title: Persistent organic pollutant levels in eggs of leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) point to a decrease in hatching success.
abstract: Sea turtles are susceptible to environmental pollution, since many harmful effects have been reported for different chemicals over the last two decades. In this context, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are of particular concern due to their endocrine-disrupting nature. The aims of this study were to provide additional baseline data on PCB and PBDE concentrations in eggs of Dermochelys coriacea; and to investigate whether any of the congeners could compromise reproductive success in this species. A total of 18 nests from different females were studied during the nesting season of 2008 at Reserva Pacuare Beach, in the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. Reproductive parameters (viability, fertility and hatching rates) were calculated for all nests and hatchling morphometrics were successfully measured in 8 of them. Two to three fresh eggs per nest were taken for contaminant study. Different congeners of POPs were purified and identified using gas chromatography (GC) coupled to an ion trap detector (GC-ITD MS/MS), as described below. Mean ± SD concentrations were calculated for POP congeners within each nest and clustering was also evaluated. Correlations were performed searching for potential relationships with reproductive parameters. POP levels were similar to those reported in French-Guiana populations and slightly lower than those associated to Florida populations. Sum of PBDEs showed a negative correlation to the hatching success, suggesting potential harmful effects of these contaminants on the reproduction of leatherbacks.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Conservación de la Biodiversidad y Ecología Aplicada, Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Americo Vespucio, 41092, Isla de la Cartuja, Sevilla, Spain. Electronic address: eva.deandres@upm.es.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: De Andrés
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Análisis Instrumental y Química Ambiental (AIQA), Instituto de Química Orgánica General, CSIC, Juan de la Cierva, 3, 28006, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Belén
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gómara
authors.affiliation: Center for Marine Biodiversity & Conservation (CMBC), Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 9500, Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: González-Paredes
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Av. Reina Mercedes, 41012, Sevilla, Spain.
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Martín
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Conservación de la Biodiversidad y Ecología Aplicada, Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Americo Vespucio, 41092, Isla de la Cartuja, Sevilla, Spain.
authors.forename: Adolfo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marco
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003364:Costa Rica; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000032:analysis*; D010063:Ovum / Q000737:chemistry*; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis*; D012098:Reproduction; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry; D014426:Turtles
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls
keywords: Leatherback; Pollutants; Reproduction; Sea turtles