title: Risk assessment of bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) exposure to topical antiparasitics used in livestock within an ecotoxicovigilance framework.
abstract: Between 2004 and 2013, 486 suspected scavenger poisoning cases, including 24 bearded vultures (Gypaetus barbatus), were investigated in the Pyrenees and surrounding areas in Spain as part of a monitoring programme regarding accidental and intentional poisoning of wildlife. Poisoning was confirmed in 36% of all analysed cases where scavenger species were found dead within the distribution range of bearded vultures. Organophosphates and carbamates were the most frequently detected poisons. Four of the bearded vulture cases were positive for the presence of topical antiparasitics (3 with diazinon and 1 with permethrin). These likely represented accidental exposure due to the legal use of these veterinary pharmaceuticals. In order to confirm the risk of exposure to topical antiparasitics in bearded vultures, pig feet (n=24) and lamb feet (n=24) were analysed as these are one of the main food resources provided to bearded vultures at supplementary feeding stations. Pig feet had no detectable residues of topical antiparasitics. In contrast, 71.4% of lamb feet showed residues of antiparasitics including diazinon (64.3%), pirimiphos-methyl (25.4%), chlorpyrifos (7.1%), fenthion (1.6%), permethrin (0.8%) and cypermethrin (27.8%). Washing the feet with water significantly reduced levels of these topical antiparasitics, as such, this should be a recommended practice for lamb feet supplied at feeding stations for bearded vultures. Although the detected levels of antiparasitics were relatively low (≤1 μg/g), a risk assessment suggests that observed diazinon levels may affect brain acetylcholinesterase and thermoregulation in bearded vultures subject to chronic exposure.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC, UCLM, JCCM), Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain. Electronic address: rafael.mateo@uclm.es.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mateo
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC, UCLM, JCCM), Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain.
authors.forename: Inés S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Barbudo
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC, UCLM, JCCM), Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain.
authors.forename: Pablo R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Camarero
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Agricultura, Ganadería y Medio Ambiente, Dirección General de Desarrollo Sostenible y Biodiversidad, Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Martínez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000977:Antiparasitic Agents / Q000032:analysis*; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D046093:Falconiformes; D058751:Livestock; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D013030:Spain
chemical_list: D000977:Antiparasitic Agents; D004785:Environmental Pollutants
keywords: Organophosphates; Poisoning; Pyrethroids; Scavengers; Topical antiparasitics; Veterinary drugs