Abstract
Despite recognition of the lack of reptile ecotoxicology data, the taxon remains poorly studied. Contaminant body burdens are useful in demonstrating exposures to contaminants do occur and may provide insight regarding risks. The purpose of this study was to determine organochlorine pesticide burdens in various tissues of terrestrial reptiles opportunistically collected in Arizona. Heptachlor, DDE, and endrin were the most common analytes detected in fat samples. Liver samples contained methoxychlor and heptachlor at greater frequency than other organochlorines. Investigations into chronic low-level exposures are rare for reptiles and research is needed to determine critical body residues associated with adverse impacts.
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Acknowledgments
SMW was provided funding from the Helen Jones Foundation. The authors wish to acknowledge numerous student and research assistants from the Goode Lab for help in collecting and preparing specimens, in particular Chip Cochran who did most of the tissue preparation from dead animals. We thank the following companies and individuals for their assistance/permission during field works: Vistoso Partners LLC and Dick Maes, Todd Huizinga and staff at Stone Canyon Golf Course, and the staff at Arizona National Golf Course. The Arizona Game and Fish Heritage Fund provided multiple grants supporting this work. We thank the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Wildlife Links Program sponsored by the United States Golf Association. We also thank Larry Norris of the National Park Service and the Desert Southwest Cooperative Ecosystems Study Unit, University of Arizona. Finally, we acknowledge the Faculty Small Grant and Green Fund Award, University of Arizona. The findings and conclusions in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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The authors declare that the experiments conducted in the current study comply with the current laws of the United States.
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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
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Weir, S.M., Dobrovolny, M., Torres, C. et al. Organochlorine Pesticides in Squamate Reptiles from Southern Arizona, USA. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 90, 654–659 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-013-0990-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-013-0990-y