Trace metals (Cd, Cu, Ni, and Zn) in blood and eggs of the sea turtle Lepidochelys olivacea from a nesting colony of Oaxaca, Mexico.
Trace metals (Cd, Cu, Ni, and Zn) concentrations were assessed in the sea turtle Lepidochelys olivacea from a nesting colony of Oaxaca, Mexico. Twenty-five female turtles were sampled, a total of 250 eggs were collected during the "arribada" event of the 2005-2006 season. Zn concentrations were highest in the yolk [72.3 ± 10.9 μg/g dry weight (dw)] and blood (58.4 ± 4.7 μg/g dw), whereas Ni concentrations were highest in the shell (48.5 ± 12.9 μg/g dw). The mean concentrations of Cu, and Cd in the analyzed tissues were lower than those reported in other sea turtle species. However, Zn and Ni concentrations in the yolk and shell, respectively, had the same distribution pattern observed at loggerhead and green turtles. On the basis of one nesting season, the maternal transfer and/or the excretion rates of trace metals via eggs-laying, estimated in terms of metal burdens in whole body, were 0.2, 7.8, 3.4, and 21.5% for Cd, Cu, Zn, and Ni, respectively.
Páez-Osuna
Federico
F
Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico. paezos@ola.icmyl.unam.mx
Calderón-Campuzano
María F
MF
Soto-Jiménez
Martín F
MF
Ruelas-Inzunza
Jorge R
JR
D000818:Animals; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005260:Female; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D010063:Ovum / Q000378:metabolism*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014426:Turtles / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical / Q000032:analysis
D019216:Metals, Heavy; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical