Modelling the effects of soil contaminantson the bat population in the UK.
Beatrice Hernout, PhD project, University of York, UK
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This project will assess the potential exposure of bat populations in the UK to soil-associated heavy metals. The overall aim is to develop a model for estimating body residues of heavy metals in bat species for the UK landscape. In the future, we anticipate that the developed modelling approach could be applied more widely to establish the risks of soil-associated contaminants to wildlife populations.
In the first Phase of the project, an initial model will be developed that uses available information on soil contamination, contaminant uptake into food items, bat feeding behaviour and bat distribution to predict ‘worst case’ concentrations of heavy metals in the bat population. The results will be represented at the landscape scale for the UK (5km2) using GIS software.
In the second phase of the project, experiments are planned to investigate the bioaccessibility of heavy metals to insectivorous chiropters using in vitro studies that mimic the chemistry of the bat gut. The initial model will be adapted based on the findings of this work.
Conceptual model for ERA of contaminants for wildlife
As the protection goals of most EU directives are focused on the population scale, the project will attempt to develop a population dynamic model which predicts the effects of heavy metal contaminant on the bat population. Based on bat tissue residues, mammalian toxicology data and bat life cycle traits, the project will estimate the impacts of heavy metals on bat populations.
Ultimately, a final model will be developed using the results from the earlier project components. This final model will be evaluated against experimental data which will be generated from bat carcass samples obtained from the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) in the UK.
Last update: 13th September 2010
Ph.D Fellow : Beatrice Hernout (University of York)
Supervisor : Alistair Boxall (UYork)
Co-supervisors : Volker Grimm (UFZ), Kathryn Arnold (UYork) and Colin McClean (UYork)
Associated partner: CRD
