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Cadmium toxicokinetics and bioaccumulation in turtles: trophic exposure of Trachemys scripta elegans

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Ecotoxicological data in reptiles are mainly represented by field studies reporting the tissue burden of wild-captured individuals but much less is known regarding the processes of uptake, depuration, accumulation and the effects of inorganic contaminants in these species. In the present study, the accumulation, the path and the effects of exposure to cadmium (Cd) through diet intake were investigated in female red eared slider turtles, Trachemys scripta elegans. In the first phase of the experiment, turtles underwent an acclimatization period during which they were fed a control diet. In the second phase, the turtles were exposed to cadmium through a CdCl2 supplemented-diet with increased environmentally relevant concentrations for a period of 13 weeks. Following this, the turtles went through a third phase, a recovery phase of 3 weeks, during which they were fed uncontaminated food. Blood and feces were collected during the three phases of the experiment. The turtles were euthanized at the end of the experiment and organ samples collected. The Cd-concentrations in blood remained stable over the course of the experiment while Cd-concentrations in feces increased with time and with the amount of Cd ingested. The proportional accumulation in liver and kidney together was comprised between 0.7 and 6.1% and they represented the main organs of accumulation. Cd accumulated in the organs in the following order of concentration: kidney > liver > pancreas > muscle. In terms of burden in organs, the Cd-burden was the highest in liver followed by kidney and pancreas. The proportional accumulation decreased as Cd ingestion increased, suggesting that at a higher dose of Cd, assimilation decreased. Mineral content of the liver and pancreas became modified according to Cd level; increasing dietary Cd exposure increased concentrations of zinc and iron in liver and copper in pancreas in a dose-dependent manner. Accumulation of Cd had no effect on survival, food consumption, growth, weight or length suggesting no effect of the treatment on female turtle body condition.

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Acknowledgments

We thank JP. Macé from Alligator Bay for providing the turtles for this study. We also thank C. Michel and R. Maréchal for allowing us to use the Aquarium-Museum at the University of Liège and for their valuable technical assistance in reptile maintenance. We are grateful to Olivier Marquis for his advice on reptile maintenance and his help in designing this experimental study. We are also grateful to Stéphane Caut (CSIC, Seville) for his logistical help and helpful advice during the experiment, and to JP. Thomé, P. Poncin, M. Denoël from the University of Liège. Experiments and protocols were submitted to and approved by the Veterinary Committee of the Belgian Ministry of Agriculture. E. Guirlet is in receipt of a postdoctoral grant from the University of Liège and K. Das is an F.R.S.-FNRS Research Associate. This is a MARE publication 212.

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  1. Laboratoire d’Océanologie, Centre de Recherche MARE, University of Liège, B6C, 4000, Liège, Belgium

    Elodie Guirlet & Krishna Das

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  1. Elodie Guirlet
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Correspondence to Elodie Guirlet.

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Guirlet, E., Das, K. Cadmium toxicokinetics and bioaccumulation in turtles: trophic exposure of Trachemys scripta elegans . Ecotoxicology 21, 18–26 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-011-0758-2

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