Abstract
Toxic trace elements from both, natural and anthropogenic origin, pose a threat to aquatic environments and marine wildlife due to their long-range transport, bioaccumulative nature, and biomagnification through the food chain. Being long-lived and migratory animals, sea turtles can be exposed to elevated levels of toxic elements, and are therefore considered sentinel species for chemical pollution. In this study, concentrations of trace elements (arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury) were determined in tissues of 46 loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) stranded along Tyrrhenian and Ionian coasts of Calabria, in Southern Italy, between 2014 and 2020. Curved carapace length (CCL), curved carapace width (CCW), body mass (BM), and sex were determined and the correlations of these parameters with toxic elements concentrations were investigated. During necropsy, kidney, liver, and muscle tissues were collected and the concentration and distribution of metals determined. Muscle tissues showed the lowest toxic element burdens, except for As that showed the highest mean concentrations in this tissue. The kidney was the main accumulation organ for Cd, while similar levels of Hg and Pb were measured in kidney, liver, and muscle tissues. The risk assessment performed for Cd, Hg, and Pb in sea turtles’ liver highlighted possible negative effects on sea turtles’ health and the need for marine turtle toxicology researches. This is the first study reporting levels and distribution of toxic elements in tissues of Caretta caretta turtles from the Tyrrhenian and Ionian coasts of Calabria.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adel M, Cortés-Gómez AA, Dadar M, Riyahi H, Girondot M (2017a) A comparative study of inorganic elements in the blood of male and female Caspian pond turtles (Mauremys caspica) from the southern basin of the Caspian Sea. Environ Sci Pollut Res 24:24965–24979. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-0067-2
Adel M, Saravi HN, Dadar M, Niyazi L, Ley-Quinonez CP (2017b) Mercury, lead, and cadmium in tissues of the Caspian Pond Turtle (Mauremys caspica) from the southern basin of Caspian Sea. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 24(4):3244–3250. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-5905-5
Agusa T, Takagi K, Iwata H, Tanabe S (2008) Arsenic species and their accumulation features in green turtles (Chelonia mydas). Mar Pollut Bull 57:782–789. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2008.01.010
Alimba CG, Faggio C (2019) Microplastics in the marine environment: current trends in environmental pollution and mechanisms of toxicological profile. Environ Toxicol Pharmacol 68:61–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.etap.2019.03.001
Andreani G, Santoro M, Cottignoli S, Fabbri M, Carpenè E, Isani G (2008) Metal distribution and metallothionein in loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green (Chelonia mydas) sea turtles. Sci Total Environ 390:287–294. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2007.09.014
Bilandžić N, Sedak M, Ðokić M, Ðuras Gomerčić M, Gomerčić T, Zadravec M, Benić M, Prevendar Crnić A (2012) Toxic element concentrations in the bottlenose (Tursiops truncatus), striped (Stenella coeruleoalba) and Risso’s (Grampus griseus) dolphins stranded in eastern Adriatic Sea. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 89(3):467–473. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-012-0716-6
Blasi MF, Mattei D (2017) Seasonal encounter rate, life stages and main threats to the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) in the Aeolian Archipelago (southern Thyrrenian Sea). Aquat Conserv 27:617–630. https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.2723
Borrell A, Aguilar A, Tornero V, Drago M (2014) Concentrations of mercury in tissues of striped dolphins suggest decline of pollution in Mediterranean open waters. Chemosphere 107:319–323. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2013.12.076
Brennecke D, Duarte B, Paiva F, Caçador I, Canning-Clode J (2016) Microplastics as vector for heavy metal contamination from the marine environment. Estuar Coast Shelf Sci 178:189–195. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2015.12.003
Burger J (2008) Assessment and management of risk to wildlife from cadmium. Sci Total Environ 389(1):37–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2007.08.037
Burgett CM, Burkholder DA, Coates KA, Fourqurean VL, Kenworthy WJ, Manuel SA, Outerbridge ME, Fourqurean JW (2018) Ontogenetic diet shifts of green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) in a mid-ocean developmental habitat. Mar Biol 165:1–12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-018-3290-6
Burioli EAV, Squadrone S, Stella C, Foglini C, Abete MC, Prearo M (2017) Trace element occurrence in the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas from coastal marine ecosystems in Italy. Chemosphere 187:248–260. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.08.102
