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Microplastics in Big Brown Bats: Associations with county level Urbanization
Summary
Scientists found microplastics, tiny plastic particles, in the organs of wild bats living in North Carolina, and bats from more urban, developed areas tended to have higher amounts. Since these bats eat insects and breathe the same air we do, this suggests that living in cities may mean more exposure to microplastics for animals and possibly people, too. While this study can't yet tell us exactly how these particles affect health, it adds to growing evidence that microplastic pollution is widespread in the environment and works its way into living creatures.
As plastics degrade, they form microplastics (MPs) that can be ingested or inhaled and subsequently accumulate in animal tissues. Eptesicus fuscus (big brown bats) are widespread North American insectivores that can serve as bioindicators of MP exposure through airborne, aquatic, and insect-mediated pathways. In this study, we evaluated 18 bats across six counties in North Carolina, USA. We assessed MP presence in the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract and tested whether urbanization predicts MP burden. An urbanization index was developed using population density, impervious surface cover, and tree canopy metrics. Specimens were obtained opportunistically as a byproduct of the rabies testing.