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The First Record of Ingestion and Inhalation of Micro- and Mesoplastics by Neotropical Bats from the Brazilian Amazon
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This study documented the first recorded cases of micro- and mesoplastic ingestion and inhalation by neotropical bats, extracting digestive and respiratory tract contents from bat specimens. Microplastic contamination was found in both pathways, suggesting multiple routes of plastic exposure for these insectivorous mammals.
Este estudio muestra la abundancia de contaminación por microplásticos (MP) y el primer registro de contaminación por PM en murciélagos. Además, intentamos comprender el mecanismo de contaminación ambiental de los murciélagos. Por lo tanto, se extrajeron para su análisis los tractos digestivo y respiratorio de 81 murciélagos adultos de 25 especies. Los murciélagos fueron capturados en diferentes localidades de la Amazonía brasileña (Altamira, Bragança, Brasil Novo, Medicilândia, Nova Timboteua, Placas, São Félix do Xingu, Uruará y Vitória do Xingu, todos en el estado de Pará). Los resultados mostraron que todas las especies estaban contaminadas con PM en al menos uno de los sistemas analizados. Para el sistema digestivo, la forma de contaminación se produce por bioacumulación y biomagnificación por la ingestión de alimentos o agua contaminados. Mientras que para el sistema respiratorio, la contaminación se produce por la inhalación de PM suspendidas en el aire atmosférico. Las diferentes características de alimentación de los murciélagos, el tipo de estrategia de captura de este alimento y el tipo de hábitat refuerzan la idea de que los contaminantes plásticos están presentes en todos los entornos.
More Papers Like This
Plastic Waste in the Amazon Forest: What Is the Future of the Ecosystem Services Provided by the Local Bats?
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This study is the first to report microplastic contamination in Amazonian bats, finding that 95% of 81 bats from 25 species had microplastic fibers in their digestive or respiratory systems. The digestive system was more contaminated than the respiratory tract, indicating ingestion through contaminated food and water as the primary exposure route. The finding shows that microplastic pollution has reached one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth and is affecting mammals that provide critical ecosystem services such as insect control and pollination.
Microplastic contamination in neotropical frugivorous bats (Phyllostomidae: Stenodermatinae, Carolliinae) shows no biome-specific differences between Cerrado and Amazon Forest.
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This study found that frugivorous bats in the Amazon carried higher microplastic loads than those in the Cerrado biome, contrary to expectations based on land use history, suggesting that factors other than landscape modification—such as diet and forest proximity to waterways—drive microplastic exposure in wildlife.
Microplastic Contamination in Amazon Vampire Bats (Desmodontinae: Phyllostomidae)
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Researchers examined vampire bats from the Amazon region and found microplastic contamination in every individual studied, across the stomach, intestines, and lungs. The particles were predominantly white or transparent fibers, with higher concentrations in the gastrointestinal system than the respiratory system. The findings demonstrate that microplastic pollution has reached even blood-feeding wildlife in remote tropical ecosystems, highlighting how pervasive these contaminants have become.
First report of microplastics in the gastrointestinal tracts of North American insectivorous bats
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This study provided the first report of microplastics in the gastrointestinal tracts of North American insectivorous bats. Bats with higher microplastic loads showed lower body mass, potentially impairing fat storage needed for hibernation and migration—raising concern for bat populations already threatened by white-nose syndrome.
Microplastics in Big Brown Bats: Associations with county level Urbanization
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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.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.