Toxic metals in Loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) stranded freshly dead along Sicilian coasts.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) is a marine reptile belonging to a monophyletic group of chelonians. As these animals are long-lived, they have the ability to accumulate pollutants.

Aim

To collect epidemiological data on toxic metals in marine Loggerhead sea turtles.

Materials and methods

Forty Loggerhead sea turtles comprising 25 males and 15 females stranded freshly dead between 2013 and 2018 along the coasts of Sicily, Southern Italy, were examined for arsenic, cadmium, and lead accumulation in muscle and adipose tissues by means of a validated ICP-MS method. A modified K index as a growth condition factor, namely Fulton's K index, was used. Samples were tested in duplicate. A Wilcoxon rank sum test was carried out to evaluate metal co

SUBMITTER: Cammilleri G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9870007 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature