Concentração de elementos-traço chumbo (Pb) e cobre (Cu) em tecidos de Chelonia mydas (Linnaeus, 1758) no Litoral Sul de Pernambuco, Nordeste do Brasil

Abstract

Between threats to sea turtles species is the contamination of marine enviroments caused by trace elements wich infiltrate into organisms through food, airways or skin and can be passed on by trophic levels. The species Chelonia mydas has coastal habits whose main diet item is seaweed, which had evidence of accumulation by trace elements. This work determined the concentrations of trace elements lead (Pb) and copper (Cu), in order to know the level of contamination of local individuals and the bioavailability of the elements in habitat. 43 samples of C. mydas liver and muscle organs from the southern coast of Pernambuco, Northeast Brazil, collected from November 2016 to November 2018 were used. The quantification was performed by an Inductively coupled plasma - optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES). Cu showed a greater amount in liver, while Pb was present in a higher concentration in muscle, not being detectable in liver. For Cu, the highest concentration found was 64,683 mg kg-1 (6,389–212,286) while for Pb it was 4,115mg kg-1 (1.4–7,424). The southern coast of Pernambuco showed higher concentrations than other Brazilian states and several areas around the world, showing how other threats to the species mask the impacts of these contaminants, whose accumulation mechanisms need further studies to be fully understood. The values found provide a basis for monitoring the species and contamination of the local habitat.