Camacho M, Boada LD, Orós J, López P, Zumbado M, Almeida-González M, Luzardo OP (2014) Monitoring organic and inorganic pollutants in juvenile live sea turtles: results from a study of Chelonia mydas and Eretmochelys imbricata in Cape Verde. Sci Total Environ 481:303–310. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.02.051
Caracappa S, Persichetti MF, Piazza A, Caracappa G, Gentile A, Marineo S, Crucitti D, Arculeo M (2018) Incidental catch of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) along the Sicilian coasts by longline fishery. PeerJ 6:e5392. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5392
Casale P (2011) Sea turtle by-catch in the Mediterranean. Fish Fish (Oxf) 12(3):299–316. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-2979.2010.00394.x
Casale P, Abbate G, Freggi D, Conte N, Oliverio M, Argano R (2008) Foraging ecology of loggerhead sea turtles Caretta caretta in the central Mediterranean Sea: evidence for a relaxed life history model. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 372:265–276. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07702
Casale P, Mazaris A, Freggi D, Vallini C, Argano R (2009) Growth rates and age at adult size of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in the Mediterranean Sea, estimated through capture-mark-recapture records. Sci Mar 73(3):589–595
Casale P, Affronte M, Insacco G, Freggi D, Vallini C, Pino d’Astore P, Basso R, Paolillo G, Abbate G, Argano R (2010) Sea turtle strandings reveal high anthropogenic mortality in Italian waters. Aquat Conserv 20:611–620. https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.1133
Casale P, Broderick AC, Camiñas JA, Cardona L, Carreras C, Demetropoulos A, Fuller WJ, Godley BJ, Hochscheid S, Kaska Y, Lazar B, Margaritoulis D, Panagopoulou A, Rees AF, Tomás J, Türkozan O (2018) Mediterranean sea turtles: current knowledge and priorities for conservation and research. Endanger Species Res 36:229–267. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00901
Casini S, Caliani I, Giannetti M, Marsili L, Maltese S, Coppola D, Bianchi N, Campani T, Ancora S, Caruso C, Furii G, Parga M, D’Agostino A, Fossi MC (2018) First ecotoxicological assessment of Caretta caretta (Linnaeus, 1758) in the Mediterranean Sea using an integrated nondestructive protocol. Sci Total Environ 631–632:1221–1233. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.03.111
Chételat J, Ackerman JT, Eagles-Smith CA, Hebert CE (2020) Methylmercury exposure in wildlife: a review of the ecological and physiological processes affecting contaminant concentrations and their interpretation. Sci Total Environ 711:135117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135117
Cocci P, Mosconi G, Bracchetti L, Nalocca JM, Frapiccini E, Marini M, Caprioli G, Sagratini G, Palermo FA (2018) Investigating the potential impact of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) on gene biomarker expression and global DNA methylation in loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) from the Adriatic Sea. Sci Total Environ 619-620:49–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.11.118
Cortés-Gómez A, Girondot M, Romero D (2017) The current situation of inorganic elements in marine turtles: a general review and meta-analysis. Environ Pollut 229:567–585. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2017.06.077
D’Ilio S, Mattei D, Blasi M, Alimonti A, Bogialli S (2011) The occurrence of chemical elements and POPs in loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta): an overview. Mar Pollut Bull 62:1606–1615. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2011.05.022
Da Silva CC, Varela AS, Barcarolli IF, Bianchini A (2014) Concentrations and distributions of metals in tissues of stranded green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) from the southern Atlantic coast of Brazil. Sci Total Environ 466-467:109–118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.06.094
Day RD, Christopher SJ, Becker PR, Whitaker DW (2005) Monitoring mercury in the loggerhead sea turtle, Caretta caretta. Environ Sci Technol 39:437–446. https://doi.org/10.1021/es049628q
Day RD, Segars AL, Arendt MD, Lee AM, Peden-Adams MM (2007) Relationship of blood mercury levels to health parameters in the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta). Environ Health Perspect 115(10):1421–1428. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.9918
Desforges JP, Sonne C, Levin M, Siebert U, De Guise S, Dietz R (2016) Immunotoxic effects of environmental pollutants in marine mammals. Environ Int 86:126–139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2015.10.007
Di Bello A, Valastro C, Freggi D, Lai OR, Crescenzo G, Franchini D (2013) Surgical treatment of injuries caused by fishing gear in the intracoelomic digestive tract of sea turtles. Dis Aquat Org 106:93–102. https://doi.org/10.3354/dao02641
