ABSTRACT
Sea turtles have been suffering due to the strong impact of anthropogenic activities, such as those caused by the increase in commercial and industrial exploitation of coastal areas, habitat alteration, ingestion of solid waste, incidental capture in fishing activities and contamination of chemical pollutants. Of the seven species of marine turtles existing that are distributed amongst almost all oceans (Caretta caretta, Chelonia mydas, Dermochelys coriacea, Eretmochelys imbricata, Lepidochelys olivacea, Natator depressus and Lepidochelys kempii), except for Natator depressus, all other are listed as vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered in the IUCN list. The organochlorine compounds are chlorinated hydrocarbons synthesized by man, not occurring naturally in the environment and can be divided into two groups: low molecular weight (industrial solvents) and high molecular weight (pesticides, and polychlorinated biphenyls). Organochlorine contaminants (OCs) cause a strong impact on nature, mostly due to three basic characteristics: environmental persistence, bioaccumulation and high toxicity, thus affecting the health impacts of marine animals, including sea turtles. The bioaccumulation of these pollutants in tissues and organs can influence the growth and development of populations of sea turtles worldwide, causing mortality in various stages of development. Because sea turtles are endangered species, it is extremely important to understand their responses to the impact of chemical contaminants and conservation measures in the long term on the sea turtle populations. This work is an overview of studies on the quantification of contaminants in the blood, tissues and eggs in sea turtles.
