A disease that has decimated local bat populations for nearly two decades may be linked to increased infant deaths, a new study has found.
The study, published Sept. 6 by University of Chicago researcher Eyal Frank, discusses the relationship between the rapid decline in bat populations in the U.S. due to a fungal disease called white-nose syndrome (WNS) and the impact that population change has had on pesticide use by of American farmers for insect control.
According to data obtained for the study, increased use of chemical pesticides on North American farms has increased as bat populations in the US have declined. At the same time, the infant mortality rate increased.
A press release announcing the study said bats serve as a natural pesticide, “widely relied upon by farmers as an alternative to chemical pesticides to protect their crops from insects.”
A graph showing the relationship between pesticide use and infant mortality rates in the US.
University of Chicago Energy Policy Institute, epic.uchicago.edu
As WNS—which according to the National Park Service has decimated American bat populations in several species since it was introduced in 2006—continues to spread, this study argues that increased use of chemical pesticides may be linked to an increase in the Internal Infant Mortality Rate (IIMR).
“When bats are no longer there to do their job of controlling insects, the costs to society are very high — but the costs of conserving bat populations are probably lower,” Frank, an assistant professor at the Harris School of Public Policy, said in a press release. “More broadly, this study shows that wild animals add value to society, and we need to better understand that value in order to enact measures to protect them.”
According to the study, American farmers began using about 31% more chemicals after bats became insufficient to prevent insects from attacking crops. Pesticides have previously been linked to human health problems, and the US Environmental Protection Agency states that they can cause problems in the nervous system, hormonal or endocrine systems, skin and eyes.
Infant mortality rates “are a common indicator for studying the health effects of environmental pollution,” the press release said. The data showed that the rate increased by nearly 8%, or 1,334 infant deaths—or about a 0.25% increase in infant mortality for every 1% increase in chemical pesticide use.
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In addition, the study found that chemical pesticides are not as good as bats at keeping insects away from crops.
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The National Park Service reports that a single colony of bats can eat hundreds of thousands of insects in an hour, and a study found that farmers’ income from crop sales dropped by nearly 29% after more pesticides were introduced. The study also found that the total economic cost of reduced bat populations is more than $39 billion.
“Bats have gotten a bad reputation as something to be feared, especially after reports of a possible link to the origin of [of] Covid-19,” Frank added in a press release. “But bats add value to society in their role as natural pesticides, and this study shows that reducing them can be harmful to humans.”
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education