Title
Organochlorine pesticides in green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) with and without fibropapillomatosis caught at three feeding areas off Brazil
Date Issued
01 February 2017
Access level
metadata only access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Sánchez-Sarmiento A.M.
Rossi S.
Thijl Vanstreels R.E.
Monteiro S.H.
Vale L.A.S.
Dos Santos R.G.
Marigo J.
Bertozzi C.P.
Grisi Filho J.H.H.
Tornisielo V.L.
Matushima E.R.
Universidade de São Paulo
Publisher(s)
Cambridge University Press
Abstract
Many factors threaten the survival of marine turtles, such as incidental capture by fisheries, habitat degradation, pollution and diseases. One of the most important diseases is fibropapillomatosis (FP), characterized by the development of benign skin tumours. FP predominantly affects juvenile green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) and involves a complex multifactorial aetiology. For several years, it has been noted that the prevalence of FP tends to be higher in marine environments under the influence of human activities, leading to the hypothesis that environmental pollutants play a role in the epidemiology of this disease. Organochlorine compounds (OCs) are persistent organic pollutants with immunosuppressive and carcinogenic effects in humans and wildlife. OC levels (α-BHC, β-BHC, α-endosulphan, β-endosulphan, endosulphan sulphate, pp′-DDD, op′-DDD, pp′-DDE, op′-DDE, heptachlor, dicofol and mirex) were quantified through gas chromatography with a micro-electron capture detector (GC-μECD) in liver and fat samples from 64 juvenile green sea turtles. Specimens with and without FP were analysed, after being caught at three feeding areas off the Brazilian coast: Ubatuba, Praia Grande and Vitória. OC levels were comparable to those observed in similar studies, and no consistent difference was observed between sea turtles with and without FP. This study helps to elucidate the contamination profile in sea turtles caught at feeding areas off Brazil and confirms that green sea turtles are exposed to OCs, which may play a negative role in the health of this species.
Start page
215
End page
223
Volume
97
Issue
1
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Biología marina, Biología de agua dulce, Limnología
Subjects
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-84957951559
Source
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom
ISSN of the container
00253154
Sources of information:
Directorio de Producción Científica
Scopus