Abstract

RACERO-CASARRUBIA, Javier Alfonso; CORREA, Jesús Ballesteros; MARRUGO-NEGRETE, José  and  PINEDO-HERNANDEZ, José Joaquín. Organoclorated pesticides in bats (Chiroptera) associated with the tropical rainforest in Córdoba, Colombia. Caldasia [online]. 2021, vol.43, n.2, pp.320-330.  Epub Apr 08, 2022. ISSN 0366-5232.  https://doi.org/10.15446/caldasia.v43n2.84862.

Research on environmental toxicity due to the use of pesticides have been carried out mainly in terrestrial mammals but there is little information related to organochlorine pesticides in bats, that, taking into account the functional role of these animals as insectivores, frugivorous, and pollinators, it may probably be causing a negative impact on the health of natural ecosystems. In Colombia, there are no studies that document this problem. The objective was to determine the presence of organochlorine pesticides in the bat assembly of tropical rainforest in Córdoba, Colombia. The presence of organochlorine pesticides in liver and bat muscle of the Manso-Tigre sector, an area of bh-T with peasant occupation, was evaluated. The concentration of organochlorine pesticides such as Aldrin, Dieldrin, Endrin, Heptachlor epoxide, α-BCH, βBCH, γ-BCH, 2,4-DDD, 2,4-DDT, 4,4-DDE and 4,4-DDT, was determined by gas chromatography. Organochlorine levels in liver and muscle, presented significant statistical differences (P <0.05). Higher organochlorine content in the liver was detected in the species Trachops cirrhosus (α -BCH, γ-BCH, Endrin, pp-DDE), Desmodus rotundus (β -BCH), Micronycteris microtis (Aldrin), Platyrrhinus helleri (Heptachlor) and Phyllostomus hastatus (pp-DDT); and in muscle tissue were Trachops cirrhosus (α -BCH, γ-BCH, Endrin, pp-DDE), Artibeus planirostris (β -BCH), Micronycteris microtis (Aldrin, Heptachlor) and Phyllostomus hastatus (pp-DDT). Organochlorine contamination in bats is possibly related to the use of agrochemicals, insecticides, and phosphate compounds for agricultural use. The results allow us to recognize the importance of bats as a bioindicator of environmental pollution by indicating processes of changes or disturbances in habitats.

Keywords : Agrochemicals; Chiroptera; ecosystem health; environmental pollutants.

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