Domènech F, Aznar FJ, Raga JA, Tomás J (2019) Two decades of monitoring in marine debris ingestion in loggerhead sea turtle, Caretta caretta, from the western Mediterranean. Environ Pollut 244:367–378. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2018.10.047
Esposito M, Capozzo D, Sansone D, Lucifora G, La Nucara R, Picazio G, Riverso C, Gallo P (2020a) Mercury and cadmium in striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) stranded along the Southern Tyrrhenian and Western Ionian coasts. Mediterr Mar Sci 21(3):519–526. https://doi.org/10.12681/mms.22204
Esposito M, De Roma A, Sansone D, Capozzo D, Iaccarino D, di Nocera F, Gallo P (2020b) Non-essential toxic element (Cd, As, Hg and Pb) levels in muscle, liver and kidney of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) stranded along the south western coasts of Tyrrhenian sea. Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 231:108725. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpc.2020.108725
European Commission (2008) Directive 2008/56/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 June 2008, establishing a framework for community action in the field of marine environmental policy (marine strategy framework directive). Off J Eur Union L164:19–40. http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2008/56/oj. Dec 2020
Febrer-Serra M, Renga E, Fernández G, Lassnig N, Tejada S, Capó X, Pinya S, Sureda A (2020) First report of heavy metal presence in muscular tissue of loggerhead turtles Caretta caretta (Linnaeus, 1758) from the Balearic Sea (Balearic Islands, Spain). Environ Sci Pollut Res 27:39651–39656. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-10464-1
Finlayson KA, Leusch FDL, van de Merwe JP (2016) The current state and future directions of marine turtle toxicology research. Environ Int 94:113–123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2016.05.013
Fossi MC, Casini S, Caliani I, Panti C, Marsili L, Viarengo A, Giangreco R, Notarbartolo di Sciara G, Serena F, Ouerghi A, Depledge MH (2012) The role of large marine vertebrates in the assessment of the quality of pelagic marine ecosystems. Mar Environ Res 77:156–158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2012.03.003
Franzellitti S, Locatelli C, Gerosa G, Vallini C, Fabbri E (2004) Heavy metals in tissues of loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) from the northwestern Adriatic Sea. Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 138:187–194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cca.2004.07.008
Furness RW (1996) Cadmium in birds. In: Beyer WN, Heinz GH, Redmon-Norwood AW (eds) Environmental contaminants in wildlife: interpreting tissue concentrations. SETAC Special Publication Series Boca Raton, Lewis Publishers, Florida, pp 389–404
Gao F, Li J, Sun C, Zhang L, Jiang F, Cao W, Zheng L (2019) Study on the capability and characteristics of heavy metals enriched on microplastics in marine environment. Mar Pollut Bull 144:61–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.04.039
García-Fernández AJ, Gómez-Ramírez P, Martínez-López E, Hernández-García A, María-Mojica P, Romero D, Jiménez P (2009) Heavy metals in tissues from loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) from the southwestern Mediterranean (Spain). Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 72(2):557–563. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2008.05.003
Gardner SC, Fitzgerald SL, Vargas BA, Rodríguez LM (2006) Heavy metal accumulation in four species of sea turtles from the Baja California peninsula, Mexico. Biometals 19(1):91–99. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10534-005-8660-0
Gaus C, Villa CA, Dogruer G, Heffernan A, Vijayasarathy S, Lin CY, Flint M, Hof CM, Bell I (2019) Evaluating internal exposure of sea turtles as model species for identifying regional chemical threats in nearshore habitats of the Great Barrier Reef. Sci Total Environ 658:732–743. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.10.257
Godley B, Thompson D, Furness R (1999) Do heavy metal concentrations pose a threat to marine turtles from the Mediterranean sea? Mar Pollut Bull 38:497–502. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0025-326X(98)00184-2
Gómez-Ramírez P, Espin S, Navas I, Martínez-López E, Jiménez-Montalbán P, María-Mojica P, Peñalver J, García-Fernández A (2020) Mercury and organochlorine pesticides in tissues of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) stranded along the Southwestern Mediterranean Coastline (Andalusia, Spain). Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 104(5):559–567. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-020-02822-z
Guirlet E, Das K (2012) Cadmium toxicokinetics and bioaccumulation in turtles: trophic exposure of Trachemys scripta elegans. Ecotoxicology 21:18–26. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-011-0758-2
