(Marine Pollution Bulletin, 2021) Filippos, Luciana S. et al.
Studies of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorinated
pesticides (OCPs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), in sea turtles are reported, but there are still
spatial data gaps worldwide. POP contamination of live female blood plasma from Caretta caretta (n = 28),
Chelonia mydas (n = 31) and Lepidochelys olivacea (n = 19), which nest in Brazil and feed along the South Atlantic
Ocean, was investigated. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes from red blood cells (RBC) were also evaluated to
obtain information about trophic ecology. C. caretta had the highest POP concentrations, followed by L. olivacea
and C. mydas. PCBs predominated in all species, and the major OCPs were the DDTs (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and derivatives) and Lindane. POPs and stable isotopes revealed intra- and interspecific variations,which reflect the high plasticity in the use of habitat and food resources, making individuals within the same population susceptible to different exposures to pollutants.
