Naslov
Bioaccumulation of metals in tissues of loggerhead sea turtle, Caretta caretta, from eastern Adriatic Sea

Autori
Lazar, Bojan ; Blanuša, Maja ; Holcer, Draško ; Tvrtković, Nikola

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, znanstveni

Izvornik
Proceedings of the Twenty-fourth International Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation ; Part. 2 : Poster presentations ; Sea turtle assessment and monitoring / - Miami (FL) : National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), 2008, 135-136

Skup
International Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation (24 ; 2004)

Mjesto i datum
San José, Kostarika, 22.02.2004. - 29.02.2004

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Poster

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
ecotoxicology; heavy metals; health status; sea turtles; detoxification; Mediterranean

Sažetak
In order to examine metals concentrations and their possible influence on the health status of resident loggerhead populations we preformed a general necropsy on 40 carcasses of loggerheads found dead stranded in Croatia and Slovenia (mean CCLn-t: 44.9 cm, SD: 12.9, range: 25.0 – 84.5), sampled soft tissues (liver, kidney, pectoral muscles and heart muscle) and humeri, and determined concentrations of Hg, Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu and Se by atomic absorption spectrometry. The highest concentration was found for Zn > Cu or Se > Cd > Hg > Pb, with variation only in the concentration pattern in the kidney (Zn > Cd > Se > Cu > Hg > Pb). Significant positive growth-dependent variations in concentrations were found for renal Hg, and heart Pb, whilst concentrations of hepatic Zn and Cd decreased with growth. The mean Hg concentrations in the kidney (1.89 μ g/g dry weight) and pectoral muscles (1.77 μ g/g d.w.) were the highest concentrations of Hg found in these tissues in all sea turtle species worldwide. High pectoral Hg levels points to the possible existence of a process of mitigating Hg toxicity in the primary detoxification organs (liver and kidney) by re-distribution of Hg into the skeletal muscles, a mechanism known to exist in some cetaceans. The mean renal Cd concentration (60.86 μ g/g d.w.) was twice that found in other populations in Mediterranean. Although the concentration of some analyzed metals are among the highest or the highest recorded in the tissues of loggerhead turtles, they are still below levels proven to exhibit toxic effect in marine mammals. However, possible synergistic effect of different pollutants on the health status of loggerhead turtles in the Adriatic Sea should not be underestimated.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Biologija

POVEZANOST RADA