Turtles as Monitors of Chemical Contaminants in the Environment

Meyers-Schöne, Linda; Walton, Barbara T.

doi:10.1007/978-1-4612-2634-5_3

Cited by 39 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…Maternal transfer is probably the most important route of exposure for sea turtle embryos (Meyers‐Schöne and Walton, ). Bell () found that maternal oil exposure did not affect the adult stage through fertility or relative clutch mass, but it did affect embryonic stages through increased embryonic death and increased congenital malformation prevalence in embryos and hatchlings of the snapping ( Chelydra serpentina ) and the painted ( Chrysemys picta ) turtles.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

First approximation to congenital malformation rates in embryos and hatchlings of sea turtles

Bárcenas-Ibarra

Cueva

Rojas‐Lleonart

et al. 2015

Birth Defects Research

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

First approximation to congenital malformation rates in embryos and hatchlings of sea turtles

Bárcenas-Ibarra

Cueva

Rojas‐Lleonart

et al. 2015

Birth Defects Research

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“…With their omnivorous diet consisting of aquatic vegetation, invertebrates, fish and carrion, their mid to high trophic position in the food chain depending on diet preferences and age, their long life span, and relatively sedentary life style, snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) could be effective indicators of local environmental health (Pell 1940;Gibbs et al 2007;Ernst et al 1994). This species is also known to accumulate high levels of contaminants, such as Hg, polychlorinated biphenyls, and dioxins (Golet and Haines 2001;Bergeron et al 2007;Meyers-Schöne and Walton 1994). Previous studies have found total Hg (THg) concentrations ranging from 0.05 to 0.90 lg/g in snapping turtle muscle and blood samples (Bergeron et al 2007;Golet and Haines 2001;Helwig and Hora 1983).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Mercury concentrations in snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) correlate with environmental and landscape characteristics

et al. 2011

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Mercury (Hg) deposited onto the landscape can be transformed into methylmercury (MeHg), a neurotoxin that bioaccumulates up the aquatic food chain. Here, we report on Hg concentrations in snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) across New York State, USA. The objectives of this study were to: (1) test which landscape, water, and biometric characteristics correlate with total Hg (THg) concentrations in snapping turtles; and (2) determine whether soft tissue THg concentrations correlate with scute (shell) concentrations. Forty-eight turtles were sampled non-lethally from ten lakes and wetlands across New York to observe patterns under a range of ecosystem variables and water chemistry conditions. THg concentrations ranged from 0.041 to 1.50 μg/g and 0.47 to 7.43 μg/g wet weight of muscle tissue and shell, respectively. The vast majority of mercury (~94%) was in the MeHg form. Sixty-one percent of turtle muscle samples exceeded U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) consumption advisory limit of 0.3 μg Hg/g for fish. Muscle THg concentrations were significantly correlated with sulfate in water and the maximum elevation of the watershed. Shell THg concentrations were significantly correlated with the acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) of water, the maximum elevation of the watershed, the percent open water in the watershed, the lake to watershed size, and various forms of atmospheric Hg deposition. Thus, our results demonstrate that THg concentrations in snapping turtles are spatially variable, frequently exceed advisory limits, and are significantly correlated with several landscape and water characteristics.

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“…Heavy metals can also bioaccumulate in the tissues of aquatic animals over time, reaching cytotoxic concentrations in species with a long life span and occupying higher trophic levels of the food webs (Meyers-Shone and Walton 1994). This portrays a public health concern to both animals and humans (Kalay et al 1999;Ashraf 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Validation of an in vitro cytotoxicity test for four heavy metals using cell lines derived from a green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas)

Tan

Wang

et al. 2009

Cell Biol Toxicol

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Ten cell lines established from juvenile green sea turtles were tested and evaluated for their cytotoxic responses to four heavy metals: cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu). Following a 24-h exposure to these metal salts at selected concentrations, test cells were comparatively characterized by morphology, viability, and proliferation. Experimental results indicated that all these metal salts were cytotoxic to these turtle cell lines at varied concentrations. Calculated 10% and 50% inhibitory concentration (IC(10) and IC(50)) values revealed that the cytotoxicities of Cd and Cr were significantly more potent than the other two metal salts (p < 0.01). Comparative analysis of IC(10) values in these ten cell lines showed that turtle lung cells (GT-LG) are the most sensitive cell line to Cd, Cr, Zn, and Cu. Among these turtle cell lines, turtle liver cells (GT-LV) are more tolerant than other cells to Cd, Cr, and Zn, while GT-EYE cells are more tolerant to Cu, as determined by IC(50) values. Overall, GT-LG represents the most sensitive cells to heavy metal contamination and may be used for initial environmental monitoring, while the highly tolerant nature of GT-LV and GT-EYE cells to the tested heavy metals suggest their potential use as an emergency last-resort indicator of potential metal-related adverse effect on human health.

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Turtles as Monitors of Chemical Contaminants in the Environment

Cited by 39 publications

References 55 publications

First approximation to congenital malformation rates in embryos and hatchlings of sea turtles

First approximation to congenital malformation rates in embryos and hatchlings of sea turtles

Mercury concentrations in snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) correlate with environmental and landscape characteristics

Validation of an in vitro cytotoxicity test for four heavy metals using cell lines derived from a green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas)

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