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de Souza Dias da Silva MF, Zanardi-Lamardo E, Valcarcel Rojas LA, de Oliveira Alves MD, Chimendes da Silva Neves V, de Araújo ME. Traces of oil in sea turtle feces. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 200:116088. [PMID: 38309176 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
In 2019, an oil spill hit the Brazilian Northeast coast causing impact to several ecosystems, including sea turtles' breeding and feeding areas. This study aimed to investigate whether sea turtles were impacted by this oil disaster, correlating the oil found inside feces with a sandy-oiled sample collected on the beach some days after the accident. The fecal samples were collected in the upper mid-littoral reef areas during three consecutive days in February 2020. The results suggested that sea turtles consumed algae contaminated by petroleum. Hydrocarbons composition of oil inside feces was similar to the sandy-oiled sample, suggesting they were the same. Lighter aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic compounds were missing, indicating both sandy-oiled and oil inside the feces had experienced significant evaporation prior to collection. Although the long-term damage is still unknown, the data are novel and relevant to support future research and alert authorities about the risks to sea turtles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matheus Felipe de Souza Dias da Silva
- Centro de Tecnologia e Geociências, Departamento de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Av. Arquitetura, s/n, Cidade Universitária, Recife 50740-550, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Eliete Zanardi-Lamardo
- Centro de Tecnologia e Geociências, Departamento de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Av. Arquitetura, s/n, Cidade Universitária, Recife 50740-550, Pernambuco, Brazil.
| | - Lino Angel Valcarcel Rojas
- Centro de Tecnologia e Geociências, Departamento de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Av. Arquitetura, s/n, Cidade Universitária, Recife 50740-550, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Maria Danise de Oliveira Alves
- Faculdade Frassinetti do Recife, Av. Conde da Boa Vista, 921, Recife 50060-002, Pernambuco, Brazil; Associação de Pesquisa e Preservação de Ecossistemas Aquáticos - AQUASIS, Av. Pintor João Figueiredo - SESC - Iparana, Caucaia, 61627-250, Ceará, Brazil
| | | | - Maria Elisabeth de Araújo
- Centro de Tecnologia e Geociências, Departamento de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Av. Arquitetura, s/n, Cidade Universitária, Recife 50740-550, Pernambuco, Brazil
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