Chapter Environmental issues affecting loggerhead turtles Caretta caretta: a study on the presence of inorganic pollutants in organs, tissues and eggs

Overview & Synopsis

Climate changes have a significantly impact on the nesting areas for turtles, leading in recent years to an expansion in the Western Mediterranean regions, particularly along the beaches of southern Italy. Furthermore, along these coasts there is an intense recovery activity of stranded turtles.In the context of the One Health approach, which integrates health and environment, there is an increasing interest in monitoring marine pollution and its effects on the loggerhead turtles.Caretta caretta (L., 1758) is the most abundant sea turtle in the Mediterranean Sea and is categorized as “vulnerable” among the endangered species. Due to their extensive migrations, for prolonged periods and on a large geographical scale, sea turtles can accumulate marine pollutants (metals, PCBs, pesticides, PAHs and PFAS) in their liver, kidneys and adipose tissue]. Upon attaining sexual maturity, these toxicants may be transferred to offspring through the eggs, thus exposing developing embryos to potentially high doses of pollutants. This study aimed to quantify chemical contaminants in organs, tissues, and eggs of C. caretta.