Ecotoxicology of Yellow-Bellied Sliders (Trachemys scripta scripta) in Natural Wetlands

Abstract

Glyphosate is one of the active ingredients in many different herbicidal products such as Roundup. Preliminary research has suggested that glyphosate is a possible endocrine disruptor, can cause developmental defects, and is a potential carcinogen (Dallegrave et al., 2007; Daruich et al., 2001). Due to its potential harmful effects on different organisms, the researchers sought to monitor the levels of glyphosate in wetland areas. This was done by analyzing samples from a common indicator species, the yellow-bellied slider turtle, Trachemys scripta scripta. Research was done on turtles caught at Reed Creek Nature Center and Brick Pond Park. Physical measurements were taken, and blood was drawn from each turtle. Analysis of the glyphosate levels in the blood samples was completed using a glyphosate specific ELISA kit. Analysis from the kit showed detectable glyphosate levels in 34 out of 42 turtles tested, with concentrations ranging from 0.00 ppb to 0.59 ppb. No correlations could be found between glyphosate concentrations and the sex, mass, or age of the turtle, or the month the sample was collected, but glyphosate was found to be ubiquitous in turtles from both sampling areas. Further research could focus on different tissues such as fat or the scutes to see if glyphosate is stored in higher concentrations there than in the plasma. Other species, such as amphibians, living in the same areas could also be studied to determine if certain species are more susceptible to storing glyphosate than others.