Presence of environmental contaminants in tissues of green turtle (Chelonia mydas) from the brazilian coast: prevalence study in animals affected by fibropapilomatosis

• Grant number: 11/04565-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: August 01, 2011
• End date: January 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Pathology
• Principal Investigator: Eliana Reiko Matushima
• Grantee: Angélica María Sánchez Sarmiento
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The increase in anthropogenic interventions at both marine and coastal environment is threatening the support ecosystem of numerous populations of animals, like sea turtles. Imbalances in the health of habitats, negatively affects the survival of long-lived turtles, like Chelonia mydas, seriously endangered. Threats to the species include capture by fishing, degradation of nesting and feeding habitats and diseases. One of the principal diseases is fibropapillomatosis (FP) or Green Turtle Fibropapiloma Disease (GTFD), tumoral disease of infectious character that affects predominantly juvenile specimens. Numerous hypotheses have arisen regarding the etiology of the disease, but it is still unclear. However there is a consensus that the etiology is multifactorial. The increasing prevalence of this disease has been implicated with the degradation of marine habitats relate to environmental contaminants like organochlorine and their metabolites. These compounds are known to be difficult to breakdown, persisting, bioaccumulating and biomagnificating on the marine environment over time. They are known for numerous health effects, affecting the immunity of the individual favoring the manifestation of diseases, with some of them being identified as carcinogens. This study analyzed the concentrations of chlorinated pesticides: a-BHC, b-BHC, Heptachlor, Dicofol, a-Endosulfan, b-endosulfan, endosulfan sulfate, pp-DDD, op-DDD, pp-DDE, op-DDE and Mirex in fat and liver of juvenile green turtles with and without fibropapillomatosis. We developed an extraction and purification technique based on QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe) for monitoring these compounds by gas chromatography with electron capture (GC-ECD). The application of this technique enabled establish possible correlations with variables like the body condition index and FP severity in some areas of the Brazilian Southeast Coast with different prevalence rates of FP aiming to infer the role of this contaminants in the pathogenesis of this disease. (AU)

Scientific publications

(5)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

ROSSI, SILMARA; SANCHEZ-SARMIENTO, ANGELICA MARIA; DOS SANTOS, ROBSON GUIMARAES; ZAMANA, ROBERTA RAMBLAS; SETIM PRIOSTE, FABIOLA ELOISA; GATTAMORTA, MARCO AURELIO; CRUZ OCHOA, PABLO FELIPE; HILDEBRAND GRISI-FILHO, JOSE HENRIQUE; MATUSHIMA, ELIANA REIKO. Monitoring green sea turtles in Brazilian feeding areas: relating body condition index to fibropapillomatosis prevalence. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, v. 99, n. 8, p. 1879-1887, DEC 2019. (11/04565-7, 10/01781-8, 12/14319-6)

ROSSI, SILMARA; SANCHEZ-SARMIENTO, ANGELICA MARIA; THIJL VANSTREELS, RALPH ERIC; DOS SANTOS, ROBSON GUIMARAES; SETIM PRIOSTE, FABIOLA ELOISA; GATTAMORTA, MARCO AURELIO; HILDEBRAND GRISI-FILHO, JOSE HENRIQUE; MATUSHIMA, ELIANA REIKO. Challenges in Evaluating the Severity of Fibropapillomatosis: A Proposal for Objective Index and Score System for Green Sea Turtles (Chelonia mydas) in Brazil. PLoS One, v. 11, n. 12, DEC 9 2016. (11/04565-7, 10/01781-8, 12/14319-6, 09/53956-9)

ROSSI, SILMARA; DE QUEIROZ HAZARBASSANOV, NICOLLE G. T.; SANCHEZ-SARMIENTO, ANGELICA MARIA; SETIM PRIOSTE, FABIOLA ELOISA; MATUSHIMA, ELIANA REIKO. Immune Response of Green Sea Turtles with and without Fibropapillomatosis: Evaluating Oxidative Burst and Phagocytosis via Flow Cytometry. CHELONIAN CONSERVATION AND BIOLOGY, v. 15, n. 2, p. 273-278, DEC 2016. (11/04565-7, 10/01781-8, 12/14319-6)

SANCHEZ-SARMIENTO, ANGELICA MARIA; ROSSI, SILMARA; VILCA, FRANZ ZIRENA; THIJL VANSTREELS, RALPH ERIC; MONTEIRO, SERGIO HENRIQUE; VALE, LUIZ AMERICO S.; DOS SANTOS, ROBSON GUIMARAES; MARIGO, JULIANA; BERTOZZI, CAROLINA PACHECO; HILDEBRAND GRISI FILHO, JOSE HENRIQUE; et al. Organochlorine pesticides in green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) with and without fibropapillomatosis caught at three feeding areas off Brazil. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, v. 97, n. 1, p. 215-223, FEB 2017. (11/04565-7, 10/01781-8, 12/14319-6, 09/53956-9)

ZIRENA VILCA, FRANZ; ROSSI, SILMARA; DE OLINDA, RICARDO ALVES; SANCHEZ-SARMIENTO, ANGELICA MARIA; SETIM PRIOSTE, FABIOLA ELOISA; MATUSHIMA, ELIANA REIKO; TORNISIELO, VALDEMAR LUIZ. Concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in liver samples of juvenile green sea turtles from Brazil: Can these compounds play a role in the development of fibropapillomatosis?. Marine Pollution Bulletin, v. 130, p. 215-222, MAY 2018. (11/04565-7, 12/14319-6, 12/13683-6)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

SARMIENTO, Angelica Maria Sanchez. Determination of organochlorine pesticides in tissues of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) from the southeastern coast of Brazil: study of the occurrence in animals with and without fibropapillomatosis. 2013. Master's Dissertation - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ/SBD) São Paulo.