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Spadetto L, Gómez-Ramírez P, Zamora-Marín JM, León-Ortega M, Díaz-García S, Tecles F, Fenoll J, Cava J, Calvo JF, García-Fernández AJ. Active monitoring of long-eared owl (Asio otus) nestlings reveals widespread exposure to anticoagulant rodenticides across different agricultural landscapes. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 918:170492. [PMID: 38307270 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
The widespread use of anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) poses a worldwide threat to farmland wildlife. These compounds accumulate in tissues of both target and non-target species, potentially endangering both direct consumers and their predators. However, investigations on ARs in blood of free-ranging predatory birds are rare. Here, the long-eared owl (Asio otus) has been used as a model predator to assess AR exposure in different agricultural landscapes from a Mediterranean semiarid region. A total of 69 owlets from 38 nests were blood-sampled over 2021 and 2022, aiming to detect AR residues and explore factors that determine their exposure, such as land uses. In addition, prothrombin time (PT) test was conducted to assess potential effects of AR contamination. Overall, nearly all the samples (98.6 %) tested positive for at least one compound and multiple ARs were found in most of the individuals (82.6 %). Among the ARs detected, flocoumafen was the most common compound (88.4 % of the samples). AR total concentration (ΣARs) in blood ranged from 0.06 to 34.18 ng mL-1, detecting the highest levels in the most intensively cultivated area. The analysis of owl pellets from 19 breeding territories showed relevant among-site differences in the contribution of rodents and birds into the diet of long-eared owls, supporting its high dietary plasticity and indicating AR presence at multiple trophic levels. Moreover, a positive and significant correlation was found between ΣARs and PT (Rho = 0.547, p < 0.001), which demonstrates the direct effect of ARs on free-living nestlings. Our results provide a preliminary overview of AR exposure in a little-studied owl species inhabiting agricultural and rural landscapes. Despite the low detected levels, these findings indicate widespread exposure -often to multiple compounds- from early life stages, which raises concern and draws attention to an ongoing and unresolved contamination issue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Livia Spadetto
- Toxicology Research Group, Faculty of Veterinary, Campus de Espinardo, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - Pilar Gómez-Ramírez
- Toxicology Research Group, Faculty of Veterinary, Campus de Espinardo, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain.
| | - José Manuel Zamora-Marín
- ULULA Association for Owl Study and Conservation, 30100 Murcia, Spain; Department of Applied Biology, Centro de Investigación e Innovación Agroalimentaria (CIAGRO-UMH), Miguel Hernández University of Elche, Elche, Spain; Department of Zoology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Biology, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - Mario León-Ortega
- ULULA Association for Owl Study and Conservation, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - Sarah Díaz-García
- ULULA Association for Owl Study and Conservation, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - Fernando Tecles
- Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Clinical Analysis (Interlab-UMU), Veterinary School, Regional Campus of International Excellence 'Campus Mare Nostrum', University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - José Fenoll
- Instituto Murciano de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario y Alimentario, IMIDA, 30150 Murcia, Spain
| | - Juana Cava
- Instituto Murciano de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario y Alimentario, IMIDA, 30150 Murcia, Spain
| | - José Francisco Calvo
- Department of Ecology and Hydrology, Faculty of Biology, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain
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Popov Aleksandrov A, Tucovic D, Kulas J, Popovic D, Kataranovski D, Kataranovski M, Mirkov I. Toxicology of chemical biocides: Anticoagulant rodenticides - Beyond hemostasis disturbance. Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 2024; 277:109841. [PMID: 38237840 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2024.109841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
The use of anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) is one of the most commonly employed management methods for pest rodents. ARs compete with vitamin K (VK) required for the synthesis of blood clotting factors in the liver, resulting in inhibition of blood coagulation and often animal death due to hemorrhage. Besides rodents (target species), ARs may affect non-target animal species and humans. Out of hemostasis disturbance, the effects of ARs may be related to the inhibition of proteins that require VK for their synthesis but are not involved in the coagulation process, to their direct cytotoxicity, and their pro-oxidant/proinflammatory activity. A survey of the cellular and molecular mechanisms of these sublethal/asymptomatic AR effects is given in this review. Data from field, clinical, and experimental studies are presented. Knowledge of these mechanisms might improve hazard characterization and identification of potential ecotoxicological risks associated with ARs, contributing to a safer use of these chemicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Popov Aleksandrov
- Immunotoxicology group, Department of Ecology, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković"- National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, 142 Bulevar despota Stefana, Belgrade 11000, Serbia
| | - Dina Tucovic
- Immunotoxicology group, Department of Ecology, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković"- National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, 142 Bulevar despota Stefana, Belgrade 11000, Serbia
| | - Jelena Kulas
- Immunotoxicology group, Department of Ecology, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković"- National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, 142 Bulevar despota Stefana, Belgrade 11000, Serbia
| | - Dusanka Popovic
- Immunotoxicology group, Department of Ecology, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković"- National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, 142 Bulevar despota Stefana, Belgrade 11000, Serbia
| | - Dragan Kataranovski
- Immunotoxicology group, Department of Ecology, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković"- National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, 142 Bulevar despota Stefana, Belgrade 11000, Serbia
| | - Milena Kataranovski
- Immunotoxicology group, Department of Ecology, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković"- National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, 142 Bulevar despota Stefana, Belgrade 11000, Serbia
| | - Ivana Mirkov
- Immunotoxicology group, Department of Ecology, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković"- National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, 142 Bulevar despota Stefana, Belgrade 11000, Serbia.
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