Dozens of contaminants found in chimpanzee and three other primate feces
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There are 97 chemical contaminants in the gastrointestinal tract of primates living in Uganda, some of which are thought to be related to hormonal changes in female and young primates.
Chemical pollutants have reached every corner of the globe, making exposure to these harmful substances in air, food and water almost inevitable for both humans and wildlife. To investigate how these affect wild primates, the researchers used a minimally invasive sampling method of collecting faeces.
Over a two-month period in 2017, Tessa Steinice and colleagues at Indiana University collected a total of 71 fecal samples from chimpanzees (pan troglodytes), olive baboons (Papio Black), red colobus (Piliocolobus tephrossel) and red-tailed macaques (Cercopithecus ascanius) in Kibale National Park, Uganda.
Researchers tested poop using chemical analysis and found 97 contaminants. Most of them are known to disrupt the function of hormones in mammals. Pesticides and flame retardants present in the sample are examples of such contaminants.
The research team also tested hormone levels. Across all species, females with higher pesticide concentrations in their faeces were more likely to have higher levels of cortisol, a stress hormone that helps regulate metabolism and the immune system. The researchers found a similar pattern in young primates, with higher concentrations of flame retardants in poop being associated with higher cortisol levels and lower levels of the reproductive hormone estradiol.
“Our results showing impact in adolescents are particularly alarming,” says Steinische. This is because early exposure to these chemicals during development can have lifelong effects. She said the research team will need to monitor primates long-term to see how these toxins affect their growth and reproduction.
This is a wake-up call for those who see national parks as places untouched by humans. “I think we still tend to have idealized images of wild primates living in beautiful, undisturbed habitats, but unfortunately the reality is that even protected areas are affected by pollution. is not mitigating,” says Steinische.
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