Abstract
This study determined the total mercury (THg) concentrations in pectoral muscle, blood and carapace tissue in turtles collected from Magangué and Lorica, Colombia. THg concentrations in μg/g (wet weight) were 0.39 ± 0.16 in muscle, 0.15 ± 0.08 in carapace and 0.07 ± 0.03 in blood for turtles from the Magdalena River and 0.25 ± 0.18 in muscle, 0.14 ± 0.09 in carapace and 0.06 ± 0.04 in blood for turtles from the Sinú River. Twenty-nine and ten percent of turtle muscle samples from Magangué and Lorica, respectively, exceeded the consumption advisory limit of 0.5 μg Hg/g for fish. There was a significant correlation between carapace length and THg levels for this specie, depending on the sample site. In addition, a significant correlation was observed in THg concentrations in carapace and muscle. However, significant differences were observed in the THg levels between the two study locations, with turtles caught in the Magdalena River having higher levels of THg.
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Acknowledgments
This study was funded by the Comité para el Desarrollo de la Investigación (CODI) and Programa de Sostenibilidad 2010–2012 of Universidad de Antioquia. Natalia Gallego facilitated collection of samples from the Lorica site.
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Zapata, L.M., Bock, B.C. & Palacio, J.A. Mercury Concentrations in Tissues of Colombian Slider Turtles, Trachemys callirostris, from Northern Colombia. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 92, 562–566 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-014-1198-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-014-1198-5