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Metal accumulation and evaluation of effects in a freshwater turtle

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Abstract

A variety of contaminants have been detected in aquatic and terrestrial environments around the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP), Kentucky. The presence of these contaminants at the PGDP may pose a risk to biota, yet little is known about the bioaccumulation of contaminants and associated effects in wildlife, especially in aquatic turtles. The current study was initiated to evaluate: (1) the accumulation of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Hg) in aquatic ecosystems associated with the PGDP using red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans) as biomonitors; (2) maternal transfer of heavy metals; and (3) potential hematological and immunological effects resulting from metal accumulation. A total of 26 turtles were collected from 7 ponds located south, adjacent, and north of the PGDP. Liver Cu concentrations were significantly different among ponds and Cu concentrations in eggs were positively correlated with female Cu concentrations in kidney. The concentrations of heavy metals measured in turtle tissues and eggs were low and, based on previous studies of reptiles and established avian threshold levels of heavy metals, did not appear to have adverse effects on aquatic turtles inhabiting ponds near the PGDP. However, total white blood cell counts, heterophil to lymphocyte ratio, and phytohemagglutinin stimulation index were correlated with metal concentrations. Because other factors may affect the hematological and immunological indices, further investigation is needed to determine if these effects are associated with metal exposure, other contaminants, or disease.

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Acknowledgments

This project was funded by the Kentucky Department of Environmental Protection (MOA 0600004073). We wish to thank the staff at the West Kentucky Wildlife Management Area and the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant for their assistance. We would like to thank Scott Weir, Tricia Trimble, Dawn Fallacara, Laura Pratt, and Maureen Doran for their help with laboratory and field work. Philip Villanueva from the EPA Office of Pesticide Programs kindly provided the Solver program. Comments from two anonymous reviewers greatly improved the manuscript.

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  1. Shuangying Yu

    Present address: The Institute of Environmental and Human Health, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, IL, USA

    Shuangying Yu, Richard S. Halbrook & Donald W. Sparling

  2. Biological Sciences Department, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL, USA

    Robert Colombo

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  1. Shuangying Yu
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Correspondence to Shuangying Yu.

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Yu, S., Halbrook, R.S., Sparling, D.W. et al. Metal accumulation and evaluation of effects in a freshwater turtle. Ecotoxicology 20, 1801–1812 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-011-0716-z

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