Toxicological assessment of hawksbill sea turtle eggs from the Arabian Gulf

Abstract

Hawksbill sea turtles (Ertemochelys imbricata) play a crucial role in maintaining reef health and have the potential to serve as key indicator species for monitoring environmental conditions. This study evaluates concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in the eggs of hawksbill sea turtles (n = 28 clutches) from Sir Bu Na'ir Island, UAE. The samples collected were unhatched eggs obtained after clutch incubation, ensuring no harm to eggs or live sea turtles. POPs were extracted using QuEChERs, followed by d-SPE and GC/MS analysis. ∑OCPs were detected in all sampled eggs (100.0 %) with higher concentrations (183.91 ± 39.19 ng/g) than ∑PAHs (%Det: 78.6 %; x̄: 64.24 ± 14.35 ng/g). The prevalence of DDT and its metabolites underscores its significance as a persistent environmental pollutant with far-reaching implications for marine wildlife health. The predominance of low molecular weight PAHs over high molecular weight PAHs suggests PAH exposure primarily from petrogenic sources. These findings highlight the pervasive presence of pollutants in hawksbill sea turtle eggs, underscoring the need for targeted efforts to mitigate the impacts of marine pollution in the Arabian Gulf as oil extraction, port activities, and rapid coastal development continue to expand. Given the widespread nature of this species, and the ability to use unhatched eggs as specimens, we suggest it as a possible bioindicator species for PAHs and OCPs in the Gulf Region.

Keywords: Bioindicator species; Embryotoxicity; Hawksbill sea turtle; Marine pollution; Organochlorine pesticide; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon.