Mercury biomagnification in the food chain of a piscivorous turtle species (Testudines: Chelidae: Chelus fimbriata) in the Central Amazon, Brazil

• Published in: Ecotoxicology (London) 2024-07, Vol.33 (4-5), p.425-439
• Main Authors: Cunha, Fábio Andrew G., Forsberg, Bruce R., Vogt, Richard C., Domingos, Fabíola X. V., Marshall, Bruce G., Brito, Brendson C., de Sousa, Otávio P., Kasper, Daniele, Santos, Ana Laura P., Ândrade, Marcelo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Algae; Amazonia; aquatic habitat; Aquatic habitats; Aquatic plants; Bioaccumulation; Biological magnification; Brazil; Carapace; carbon; Carbon 13; Carnivores; Carnivorous animals; Chelus fimbriata; Collections; Contamination; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecology; Ecotoxicology; energy; Energy resources; Energy sources; Environment; Environmental Management; food chain; Food chains; Food contamination; Food plants; Food sources; Geographical distribution; Habitats; Heavy metals; Isotopes; Mercury; Mercury (metal); muscle tissues; Muscles; Natural history; nitrogen; piscivores; Reptiles & amphibians; species; Stable isotopes; Testudines; Trophic levels; Turtles
• ISSN: 0963-9292; 1573-3017; 1573-3017
• DOI: 10.1007/s10646-024-02756-w

Due to their natural history and ecological attributes, turtles are excellent organisms for studies of heavy metal contamination. Turtles have a large geographical distribution, occupy different aquatic habitats, and occupy various trophic levels. The present study investigated mercury bioaccumulation in the carnivorous chelonian Chelus fimbriata (Matamata turtle) and Hg biomagnification in relation to its aquatic food chain in the middle Rio Negro, AM-Brazil. Tissue samples of muscle, carapace and claws were collected from 26  C. fimbriata individuals, as well as collections of autotrophic energy sources found in the turtle’s aquatic habitat area. The samples were collected in February-March/2014 and analyzed for THg concentrations and carbon (δ 13 C) and nitrogen (δ 15 N) stable isotopes. The highest THg levels were found in claws (3780 ng.g −1 ), carapace (3622 ng.g −1 ) and muscle (403 ng.g −1 ), which were found to be significantly different [F(2.73) = 49.02 p