M9 AM Ecotoxicology of Reptiles
Monday, 14 November 2005: 8:00 AM - 11:40 AM in 339-340

(FER-1117-226832) Changes in organ function of snapping turtles associated with parent and hydroxylated persistent organic pollutants.

Fernie, Kim¹, Letcher, Robert^{2, 3}, Jeffery, Deborah², de Solla, Shane¹, Fox, Glen², ¹ Canadian Wildlife Service, Ontario Region, Burlington, Ontario, Canada² National Wildlife Research Center, Canadian Wildlife Service, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada³ Great Lakes Institute of Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada

ABSTRACT- Snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) are long-lived animals that reflect the contaminant exposure in local wetlands and Areas of Concern (AOCs). As part of the Fish and Wildlife Health Effects Study of Environment Canada begun in 2001, blood was collected from adult males live-trapped in Canadian AOCs, specifically the Bay of Quinte, Toronto, Hamilton Harbour, Wheatley Harbour, and the St. Lawrence, Niagara, Detroit and St. Clair Rivers - and in an inland reference site. The plasma of the turtles was submitted for clinical chemistry analyses to provide information on the functioning of internal organs and systems. In addition, POP levels including hydroxylated metabolites were analyzed in the plasma of the same turtles in the western Lake Erie AOCs. Compared to the reference turtles, turtles from all of these AOCs showed significant changes in hepatic, renal and pancreatic function, serum proteins, lipid metabolism, and/or their total antioxidant status. Measures relating to serum proteins and/or lipid metabolism frequently fell in the clinically "possible/probable" abnormal range for male turtles in the St Clair, Detroit River, Wheatley, Niagara, and Bay of Quinte AOCs. Furthermore, values relating to pancreatic (St Clair, Wheatley, Niagara, Bay of Quinte), renal (Detroit River, Wheatley, Niagara), and hepatic (Wheatley, Niagara, Toronto, Bay of Quinte, St. Lawrence) function were also in this clinical range for turtles captured within these identified AOCs. Many of the systemic and organ changes were positively associated with concentrations of organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and sum methylsulfonyl PCBs, but increasing concentrations of brominated flame retardants (PBDEs), HO-PCBs, HO-BDEs and HO-heptachlorostyrene suppressed many of these measurements. To date, the results of this study suggest that contaminants are contributing to changes in the physiological health of snapping turtles in some Canadian AOCs.

Key words: snapping turtle, hydroxylated metabolites, clinical chemistry, organ function