Congeners of PCBs in three bat species from Spain

Abstract

Recently, a decrease in the number of bats in Europe has been detected. Polychlorobiphenyl (PCB) residues were analyzed in 120 bat carcasses belonging to three different species, Schreiber's bats ( Miniopterus schreibersi ), greater horseshoe bats ( Rhinolophus ferrumequinum ), and common Pipistrelle bats ( Pipistrellus pipistrellus ), from four sites in Spain that represented four different ecosystems (La Rioja, Málaga, Cádiz, and Madrid). The maximum level of PCBs was 7.264 μg/g, detected in a sample from Aranjuez (Madrid), which was the most polluted zone in this study because of its proximity to a major source of industrial contaminants. The common pipistrelle was the most contaminated species and young individuals contained higher levels than adults. Seasonal variations were found, with the lowest levels at the end of the hibernation period. Of the seven congeners studied (101, 151, 153, 138, 180, 170, and 194), numbers 138, 153, and 180 were the majority, i.e., 80% of the total contribution of the seven congeners.