title: Accumulation of trace metals in the embryos and hatchlings of Chelonia mydas from Peninsular Malaysia incubated at different temperatures.
abstract: A variety of trace metals were measured in the egg contents of three clutches of Chelonia mydas collected from Kuala Terengganu state in Peninsular Malaysia. We quantified Mn, Cu, Zn, Se (essential trace metals) and As (anthropogenic pollutant) at several developmental stages obtained by incubating eggs at two different temperatures (27 °C and 31 °C). The incubation temperatures were chosen because they produce predominantly male or predominantly female hatchlings, respectively. The eggs were removed from the sand and washed before being placed in incubators, to ensure that the only possible source of the detected metals was maternal transfer. Other metals: Mo, Co, Ni, Cd, Sn, Sb, Hg, Tl and Pb (all non-essential metals) were detected at concentrations below the lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ). Trace metal concentrations, particularly [Zn], increased during development, other metals (Cu, As, Se and Cr) accumulated to a lesser degree than zinc but no significant differences were observed between the incubation temperatures at any stage of incubation. To date, only a few studies on trace metals in turtle embryos and hatchlings have been reported; this study will provide basic knowledge on the accumulation of trace metals during development at two different incubation temperatures.
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical Sciences, Anatomy and Developmental Biology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia. m.ikonomopoulou@uq.edu.au
authors.forename: Maria P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Ikonomopoulou
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Olszowy
authors.forename: Rod
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Francis
authors.forename: Kamarruddin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ibrahim
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Whittier
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000378:metabolism*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D006358:Hot Temperature; D008296:Malaysia; D008670:Metals / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D014426:Turtles / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism*; D015053:Zygote / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D008670:Metals; D014131:Trace Elements