Can phthalates move into the eggs of the loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta? The case of the nests on the Linosa Island in the Mediterranean Sea. (July 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Savoca, Dario; Arculeo, Marco; Vecchioni, Luca; Cambera, Irene; Visconti, Giulia; Melfi, Raffaella; Arizza, Vincenzo; Palumbo Piccionello, Antonio; Buscemi, Silvestre; Pace, Andrea
• Is Part Of: Marine pollution bulletin. Volume 168(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-07
• Subjects: Persistent organic pollutants -- Plasticizers -- Eggshell -- Albumen -- Yolk -- Maternal transfer; Marine pollution -- Periodicals; Marine Biology -- Periodicals; Water Pollution -- Periodicals; Mer -- Pollution -- Périodiques; Publications périodiques; Pollution des mers; Lutte antipollution; Electronic journals; 363.7394
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112395
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0025-326X

Abstract

Abstract: During the monitoring of Caretta caretta nests on the island of Linosa, 30 unhatched eggs from four nests were collected to study the presence of phthalates in their three components (shell, yolk, and albumen). Four phthalates, namely diethyl (DEP), dibutyl (DBP), di-(2-ethylhexyl) (DEHP), and dioctyl (DOTP) phthalic acid esters (PAE), which are widely used as additives in plastics, were detected in all egg components. The most frequently found phthalate was DBP, followed by DEHP in eggshell and yolk. Dimethyl- (DMP) and butylbenzyl-phthalate (BBP) were below the limits of detection for all samples. The high total phthalate recorded in the yolk suggests that contamination could arise by vitellogenesis. PERMANOVA analysis ( p = 0.01) confirmed significant differences in the PAEs contamination profiles in the eggs from the four nests. This study confirms the negative impact of plastic related compounds posing questions about the potential adverse effects on organisms and their conservation status. Highlights: Phthalates analyses showed contamination of Caretta caretta eggs. Different total phthalates content was found in yolk, albumen, and eggshell. Recorded levels of PAEs demonstrate the incidence of plastic-related pollution.