Guzzetti E, Sureda A, Tejada S, Faggio C (2018) Microplastic in marine organism: Environmental and toxicological effects. Environ Toxicol Pharmacol 64:164–171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.etap.2018.10.009
IUCN (2017) The IUCN red list of threatened species: Caretta caretta-published in 2017. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T3897A119333622.en
Jakimska A, Konieczka P, Skóra K, Namieśnik J (2011) Bioaccumulation of metals in tissues of marine animals, part II: metal concentrations in animal tissues. Pol J Environ Stud 20:1127–1146
Jerez S, Motas M, Cánovas RA, Talavera J, Almela RM, Del Río AB (2010) Accumulation and tissue distribution of heavy metals and essential elements in loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) from Spanish Mediterranean coastline of Murcia. Chemosphere 78(3):256–264. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2009.10.062
Kaska Y, Celik A, Bag H, Aureggi M, Özel K, Elçi A, Kaska A, Elçi L (2004) Heavy metal monitoring in stranded sea turtles along the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. Fresenius Environ Bull 13(8):769–776
Keller JM, Kucklick JR, Stamper MA, Harms CA, McClellan-Green PD (2004) Associations between organochlorine contaminant concentrations and clinical health parameters in loggerhead sea turtles from North Carolina, USA. Environ Health Perspect 112(10):1074–1079. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.6923
Keller JM, McClellan-Green PD, Kucklick JR, Keil DE, Peden-Adams MM (2006) Effects of organochlorine contaminants on loggerhead sea turtle immunity: comparison of a correlative field study and in vitro exposure experiments. Environ Health Perspect 114(1):70–76. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.8143
Klaassen CD, Liu J, Diwan BA (2009) Metallothionein protection of cadmium toxicity. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 238(3):215–220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.taap.2009.03.026
Kubota R, Kunito T, Tanabe S (2002) Chemical speciation of arsenic in the livers of higher trophic marine animals. Mar Pollut Bull 45(1-12):218–223. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0025-326X(02)00055-3
Lam JC, Tanabe S, Chan SK, Lam MH, Martin M, Lam PK (2006) Levels of trace elements in green turtle eggs collected from Hong Kong: evidence of risks due to selenium and nickel. Environ Pollut 144(3):790–801. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2006.02.016
Law R, Hanke G, Angelidis M, Batty J, Bignert A, Dachs J, Davies I, Denga Y, Duffek A, Herut B, Hylland K, Lepom P, Leonards P, Mehtonen J, Piha H, Roose P, Tronczynski J, Velikova V, Vethaak D (2010) Marine strategy framework directive. Task group 8: report contaminants and pollution effects. EUR 24335 EN – Joint Research Centre Scientific and Technical Reports, p 161. https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00077/18847/. Accessed Dec 2020
Maffucci F, Caurant F, Bentivegna F, Bustamante P (2005) Trace element (Cd, Cu, Hg, Se, Zn) accumulation and tissue distribution in loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) from the Western Mediterranean Sea (southern Italy). Chemosphere 58(5):535–542. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2004.09.032
Margaritoulis D, Argano R, Baran I, Bentivegna F, Bradai MN, Caminas JA, Casale P, De Metrio G, Demetropulos A, Gerosa G, Brendan JG, Haddoud DA, Houghton J, Laurent L, Lazar B (2003) Chap. 11 Loggerhead turtles in the Mediterranean sea: present knowledge and conservation perspectives. In: Bolten AB, Witherington BE (eds) Loggerhead sea turtles. Smithsonian Books, Washington, DC, pp 175–198
Matiddi M, Hochsheid S, Camedda A, Baini M, Cocumelli C, Serena F, Tomassetti P, Travaglini A, Marra S, Campani T, Scholl F, Mancusi C, Amato E, Briguglio P, Maffucci F, Fossi MC, Bentivegna F, de Lucia GA (2017) Loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta): a target species for monitoring litter ingested by marine organisms in the Mediterranean Sea. Environ Pollut 230:199–209. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2017.06.054
Mattei D, Veschetti E, D’Ilio S, Blasi MF (2015) Mapping elements distribution in carapace of Caretta caretta: a strategy for biomonitoring contamination in sea turtles? Mar Pollut Bull 98(1-2):341–348. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.06.001
Merhaby D, Rabodonirina S, Net S, Ouddane B, Halwani J (2019) Overview of sediments pollution by PAHs and PCBs in mediterranean basin: transport, fate, occurrence, and distribution. Mar Pollut Bull 149:110646
Mingozzi T, Masciari G, Paolillo G, Pisani B, Russo M, Massolo A (2006) Discovery of a regular nesting area of loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta in southern Italy: a new perspective for national conservation. In: Hawksworth DL, Bull AT (eds) Biodiversity and Conservation in Europe. Topics in Biodiversity and Conservation, vol 7. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6865-2_20
