Microplastic Contamination in Amazon Vampire Bats (Desmodontinae: Phyllostomidae)
Microplastics (MPs) are polymers smaller than five millimeters, are easily dispersed, and are considered a contaminant of emerging concern. The objective was to quantify and characterize, both by color and shape, the presence of MPs in the stomach, intestine, and lungs of vampire bats, analyzing the...
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2024-12-01
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| author | Ana Beatriz Alencastre-Santos Daniela Melo e Silva Danielle Regina Gomes Ribeiro-Brasil Letícia Lima Correia Magali Gonçalves Garcia Thiago Bernardi Vieira |
| author_facet | Ana Beatriz Alencastre-Santos Daniela Melo e Silva Danielle Regina Gomes Ribeiro-Brasil Letícia Lima Correia Magali Gonçalves Garcia Thiago Bernardi Vieira |
| author_sort | Ana Beatriz Alencastre-Santos |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Microplastics (MPs) are polymers smaller than five millimeters, are easily dispersed, and are considered a contaminant of emerging concern. The objective was to quantify and characterize, both by color and shape, the presence of MPs in the stomach, intestine, and lungs of vampire bats, analyzing the difference between organs and their morphometric measurements in relation to the abundance of MPs found in each organ. The bats were collected between 2017 and 2021. In the laboratory, the specimens were euthanized, and the organs of interest were extracted. After removal, the organs were chemically dissolved and then filtered through a suitable membrane. The membranes were inspected through visual analysis of the samples. Our result was significant, we found at least one MP in each organ analyzed, with all individuals being contaminated with particles only in fiber format, mostly white/transparent. The gastrointestinal system had greater contamination compared to the respiratory system. It is not yet known for sure how the ingestion of plastic waste has affected this population of bats, but the presence of plastic waste in the gastrointestinal tract of hematophagous individuals proves the effectiveness of the contagion of these particles. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1424-2818 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-d186da4d182342e99806dd829796428c2025-01-24T13:29:25ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182024-12-011713110.3390/d17010031Microplastic Contamination in Amazon Vampire Bats (Desmodontinae: Phyllostomidae)Ana Beatriz Alencastre-Santos0Daniela Melo e Silva1Danielle Regina Gomes Ribeiro-Brasil2Letícia Lima Correia3Magali Gonçalves Garcia4Thiago Bernardi Vieira5Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zoologia (PPGZOOL), Universidade Federal Do Pará (UFPA), Av. Perimetral, 1901—Terra Firme, Belém 66077-830, PA, BrazilLaboratory of Mutagenesis, Institute of Biological Sciences, ICB I, Federal University of Goiás, Campus Samambaia, Goiânia 74690-900, GO, BrazilLaboratório de Ecologia e Conservação de Ecossistemas Aquáticos (LECEA), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso (UFMT), Campus Universitário do Araguaia (CUA), Av. Universitário, 3500—Universitário, Pontal do Araguaia 78698-000, MT, BrazilLaboratório de Estudos de Quirópteros—LABEQ, Faculdade de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA), Campus Universitário de Altamira, Rua Coronel José Porfírio, 2515—São Sebastião, Altamira 68372-040, PA, BrazilLaboratório de Microbiologia, Faculdade de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA), Campus Universitário de Altamira, Rua Coronel José Porfírio, 2515—São Sebastião, Altamira 68372-040, PA, BrazilLaboratório de Estudos de Quirópteros—LABEQ, Faculdade de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA), Campus Universitário de Altamira, Rua Coronel José Porfírio, 2515—São Sebastião, Altamira 68372-040, PA, BrazilMicroplastics (MPs) are polymers smaller than five millimeters, are easily dispersed, and are considered a contaminant of emerging concern. The objective was to quantify and characterize, both by color and shape, the presence of MPs in the stomach, intestine, and lungs of vampire bats, analyzing the difference between organs and their morphometric measurements in relation to the abundance of MPs found in each organ. The bats were collected between 2017 and 2021. In the laboratory, the specimens were euthanized, and the organs of interest were extracted. After removal, the organs were chemically dissolved and then filtered through a suitable membrane. The membranes were inspected through visual analysis of the samples. Our result was significant, we found at least one MP in each organ analyzed, with all individuals being contaminated with particles only in fiber format, mostly white/transparent. The gastrointestinal system had greater contamination compared to the respiratory system. It is not yet known for sure how the ingestion of plastic waste has affected this population of bats, but the presence of plastic waste in the gastrointestinal tract of hematophagous individuals proves the effectiveness of the contagion of these particles.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/17/1/31Chiropterafibersplastichematophagy |
| spellingShingle | Ana Beatriz Alencastre-Santos Daniela Melo e Silva Danielle Regina Gomes Ribeiro-Brasil Letícia Lima Correia Magali Gonçalves Garcia Thiago Bernardi Vieira Microplastic Contamination in Amazon Vampire Bats (Desmodontinae: Phyllostomidae) Diversity Chiroptera fibers plastic hematophagy |
| title | Microplastic Contamination in Amazon Vampire Bats (Desmodontinae: Phyllostomidae) |
| title_full | Microplastic Contamination in Amazon Vampire Bats (Desmodontinae: Phyllostomidae) |
| title_fullStr | Microplastic Contamination in Amazon Vampire Bats (Desmodontinae: Phyllostomidae) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Microplastic Contamination in Amazon Vampire Bats (Desmodontinae: Phyllostomidae) |
| title_short | Microplastic Contamination in Amazon Vampire Bats (Desmodontinae: Phyllostomidae) |
| title_sort | microplastic contamination in amazon vampire bats desmodontinae phyllostomidae |
| topic | Chiroptera fibers plastic hematophagy |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/17/1/31 |
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