Evaluation of biometry and blood concentration of heavy metals in free-living Chelonia mydas with and without fibropapillomatosis in southern Brazil

Yohany Arnold Alfonso Pérez; Samara Rosolem Lima; Gustavo Martinez Souza; Thayana Gião; Felipe J S Bispo; Ana Maria Ferreira Reis; Juliana da Silva Leite; Kássia Valéria Gomes Coelho da Silva

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.114879

Evaluation of biometry and blood concentration of heavy metals in free-living Chelonia mydas with and without fibropapillomatosis in southern Brazil

Mar Pollut Bull. 2023 May:190:114879. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.114879. Epub 2023 Mar 31.

Authors

Yohany Arnold Alfonso Pérez¹, Samara Rosolem Lima², Gustavo Martinez Souza³, Thayana Gião⁴, Felipe J S Bispo⁵, Ana Maria Ferreira Reis⁶, Juliana da Silva Leite⁶, Kássia Valéria Gomes Coelho da Silva⁶

Affiliations

¹ Postgraduate Program in Veterinary Medicine (Clinical and Animal Reproduction), Faculty of Veterinary, Fluminense Federal University, Almirante Ary Parreiras Avenue 503, Vital Brazil/Santa Rosa, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro 24230-340, Brazil; Caminho Marinho Project, Federal University of Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Electronic address: yohanyperez@id.uff.br.
² Postgraduate Program in Veterinary Medicine (Clinical and Animal Reproduction), Faculty of Veterinary, Fluminense Federal University, Almirante Ary Parreiras Avenue 503, Vital Brazil/Santa Rosa, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro 24230-340, Brazil.
³ Laboratory of Environmental Statistics, Institute of Mathematics, Statistics and Physics, of the Federal University of Rio Grande. Itália Avenue km 8, Carreiros, Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil; Caminho Marinho Project, Federal University of Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
⁴ Caminho Marinho Project, Federal University of Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
⁵ Institute of Chemistry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Avenida Athos da Silveira Ramos 149, Technology Center - University City, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-909, Brazil.
⁶ Postgraduate Program in Veterinary Medicine (Clinical and Animal Reproduction), Faculty of Veterinary, Fluminense Federal University, Almirante Ary Parreiras Avenue 503, Vital Brazil/Santa Rosa, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro 24230-340, Brazil; Department of Pathology and Veterinary Clinic, Sector of Veterinary Pathological Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary, Fluminense Federal University, Almirante Ary Parreiras Avenue 503, Vital Brazil/Santa Rosa, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro 24230-340, Brazil.

PMID: 37004471
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.114879

Abstract

The present study determined the presence of heavy metals in green sea turtles with and without fibropapillomatosis in Itapirubá and Cassino beaches, southern Brazil. The weight, curved length of the carapace and body index were determined and blood was collected to quantify the concentrations of cadmium, lead and mercury. A total of 51 blood samples were analyzed, being 46 positives for at least one of the metals. There was a greater number of juvenile turtles in Itapirubá, larger in size and weight than those in Cassino. No statistical differences were found between metal concentrations between regions or between turtles with and without fibropapillomatosis. There was no significant correlation between metal concentrations, biometric variables and the presence of fibropapilomatose. Metal concentrations were low in both regions, with the highest concentrations being Cd and the lowest Hg.

Keywords: Cadmium; Chelonians; Lead; Mercury; Southern Brazil.

MeSH terms

Animals
Biometry
Brazil
Mercury*
Metals, Heavy*
Turtles*

Substances

Metals, Heavy
Mercury