title: Rate of exposure of a sentinel species, invasive American mink (Neovison vison) in Scotland, to anticoagulant rodenticides.
abstract: Anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) are highly toxic compounds that are exclusively used for the control of rodent pests. Despite their defined use, they are nonetheless found in a large number of non-target species indicating widespread penetration of wildlife. Attempts to quantify the scale of problem are complicated by non-random sampling of individuals tested for AR contamination. The American mink (Neovison vison) is a wide ranging, non-native, generalist predator that is subject to wide scale control efforts in the UK. Exposure to eight ARs was determined in 99 mink trapped in NE Scotland, most of which were of known age. A high percentage (79%) of the animals had detectable residues of at least one AR, and more than 50% of the positive animals had two or more ARs. The most frequently detected compound was bromadiolone (75% of all animals tested), followed by difenacoum (53% of all mink), coumatetralyl (22%) and brodifacoum (9%). The probability of mink exposure to ARs increased by 4.5% per month of life, and was 1.7 times higher for mink caught in areas with a high, as opposed to a low, density of farms. The number of AR compounds acquired also increased with age and with farm density. No evidence was found for sexual differences in the concentration and number of ARs. The wide niche and dietary overlap of mink with several native carnivore species, and the fact that American mink are culled for conservation throughout Europe, suggest that this species may act as a sentinel species, and the application of these data to other native carnivores is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Toxicology Unit, Research Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences (IUIBS), Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35016 Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Spain.
authors.forename: Norberto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Suárez
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Zoology Building, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen AB24 2TZ, Scotland, UK; CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallés 08193, Spain.
authors.forename: Yolanda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Melero
authors.affiliation: Pesticides & DWMB Branches, Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture, Roddinglaw Road, Edinburgh EH12 9FJ, Scotland, UK.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giela
authors.affiliation: Toxicology Unit, Research Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences (IUIBS), Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35016 Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Spain.
authors.forename: Luis A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Henríquez-Hernández
authors.affiliation: Pesticides & DWMB Branches, Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture, Roddinglaw Road, Edinburgh EH12 9FJ, Scotland, UK.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sharp
authors.affiliation: Toxicology Unit, Research Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences (IUIBS), Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35016 Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Spain.
authors.forename: Luis D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Boada
authors.affiliation: Pesticides & DWMB Branches, Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture, Roddinglaw Road, Edinburgh EH12 9FJ, Scotland, UK.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.affiliation: Toxicology Unit, Research Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences (IUIBS), Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35016 Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Spain.
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Camacho
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Zoology Building, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen AB24 2TZ, Scotland, UK.
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lambin
authors.affiliation: Toxicology Unit, Research Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences (IUIBS), Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35016 Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Spain.
authors.forename: Octavio P
authors.initials: OP
authors.lastname: Luzardo
authors.affiliation: Pesticides & DWMB Branches, Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture, Roddinglaw Road, Edinburgh EH12 9FJ, Scotland, UK. Electronic address: gill.hartley@sasa.gsi.gov.uk.
authors.forename: Gill
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hartley
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000378:metabolism; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D058865:Introduced Species; D008297:Male; D008907:Mink / Q000378:metabolism*; D012378:Rodenticides / Q000378:metabolism*; D012606:Scotland; D000072739:Sentinel Species / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D012378:Rodenticides
keywords: Age; Contaminants; Exposure risks; Land use; Mustelid