Ng CKY, Lam JCW, Zhang XH, Gu HX, Li TH, Ye MB, Xia ZR, Zhang FY, Duan JX, Wang WX (2018) Levels of trace elements, methylmercury and polybrominated diphenyl ethers in foraging green turtles in the South China region and their conservation implications. Environ Pollut 234:735–742. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2017.11.100
Nicolau L, Ferreira M, Santos J, Araújo H, Sequeira M, Vingada J, Eira C, Marçalo A (2016) Sea turtle strandings along the Portuguese mainland coast: spatio-temporal occurrence and main threats. Mar Biol 163:21. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-015-2783-9
Nicolau L, Monteiro SS, Pereira AT, Marçalo A, Ferreira M, Torres J, Vingada J, Eira C (2017) Trace elements in loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) stranded in mainland Portugal: bioaccumulation and tissue distribution. Chemosphere 179:120–126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.03.108
Novillo O, Pertusa J, Tomás J (2017) Exploring the presence of pollutants at sea: monitoring heavy metals and pesticides in loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) from the western Mediterranean. Sci Total Environ 598:1139–1139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.04.090
Orós J, Montesdeoca N, Camacho M, Arencibia A, Calabuig P (2016) Causes of stranding and mortality, and final disposition of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) admitted to a wildlife rehabilitation center in Gran Canaria Island, Spain (1998-2014): a long-term retrospective study. PLoS ONE 11(2):e0149398. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0149398
Penicaud V, Lacoue-Labarthe T, Bustamante P (2017) Metal bioaccumulation and detoxification processes in cephalopods: a review. Environ Res 155:23–133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2017.02.003
Perrault J, Wyneken J, Thompson LJ, Johnson C, Miller DL (2011) Why are hatching and emergence success low? Mercury and selenium concentrations in nesting leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) and their young in Florida. Mar Pollut Bull 62(8):1671–1682. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2011.06.009
Perrault JR, Miller DL, Garner J, Wyneken J (2013) Mercury and selenium concentrations in leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea): population comparisons, implications for reproductive success, hazard quotients and directions for future research. Sci Total Environ 463-464:61–71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.05.067
Perrault JR, Stacy NI, Lehner AF, Poor SK, Buchweitz JP, Walsh CJ (2017) Toxic elements and associations with hematology, plasma biochemistry, and protein electrophoresis in nesting loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) from Casey Key, Florida. Environ Pollut 231:1398–1411. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2017.09.001
Philpot SM, Lavers JL, Nugegoda D, Gilmour ME, Hutton I, Bondm AL (2019) Trace element concentrations in feathers of seven petrels (Pterodroma spp.). Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 26(10):9640–9648. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-04406-9
Ribeiro F, O’Brien J, Galloway T, Thomas K (2018) Accumulation and fate of nano- and micro-plastics and associated contaminants in organisms. Trends Anal Chem 111:139–147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trac.2018.12.010
Rodriguez CAB, de Lacerda LD, Bezerra MF, Moura VL, de Rezende CE, Bastos WR (2020) Influence of size on total mercury (THg), methyl mercury (MeHg), and stable isotopes of N and C in green turtles (Chelonia mydas) from NE Brazil. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27:20527–20537. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-08623-5
Ross PS, Birnbaum LS (2010) Integrated human and ecological risk assessment: a case study of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in humans and wildlife. Hum Ecol Risk Assess Int J 9(1):303–324. https://doi.org/10.1080/727073292
Ross DAN, Guzmán HM, Potvin C, van Hinsberg VJ (2017) A review of toxic metal contamination in marine turtle tissues and its implications for human health. Reg Stud Mar Sci 15:1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsma.2017.06.003
Ruelas-Inzunza J, Šlejkovec Z, Mazej D, Fajon V, Horvat M, Ramos-Osuna M (2018) Bioaccumulation of As, Hg, and Se in tunas Thunnus albacares and Katsuwonus pelamis from the Eastern Pacific: tissue distribution and As speciation. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 25(20):19499–19509. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-2166-0
Saaristo M, Brodin T, Balshine S, Bertram MG, Brooks BW, Ehlman SM, McCallum ES, Sih A, Sundin J, Wong BBM, Arnold KE (2018) Direct and indirect effects of chemical contaminants on the behaviour, ecology and evolution of wildlife. Proc R Soc B 285(1885):20181297. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2018.1297
