The concentration of glyphosate and AMPA was higher in South Florida than in Crystal River, particularly before and during the sugarcane harvest when Florida manatees depend on warm water refuges. Glyphosate and AMPA were ubiquitous in water bodies.
The concentration of glyphosate has significantly increased in Florida manatee samples from 2009 until 2019. Glyphosate was present in 55.8% of the sampled Florida manatees’ plasma. We sampled eight Florida water bodies between 20, three times a year: before, during and after the sugarcane harvest using grab samples and molecular imprinted passive Polar Organic Chemical Integrative Samplers (MIP-POCIS).
We analyzed glyphosate’s and AMPA’s concentrations in Florida manatee plasma (n = 105) collected during 2009–2019 using HPLC-MS/MS. The objective of the present study was to determine the concentration of glyphosate and its breakdown product, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), in Florida manatee plasma and assess their exposure to manatees seeking a warm-water refuge in Crystal River (west central Florida), and in South Florida.
Glyphosate is the most used herbicide worldwide and it is intensively used in Florida as a sugarcane ripener and to control invasive aquatic plants. These freshwater environments are in direct contact with human activities were glyphosate-based herbicides are being used. Florida manatees depend on freshwater environments as a source of drinking water and as warm-water refuges.
0 kommentar(er)
