title: Contaminants of Emerging Concern in Bats from the Northeastern United States.
abstract: We analyzed bat carcasses (Myotis lucifugus, M. sodalis, M. septentrionalis, and Eptesicus fuscus) from the northeastern United States for contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and pharmaceuticals and personal care products. The CECs detected most frequently in samples were PBDEs (100 %), salicylic acid (81 %), thiabendazole (50 %), and caffeine (23 %). Other compounds detected in at least 15 % of bat samples were digoxigenin, ibuprofen, warfarin, penicillin V, testosterone, and N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET). The CECs present at the highest geometric mean wet weight concentrations in bat carcasses were bisphenol A (397 ng/g), ΣPDBE congeners 28, 47, 99, 100, 153, and 154 (83.5 ng/g), triclosan (71.3 n/g), caffeine (68.3 ng/g), salicylic acid (66.4 ng/g), warfarin (57.6 ng/g), sulfathiazole (55.8 ng/g), tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (53.8 ng/g), and DEET (37.2 ng/g). Bats frequently forage in aquatic and terrestrial habitats that may be subjected to discharges from wastewater-treatment plants, agricultural operations, and other point and nonpoint sources of contaminants. This study shows that some CECs are accumulating in the tissue of bats. We propose that CECs detected in bats have the potential to affect a number of physiological systems in bats including hibernation, immune function, and response to white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease causing population-level impacts to bats.
authors.affiliation: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 3817 Luker Road, Cortland, NY, 13045, USA. Anne_secord@fws.gov.
authors.forename: Anne L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Secord
authors.affiliation: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 110 Radnor Road, Suite 101, State College, PA, 16801, USA.
authors.forename: Kathleen A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Patnode
authors.affiliation: TestAmerica, 3275 S. Tioga Way, Las Vegas, NV, 89117, USA.
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.affiliation: TestAmerica, 880 Riverside Parkway, West Sacramento, CA, 95605, USA.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Redman
authors.affiliation: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 3817 Luker Road, Cortland, NY, 13045, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Gefell
authors.affiliation: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 70 Commercial St., Suite 300, Concord, NH, 03301, USA.
authors.forename: Andrew R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Major
authors.affiliation: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 620 S. Walker St., Bloomington, IN, 47403, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Sparks
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds / Q000378:metabolism; D002685:Chiroptera / Q000378:metabolism*; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism*; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000378:metabolism; D006605:Hibernation; D009511:New England; D010636:Phenols / Q000378:metabolism; D000098826:Bisphenol A Compounds
chemical_list: D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; D010636:Phenols; C006780:bisphenol A; D000098826:Bisphenol A Compounds