
/
Mercúrio
/
Compostos de Metilmercúrio
Tipo de estudo:
Prognostic_studies
Limite:
Animals
País/Região como assunto:
America do norte
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Arch Environ Contam Toxicol
Ano de publicação:
2021
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Estados Unidos