Regional differences in Hg contents in the liver and muscle of the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) from three foraging grounds in Northeast Brazil

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2024-01, Vol.31 (3), p.3917-3925
• Main Authors: Verzele, Paul, Rodriguez, César B., Bezerra, Moisés F., Lacerda, Luiz D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Aquatic Pollution; Aquatic reptiles; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Brazil; Chelonia mydas; Coastal waters; Coastal zone; coasts; diet; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Humans; Juveniles; Littoral environments; littoral zone; Liver; Liver - chemistry; Marine animals; Marine organisms; Marine pollution; Mercury; Mercury - analysis; Muscles; Muscles - chemistry; Ontogeny; Pollutants; Regional differences; Reptiles & amphibians; Research Article; Sea turtles; species; toxicity; Turtles; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollution Control
• ISSN: 1614-7499; 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-31407-6

Mercury (Hg) is a highly toxic pollutant that endangers several marine animals, including green sea turtles ( Chelonia mydas ), particularly in their foraging grounds along Brazilian coastal waters. Environmental Hg levels differ along this extensive littoral, rendering mandatory Hg long-term assessments of the different Hg fate in different sectors of the Brazilian coast. This study quantifies total Hg concentrations in the liver and muscle of green sea turtle populations from three foraging coastal regions in northeastern Brazil and analyzes Hg concentration differences given the locality and size of 61 juvenile individuals sampled. The results showed wide variations in Hg concentrations in the liver (81–3135 ng g −1 ) and muscle (10.1–8569 ng g −1 ). There was no significant correlation between animal size and Hg concentrations. Also, no difference was found among areas, reflecting the opportunistic feeding habit of juveniles of this species. This suggests that, in the case of green turtles, the ontogenetic change of diet plays an important role in influencing Hg concentrations found in this species.