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Microplastic in an apex predator: evidence from barn owl (Tyto alba) pellets in two sites with different levels of anthropization
Summary
This study found microplastics in barn owl (Tyto alba) pellets collected at two sites in Portugal with different levels of human activity. As apex predators in terrestrial food chains, barn owls accumulate microplastics from the small mammals they eat, demonstrating that microplastic contamination extends through land-based food webs.
Abstract Plastic pollution in terrestrial and freshwater environments and its accumulation along food chains has been poorly studied in birds. The barn owl (Tyto alba) is an opportunistic and nocturnal apex predator feeding mostly on small mammals. In this note, we report the first evidence of microplastics (MPs) contamination in barn owl pellets collected in two sites with different levels of anthropization (low: natural landscape mosaic vs. high: extensive croplands). The following polymers have been recorded: Polyvinylchloride (PVC), Polyethylene (PE), Expanded Polyester (EPS), Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), Polybutylene Terephthalate (PBT), Polyester, Viscose, and starch-based Biopolymer. We found significant higher MPs frequency and density (MPs items/total preyed biomass), in the most anthropized site. Our results suggest that pellet’ analysis may represent a cost-effective method for monitoring MP contamination along food chains in terrestrial ecosystems.