Pesticide
exposure on sloths (Bradypus variegatus and
Choloepus
hoffmanni) in an agricultural landscape
of
Northeastern Costa Rica
Margaret
Ver?nica Pinnock Branford1*, Elba de la Cruz1, Karla
Solano1 and Oscar Ram?rez2
1Instituto
Regional de Estudios en Sustancias T?xicas (IRET), Universidad Nacional,
86-3000, Costa Rica
2Escuela
de Ciencias Biol?gicas, Universidad Nacional, Costa Rica
*Corresponding
Author E-mail: margaret.pinnock.branford@una.cr
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Publication Data
Paper received:
06 June 2013
Revised received:
19 June 2013
Accepted:
05 September 2013
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Abstract
Between
2005 and 2008, wild Bradypus variegatus and Choloepus hoffmanni
inhabiting an agricultural landscape and captive animals from a rescue center
in Northeastern Costa Rica were studied to assess exposure to pesticides. A
total of 54 animals were sampled: 42 wild sloths captured at an agricultural
landscape and 12 captive animals from a rescue center. Pesticides' active
ingredients were determined in three sample matrices: hair, aqueous mixture
(paws' wash) and cotton gauze (mouth clean) based on multi-residue gas
chromatography methods. Recoveries tests ranged from 73 to 146% and relative
standard deviations were less than 20% throughout all the recovery tests.
Active ingredients detected in sloths samples were ametryn, chlorothalonil,
chlorpyrifos, diazinon, difenoconazole, ethoprophos and thiabendazole. These
active ingredients were used in intensive agricultural production for
bananas, pineapples and other crops. Blood plasma cholinesterase activity
(PChE) was determined by the Ellman method modified for micro plates. Enzyme
activity determination was normalized to protein content in the samples
according to Bradford method. Wild sloth PChE activity was similar for both
species while sloths in captivity showed differences between species. Enzyme
activity was significantly lower for two-toed sloths.This study showed that
sloths were exposed to pesticides that caused acute and chronic effect in
mammals and can also be a threat to other wildlife species. There is a need
to better understand the potential effects of exposure to pesticides in
sloths and other wild mammal populations, especially those threatened or
endangered. More studies in this field must be carried out on the wildlife
fauna inhabiting the agricultural landscape and its surroundings.
Key
words
Blood,
Cholinesterase, Exposure, Pesticides, Sloths
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