Heavy metals and DNA damage in blood cells of insectivore bats in coal mining areas of Catarinense coal basin, Brazil.
We assessed the content of heavy metals in the liver and the DNA damage in blood cells of insectivore bats in the Catarinense Carboniferous Basin, Southern Brazil. Three bats species (Molossus molossus, Tadarida brasiliensis and Eptesicus diminutus) were collected in a coal mining area and in a control area. The heavy metal content in bats was detected according to the PIXE technique and the DNA damage was assessed by the Comet assay. The contents of Cr, Ni, Cu and Pb in M. molossus and of Cu and Fe in T. brasiliensis from the coal mining area was higher than in the animals from the control area. In both areas differences in metal contents in the liver were observed between the bat species. The parameters assessed by the Comet assay were significantly higher in E. diminutus as compared to M. molossus and T. brasiliensis. Values of both Comet assay parameters were significantly higher in the mining area as compared to the control area only for T. brasiliensis.
José Zocche
Jairo
J
Laboratório de Ecologia de Paisagem e de Vertebrados, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Ambientais, Unidade Acadêmica de Humanidades, Ciências e Educação, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense (UNESC), Brasil.
Dimer Leffa
Daniela
D
Paganini Damiani
Adriani
A
Carvalho
Fernando
F
Avila Mendonça
Rodrigo
R
Dos Santos
Carla Eliete Iochims
CE
Appel Boufleur
Liana
L
Ferraz Dias
Johnny
J
de Andrade
Vanessa Moraes
VM
D000818:Animals; D002685:Chiroptera / Q000097:blood*; D003032:Coal Mining; D020552:Comet Assay; D004249:DNA Damage; D007313:Insecta; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000097:blood*; D011235:Predatory Behavior
D019216:Metals, Heavy