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Study of feces of neotropical otters (Lontra longicaudis) in the Ayuquila-Armería basin, Mexico as biomonitors of the spatiotemporal distribution of pesticides

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Abstract

The pesticides used have contributed to increasing food production; it has also caused them to be found in most ecosystems and have negative effects on biota. The neotropical otter (Lontra longicaudis) is vulnerable to pesticide accumulation and is characterized by being elusive, so it is necessary to address the use of indirect techniques that evaluate its populations’ state in an efficient, logistically simple, and non-invasive way. This study aimed to determine the concentration of 20 pesticides in neotropical otter feces in the Ayuquila-Armería basin and to describe the spatiotemporal variation of these pesticides. The presence of 11 pesticides was determined. Imazalil, picloram, and malathion the pesticides with the highest concentrations; emamectin, λ-cyhalothrin, methomyl, and picloram were present in all samples. Emamectin was the only pesticide that presented significant differences concerning the temporality of the samplings, presenting higher concentrations in the wet season. Molinate concentrations showed significant differences concerning the location of the sampling sections in the basin; the lower part of the basin presented higher concentrations. The distribution of the populations of L. longicaudis in the Ayuquila-Armería basin does not respond to the degree of contamination by pesticides in surface waters or to the proximity to agricultural activities, and this in places with evident chemical and organic contamination and human presence. The use of otter feces for pesticide monitoring is an accepted non-invasive method to assess the degree of exposure and can be used to determine sites with pollution problems.

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  1. Departamento de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Centro Universitario de la Costa Sur, Universidad de Guadalajara, Independencia Nacional 151, 48900, Autlán de Navarro, Jalisco, Mexico

    Brian Arturo Rodríguez-Aguilar, Luis Manuel Martínez-Rivera & Luis Ignacio Iñiguez-Dávalos

  2. Centro de Investigación en Recursos Naturales y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins, Fabrica 1990, Segundo Piso, Santiago, Chile

    Roberto Muñiz-Valencia

  3. Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Av. Universidad 1001, Col. Chamilpa, 62209, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico

    Norman Mercado-Silva

  4. Departamento de Farmacobiología, Centro Universitario de Ciencias Exactas e Ingenería, Universidad de Guadalajara, Blvd. Marcelino García Barragán 1421, Módulo E, 44430, Guadalajara, Jalisco, México

    Alejandro Aarón Peregrina-Lucano

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Rodríguez-Aguilar, B.A., Martínez-Rivera, L.M., Muñiz-Valencia, R. et al. Study of feces of neotropical otters (Lontra longicaudis) in the Ayuquila-Armería basin, Mexico as biomonitors of the spatiotemporal distribution of pesticides. Environ Monit Assess 194, 474 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-022-09952-3

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