Studies on the yellow ground squirrel (Citellus fulvus Licht.) in biotopes contaminated with phenylpyrazoles

The presence of fipronil and fipronil-sulfone has been revealed in components of natural ecosystems affected by application of fipronil-based pesticides. It has been found that ground squirrels Citellus fulvus from biotopes contaminated with phenylpyrazoles are characterized by a high LPO level as well as by cytogenetic instability manifested in the increased frequency of structural and genomic mutations. Chromatid rearrangements prevail in the spectrum of chromosome aberrations, which indicates that a chemical mutagen is present in the environment.