Widespread exposure to anticoagulant rodenticides among common urban mesopredators in Chicago

Abstract

Anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) are currently the most common method to control rats in cities, but these compounds also cause morbidity and mortality in non-target wildlife. Little attention has been focused on AR exposure among mesopredators despite their ecological role as scavengers and prey for larger carnivores, thus serving as an important bridge in the biomagnification of rodenticides in food webs. In this study, we sampled liver tissue from raccoons (Procyon lotor; n = 37), skunks (Mephitis mephitis; n = 15), and Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana; n = 45) euthanized by pest professionals and brown rats (Rattus norvegicus; n = 101) trapped in alleys in Chicago, USA to evaluate how often these species are exposed to ARs. We tested whether mesopredators had a higher prevalence of ARs and to more AR compounds compared to rats and calculated biomagnification factors (mean concentration in mesopredators/rats) as indicators of biomagnification. Of 93 sampled mesopredators, 100 % were exposed to at least one AR compound, mainly brodifacoum (≥80 %), and 79 % were exposed to multiple AR compounds. We also documented teal stomach contents consistent with the consumption of rat bait and altricial young tested positive to the same AR as their mother, suggesting mammary transfer. Of the 101 rats, 74 % tested positive to at least one AR compound and 32 % were exposed to multiple AR compounds. All mesopredator species had biomagnification factors exceeding 1.00 for brodifacoum (6.57-29.07) and bromadiolone (1.08-4.31). Our results suggest widespread exposure to ARs among urban mesopredators and biomagnification of ARs in mesopredators compared to rats. Policies that limit AR availability to non-target species, such as restricting the sale and use of ARs to licensed professionals in indoor settings, education on alternatives, and more emphasis on waste management may reduce health risks for urban wildlife and people in cities around the world.

Keywords: Anticoagulant rodenticide; Didelphis virginiana; Ecotoxicology; Mephitis mephitis; Non-target exposure; Procyon lotor; Raccoon; Striped skunk; Urban mesopredator; Urban wildlife; Virginia opossum.