title: Associations between trace elements and clinical health parameters in the North Pacific loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) from Baja California Sur, Mexico.
abstract: This study investigated selected trace elements toxicity in sea turtles Caretta caretta population from Baja California Sur (BCS), Mexico, by analyzing associations among Zn, Se, Cu, As, Cd, Ni, Mn, Pb, and Hg with various biochemical parameters (packed cell volume, leukocytes, and selected blood parameters), and whether their concentrations could have an impact on the health status of sea turtles. Blood samples from 22 loggerhead (C. caretta) sea turtles from BCS, Mexico, were collected for trace elements on biochemistry parameter analyses. Significant associations among trace element levels and the biochemistry parameters were found: Cd vs ALP (R2= 0.874, p ˂ 0.001), As vs ALP (R2= 0.656, p ˂ 0.001), Mn vs ALP (R2= 0.834, p ˂ 0.001), and Ni vs LDH (R2= 0.587, p ˂ 0.001). This study is the first report of the biochemical parameters of the North Pacific loggerhead sea turtle (C. caretta) from Baja California Sur, Mexico, and it is the first to observe several associations with toxic and essential trace elements. Our study reinforces the usefulness of blood for the monitoring of the levels of contaminating elements and the results suggest that, based on the associations with health clinical parameters, high levels of Cd and As could be representing a risk to the North Pacific loggerhead population health.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Politécnico Nacional, CIIDIR-SINALOA, Guasave, Sinaloa, Mexico. cleyq@ipn.mx.|Grupo Tortuguero de las Californias A.C, La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico. cleyq@ipn.mx.|Investigación, Capacitación y Soluciones Ambientas y Sociales A.C, Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico. cleyq@ipn.mx.
authors.forename: César Paúl
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Ley-Quiñónez
authors.affiliation: Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Natalia Alejandra
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Rossi-Lafferriere
authors.affiliation: Instituto Politécnico Nacional, CIIDIR-SINALOA, Guasave, Sinaloa, Mexico.
authors.forename: Teresa Leticia
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Espinoza-Carreon
authors.affiliation: Grupo Tortuguero de las Californias A.C, La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico.|Investigación, Capacitación y Soluciones Ambientas y Sociales A.C, Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico.
authors.forename: Catherine Edwina
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Hart
authors.affiliation: SmartFish, La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico.|Center for Ocean Solutions, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Sherwood Hoyt
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Peckham
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Alfredo Alonso
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Aguirre
authors.affiliation: Instituto Politécnico Nacional, CIIDIR-SINALOA, Guasave, Sinaloa, Mexico.|Grupo Tortuguero de las Californias A.C, La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico.|Investigación, Capacitación y Soluciones Ambientas y Sociales A.C, Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico.
authors.forename: Alan Alfredo
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Zavala-Norzagaray
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D008628:Mercury; D008800:Mexico; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000097:blood*; D014426:Turtles
chemical_list: D014131:Trace Elements; D008628:Mercury
keywords: Biochemistry parameters; Caretta caretta; North Pacific loggerhead; Sea turtle; Trace elements