title: Trace elements in loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) stranded in mainland Portugal: Bioaccumulation and tissue distribution.
abstract: Pollution is among the most significant threats that endanger sea turtles worldwide. Waters off the Portuguese mainland are acknowledged as important feeding grounds for juvenile loggerheads. However, there is no data on trace element concentrations in marine turtles occurring in these waters. We present the first assessment of trace element concentrations in loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) occurring off the coast of mainland Portugal. Also, we compare our results with those from other areas and discuss parameters that may affect element concentrations. Trace element concentrations (As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Mn, Hg, Ni, Se, Zn) were determined in kidney, liver and muscle samples from 38 loggerheads stranded between 2011 and 2013. As was the only element with higher concentrations in muscle (14.78 μg g-1ww) than in liver or kidney. Considering non-essential elements, Cd presented the highest concentrations in kidney (34.67 μg g-1) and liver (5.03 μg g-1). Only a weak positive link was found between renal Cd and turtle size. Inter-elemental correlations were observed in both liver and kidney tissues. Hepatic Hg values (0.30 ± 0.03 μg g-1) were higher than values reported in loggerheads in the Canary Islands but lower than in Mediterranean loggerheads. Cd concentrations in the present study were only exceeded by values found in turtles from the Pacific. Although many endogenous and exogenous parameters related with complex life cycle changes and wide geographic range may influence trace element accumulation, the concentrations of Cd are probably related to the importance of crustaceans in loggerhead diet in the Portuguese coast.
authors.affiliation: Departmento de Biologia & Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM), Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; Sociedade Portuguesa de Vida Selvagem, Universidade do Minho, Departamento de Biologia, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal. Electronic address: lvrnicolau@ua.pt.
authors.forename: Lídia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nicolau
authors.affiliation: Departmento de Biologia & Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM), Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; Sociedade Portuguesa de Vida Selvagem, Universidade do Minho, Departamento de Biologia, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal.
authors.forename: Sílvia S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Monteiro
authors.affiliation: Sociedade Portuguesa de Vida Selvagem, Universidade do Minho, Departamento de Biologia, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal.
authors.forename: Andreia T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Departmento de Biologia & Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM), Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; Sociedade Portuguesa de Vida Selvagem, Universidade do Minho, Departamento de Biologia, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marçalo
authors.affiliation: Sociedade Portuguesa de Vida Selvagem, Universidade do Minho, Departamento de Biologia, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal; Departamento de Biologia & Centro Biologia Molecular e Ambiental (CBMA), Universidade de Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-047 Braga, Portugal.
authors.forename: Marisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Departament de Biología, Sanitat i Medi ambient, Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l'Alimentació, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Joan XXIII, sn, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Joan XXIII, sn, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.affiliation: Sociedade Portuguesa de Vida Selvagem, Universidade do Minho, Departamento de Biologia, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal; Departamento de Biologia & Centro Biologia Molecular e Ambiental (CBMA), Universidade de Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-047 Braga, Portugal; Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM), Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vingada
authors.affiliation: Departmento de Biologia & Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM), Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; Sociedade Portuguesa de Vida Selvagem, Universidade do Minho, Departamento de Biologia, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal.
authors.forename: Catarina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Eira
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002104:Cadmium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D004032:Diet; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D007668:Kidney / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D011174:Portugal; D013030:Spain; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000378:metabolism / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D014426:Turtles; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*
chemical_list: D014131:Trace Elements; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002104:Cadmium
keywords: Bioaccumulation; Cadmium; Marine turtle; Northeast Atlantic