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Hematological and genotoxic biomarkers in a natural population of freshwater turtles Trachemys dorbigni (Duméril & Bibron, 1835) (Testudines: Emydidae) living in an urban area in Southern Brazil

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Danielle Tavares da Silva
Danielle Tavares da Silva
Danielle Tavares da Silva
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Thays Guedes at São Paulo State University
Thays Guedes
Raqueli Teresinha França
Raqueli Teresinha França
Raqueli Teresinha França
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Camila Martins at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG)
Camila Martins
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Abstract and Figures

The present study aimed to report the morphometric and hematological indices and genotoxicity of a free-life population of D’Orbigny’s slider turtles (Trachemys dorbigni) living in an urban area in Southern Brazil. For that, 16 specimens were randomly captured in an urban canal that receives irregular releases of wastewater. Biometrics and external visual changes were analyzed, such as turtle shell deformities, and the presence of parasites. Blood samples were collected to evaluate the hematological profile and the presence of micronuclei and other erythrocyte nuclear abnormalities as potential mutagenic and genotoxic effects. Water physicochemical parameters were also measured. Organisms with ectoparasites (31.25%) and small carapace deformations (56.25%) were observed, but maximum carapace length and weight were considered normal for the species according to the literature. The blood profile indicated low hemoglobin and hematocrit and a high number of total leukocytes, particularly eosinophils which characterize parasitic infections. A frequency of 0.12% for the micronucleus was considered basal, but the frequency of other erythrocyte abnormalities was evident, mainly of blebbed nuclei (63.79%), indicating chromosomal damage in the early stage. The results of this study suggest that natural populations of chelonian inhabiting urbanized areas are impacted by anthropogenic activities in the surrounding environment. Furthermore, it provides comprehensive data which can serve as a comparative model for environmental monitoring studies involving turtles.
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Vol.:(0123456789)
Environmental Science and Pollution Research (2024) 31:37215–37228
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-33515-3
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Hematological andgenotoxic biomarkers inanatural population
offreshwater turtles Trachemys dorbigni (Duméril & Bibron, 1835)
(Testudines: Emydidae) living inanurban area inSouthern Brazil
DanielleTavaresdaSilva1· ThaysdeAndradeGuedes2· RaqueliTeresinhaFrança3·
CamiladeMartinezGasparMartins1,2 · DanielLoebmann1
Received: 23 November 2023 / Accepted: 26 April 2024 / Published online: 20 May 2024
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2024
Abstract
The present study aimed to report the morphometric and hematological indices and genotoxicity of a free-life population
of D’Orbigny’s slider turtles (Trachemys dorbigni) living in an urban area in Southern Brazil. For that, 16 specimens were
randomly captured in an urban canal that receives irregular releases of wastewater. Biometrics and external visual changes
were analyzed, such as turtle shell deformities, and the presence of parasites. Blood samples were collected to evaluate the
hematological profile and the presence of micronuclei and other erythrocyte nuclear abnormalities as potential mutagenic
and genotoxic effects. Water physicochemical parameters were also measured. Organisms with ectoparasites (31.25%) and
small carapace deformations (56.25%) were observed, but maximum carapace length and weight were considered normal
for the species according to the literature. The blood profile indicated low hemoglobin and hematocrit and a high number of
total leukocytes, particularly eosinophils which characterize parasitic infections. A frequency of 0.12% for the micronucleus
was considered basal, but the frequency of other erythrocyte abnormalities was evident, mainly of blebbed nuclei (63.79%),
indicating chromosomal damage in the early stage. The results of this study suggest that natural populations of chelonian
inhabiting urbanized areas are impacted by anthropogenic activities in the surrounding environment. Furthermore, it pro-
vides comprehensive data which can serve as a comparative model for environmental monitoring studies involving turtles.
Keywords Anthropized· Urbanized· Monitoring· Parasites· Blood cells· Micronucleus test· Chelonian
Introduction
Water pollution is an environmental concern in urban areas
(Singh etal. 2022). The uncontrolled increase in anthro-
pogenic activities intensifies the discharge of wastewater
without previous or effective treatment (Lopes 2016; For-
nari etal. 2018), disturbing the structure and functioning of
natural aquatic ecosystems and thus constituting a threat to
aquatic biodiversity (Fleeger etal. 2003; Çavaş and Ergene-
Gözükara 2005).
Several studies affirm that contamination by domes-
tic effluents can lead to health impairments in organisms
exposed to these contaminants, such as declines in the rich-
ness and diversity of macroinvertebrates (Callisto etal.
2022), impacts on the osmoregulation of crustaceans (Theu-
erkauff etal. 2018), and hematological and genotoxic altera-
tions in fish (Corredor-Santamaría etal. 2016). Similarly,
chronic exposure of reptiles to these mixtures of pollutants
can interfere with biochemical and physiological processes,
Responsible Editor: Bruno Nunes
* Camila de Martinez Gaspar Martins
camilamartins@furg.br
1 Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Ambientes Aquáticos
Continentais, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade
Federal Do Rio Grande, Campus Carreiros, Av. Itália Km 8,
RioGrande, RS96203-900, Brazil
2 Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Ciências Fisiológicas,
Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal Do
Rio Grande, Campus Carreiros, Av. Itália Km 8, RioGrande,
RS96203-900, Brazil
3 Departamento de Clínica Veterinária, Universidade Federal
de Pelotas, Campus Capão Do Leão, Pelotas, RS96160-000,
Brazil
Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. Rights reserved.
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