title: Pollutant exposure at wastewater treatment works affects the detoxification organs of an urban adapter, the Banana Bat.
abstract: The Banana Bat, Neoromicia nana, exploits pollution-tolerant chironomids at wastewater treatment works (WWTWs). We investigated how pollutant exposure impacts the detoxification organs, namely the liver and kidney of N. nana. (i) We performed SEM-EDS to quantify metal content and mineral nutrients, and found significant differences in essential metal (Fe and Zn) content in the liver, and significant differences in Cu and one mineral nutrient (K) in the kidneys. (ii) We performed histological analysis and found more histopathological lesions in detoxification organs of WWTW bats. (iii) We calculated hepatosomatic/renalsomatic indices (HSI/RSI) to investigate whole organ effects, and found significant increases in organ size at WWTWs. (iv) We quantified metallothionein 1E (MT1E), using Western Blot immunodetection. Contrary to predictions, we found no significant upregulation of MT1E in bats at WWTWs. Ultimately, N. nana exploiting WWTWs may suffer chronic health problems from sub-lethal damage to organs responsible for detoxifying pollutants.
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4000, South Africa. Electronic address: samantha.naidoo.ukzn@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Naidoo
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4000, South Africa.
authors.forename: Dalene
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vosloo
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4000, South Africa.
authors.forename: M Corrie
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Schoeman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002685:Chiroptera / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015386:Hazardous Substances / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D008658:Inactivation, Metabolic; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000378:metabolism; D008670:Metals / Q000032:analysis; D028521:Musa; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid; D062065:Wastewater / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D015386:Hazardous Substances; D008668:Metallothionein; D008670:Metals; D062065:Wastewater
keywords: Hepatosomatic/renalsomatic index; Histopathology; Metallothionein; Neoromicia nana; Wastewater pollutants