Abstract

Mining is a key industry for economic expansion, but it also presents serious environmental pollution issues. The globally significant biodiversity of the Atlantic Forest is under serious threat due to tailings dam containment failures, which have contaminated the environment. Fruit-eating bats are crucial pollinators and seed dispersers for the regeneration of forests. This study compares individuals from a preserved Atlantic Forest fragment (FFA) to examine the effects of iron ore mining areas (FEOA) and aluminum ore mining areas (ALOA) on two keystone species of bats: Artibeus lituratus and Sturnira lilium. The accumulation of aluminum (Al), calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), and barium (Ba) in the liver, as well as calcium and iron in the muscles, was higher in bats from FEOA