Organic contaminants in western pond turtles in remote habitat in California

Abstract

h i g h l i g h t sOrganic pollutants are widespread in a California turtle with conservation status. Pesticides were prominent in Sequoia National Park downwind of heavy agriculture. PCBs and PAHs are associated with watersheds having historic mines and mills. HUP and PCB concentrations indicate potential bioaccumulation is occurring. a r t i c l e i n f o b s t r a c tRemote aquatic ecosystems are exposed to an assortment of semivolatile organic compounds (SOCs) originating from current and historic uses, of local and global origin. Here, a representative suite of 57 current-and historic-use pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were surveyed in the plasma of the western pond turtle (Emys marmorata) and their potential prey items and habitat. California study sites included Sequoia National Park, Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, and Six Rivers National Forest. Each was downstream of undeveloped watersheds and varied in distance from agricultural and urban pollution sources. SOCs were detected frequently in all sites with more found in turtle plasma and aquatic macroinvertebrates in the two sites closest to agricultural and urban sources. Summed PCBs were highest in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area turtle plasma (mean; 1.56 ng/g ww) compared to plasma from Sequoia National Park (0.16 ng/g ww; p ¼ 0.002) and Six Rivers National Forest (0.07 ng/g ww; p ¼ 0.001). While no current-use pesticides were detected in turtle plasma at any site, both current-and historic-use pesticides were found prominently in sediment and macroinvertebrates at the Sequoia National Park site, which is immediately downwind of Central Valley agriculture. SOC classes associated with urban and industrial pollution were found more often and at higher concentrations at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. These findings demonstrate a range of SOC exposure in a turtle species with current and proposed conservation status and shed additional light on the fate of environmental contaminants in remote watersheds.Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Determinants of Legacy Persistent Organic Pollutant Levels in the European Pond Turtle (Emys orbicularis) in the Camargue Wetland, France

“…In terms of occurrence of POPs, our results in European pond turtles were low compared to other studies (Bucchia et al 2015; Meyer et al 2016). The occurrences of DL‐PCBs in 8% of European pond turtles, as well as p,p′‐DDE in 2% of individuals, were much lower than those found in plasma of loggerhead sea turtles, which ranged from 63% in the Atlantic Ocean to 100% in the Adriatic Sea for DL‐PCBs and 100% for p,p′‐DDE (Bucchia et al 2015).…”

“…Snapping turtles are freshwater turtles with similar feeding habits to those of European pond turtles; snapping turtles also consume plant and animal matter, including aquatic invertebrates, fish, frogs, and reptiles (Ernst et al 1994). Other studies of turtles documented plasma concentrations of POPs comparable to those in our study; for instance, for PCB-153 and HCB in another freshwater species, the western pond turtle (Actinemys marmorata), in Sequoia National Park, USA, in 2012 (Meyer et al 2016), as well as in marine turtles such as loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in the eastern Atlantic Ocean in 2011 and 2012 (Bucchia et al 2015) and in green turtles (Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) in Cape Verde in 2009 to 2011 (Camacho et al 2014).…”

Determining oil and dispersant exposure in sea turtles from the northern Gulf of Mexico resulting from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

“…Hall et al (1983) reported concentrations of petroleum hydrocarbons in tissues of sea turtles exposed to oil after the Ixtoc spill in the Bay of Campeche, Mexico, in 1979. In freshwater turtles, studies have focused on PAH concentrations in eggs and subcutaneous fat (Bell et al 2006, Holliday et al 2008, Rowe et al 2009) or blood (Drabeck et al 2014, Meyer et al 2016) of turtles from known contaminated habitats. In general, information is lacking on baseline exposure, uptake and tissue distribution of parent and alkylated PAH homologs for juvenile and adult turtles.…”