Saeki K, Sakakibara H, Sakai H, Kunito T, Tanabe S (2000) Arsenic accumulation in three species of sea turtles. Biometals 13:241–250. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009266520680
Santoro M, Marchiori E, Iaccarino D, Uberti B, Cassini R, Di Nocera F, Cerrone A, Galiero G, Marcer F (2019) Epidemiology of Sulcascaris sulcata (Nematoda: Anisakidae) ulcerous gastritis in the Mediterranean loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta). Parasitol Res 118:1457–1463. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-019-06283-0
Shoham-Frider E, Goffman O, Harlavan Y, Kress N, Morick D, Roditi-Elasar M, Shefer E, Kerem D (2016) Trace elements in striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) from the Eastern Mediterranean: a 10-years perspective. Mar Pollut Bull 109(1):624–632. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.05.021
Snape RTE, Schofield G, White M (2020) Delineating foraging grounds of a loggerhead turtle population through satellite tracking of juveniles. Aquat Conserv 30:1476–1482. https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.3302
Sönmez B (2018) Sixteen Year (2002-2017) Record of sea turtle strandings on Samandağ Beach, the Eastern Mediterranean Coast of Turkey. Zool Stud:57–53. https://doi.org/10.6620/ZS.2018.57-53
Storelli MM, Marcotrigiano GO (2003) Heavy metal residues in tissues of marine turtles. Mar Pollut Bull 46:397–400. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0025-326X(02)00230-8
Storelli MM, Ceci E, Marcotrigiano GO (1998) Distribution of heavy metal residues in some tissues of Caretta caretta (Linnaeus) specimen beached along the Adriatic Sea (Italy). Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 60:546–552. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0025-326X(02)00230-8
Storelli MM, Storelli A, D’Addabbo R, Marano C, Bruno R, Marcotrigiano GO (2005) Trace elements in loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) from the eastern Mediterranean Sea: overview and evaluation. Environ Pollut 135(1):163–170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2004.09.005
Torrent A, González-Díaz OM, Monagas P, Orós J (2004) Tissue distribution of metals in loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) stranded in the Canary Islands, Spain. Mar Pollut Bull 49(9-10):854–860. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2004.08.022
Türkozan O, Yalçın Özdilek Ş, Ergene S, Uçar AH, Sönmez B, Yılmaz C, Kaçar Y, Aymak C (2013) Strandings of loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green (Chelonia mydas) sea turtles along the eastern Mediterranean coast of Turkey. Herpetol J 23:11–15
van de Merwe JP, Hodge M, Olszowy HA, Whittier JM, Ibrahim K, Lee SY (2009) Chemical contamination of green turtle (Chelonia mydas) eggs in peninsular Malaysia: implications for conservation and public health. Environ Health Perspect 117(9):1397–1401. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.0900813
Vélez-Rubio GM, Cardona L, Mendilaharsu LCML, Souza GM, Carranza A, González-Paredes D, Tomás J (2016) Ontogenetic dietary changes of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the temperate southwestern Atlantic. Mar Biol 163:1–16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-016-2827-9
Yipel M, Tekeli İO, İşler CT, Altuğ ME (2017) Heavy metal distribution in blood, liver and kidneys of loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green (Chelonia mydas) sea turtles from the Northeast Mediterranean Sea. Mar Pollut Bull 125(1-2):487–491. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.08.011
Zhai T, Wang J, Fang Y, Qin Y, Huang L, Chen Y (2019) Assessing ecological risks caused by human activities in rapid urbanization coastal areas: towards an integrated approach to determining key areas of terrestrial-oceanic ecosystems preservation and restoration. Sci Total Environ 15:708–135153. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135153
Zhang Y, Lu X, Wang N, Xin M, Geng S, Jia J, Meng Q (2016) Heavy metals in aquatic organisms of different trophic levels and their potential human health risk in Bohai Bay, China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23:17801–17810. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-6948-y
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank Dr. Stefania Cavallo of the Osservatorio Regionale Sicurezza Alimentare (O.R.S.A.), Naples, Italy, for mapping sites.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.
Additional information
Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues
Publisher’s note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Canzanella, S., Danese, A., Mandato, M. et al. Concentrations of trace elements in tissues of loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) from the Tyrrhenian and the Ionian coastlines (Calabria, Italy). Environ Sci Pollut Res 28, 26545–26557 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-12499-4
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-12499-4