Trace elements in loggerhead turtles ( Caretta caretta) from the eastern Mediterranean Sea: overview and evaluation

• Published in: Environmental pollution (1987) Vol. 135; no. 1; pp. 163 - 170
• Main Authors: Storelli, M.M., Storelli, A., D'Addabbo, R., Marano, C., Bruno, R., Marcotrigiano, G.O.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2005; Elsevier
• Subjects: animal organs; animal tissues; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; bioaccumulation; Biological and medical sciences; Cadmium - analysis; Cadmium - toxicity; Caretta caretta; Cheloniidae; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Environmental Pollutants - analysis; Environmental Pollutants - toxicity; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; heavy metals; Marine; Marine turtles; Mediterranean Sea; Mercury - analysis; Mercury - toxicity; Metals; trace elements; Trace Elements - analysis; Trace Elements - toxicity; Turtles - metabolism; water pollution; Mediterranean Sea; East Mediterranean; MED, Eastern Mediterranean; Mediterranean Sea; Metals; Marine turtles; Marine environment; Trace element; Vertebrata; Chelonia; Caretta caretta; Reptilia; Review; Metal
• ISSN: 0269-7491; 1873-6424
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2004.09.005

Concentrations of trace elements (Hg, Cd, Pb, Zn, Cu, Fe, and Se) in different organs and tissues (liver, kidney, muscle tissue, spleen, heart, lung, and fat tissue) of loggerhead turtles Caretta caretta from eastern Mediterranean Sea were determined. The highest levels of mercury and cadmium were found in liver (Hg: 0.43 μg g −1 wet weight; Cd: 3.36 μg g −1 wet weight) and kidney (Hg: 0.16 μg g −1 wet weight; Cd: 8.35 μg g −1 wet weight). For lead the overall concentrations were low and often below the limit of detection. Copper and selenium tended to be higher in liver than in other tissues and organs, while for zinc the concentrations were quite homogenous in the different organs and tissues, except fat tissue (64.7 μg g −1 wet weight) which showed a higher accumulation of this element. For iron the greatest concentrations were observed in liver (409 μg g −1 wet weight) and spleen (221 μg g −1 wet weight). Cadmium concentrations in samples from turtles may be high enough to affect their health.