MERCURY IN NEW JERSEY S DIAMONDBACK TERRAPINS (Malaclemys terrapin) Natalie Sherwood, Meiyin Wu, Peddrick Weis

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1 MERCURY IN NEW JERSEY S DIAMONDBACK TERRAPINS (Malaclemys terrapin) Natalie Sherwood, Meiyin Wu, Peddrick Weis

2 Why Mercury? Causes detrimental human health effects Over 35% of US freshwaters have consumption advisories In NJ 54% of all assessed river and stream miles are impaired due to mercury contamination The EPA s mercury analysis of market purchased fish resulted in mean concentrations ranging from ppm to 0.42ppm New Jersey self-caught fish had higher concentrations ranging from 0.05ppm to 0.6ppm

3 Fish Consumption Advisory

4 Human Impacts Neurotoxin Low doses: cardiovascular effects, ataxia, visual evoked changes High doses: damage the central nervous system, impaired speech and gait, deafness, blindness, coma and even death Source: uploads/2008/09/mad-hatter-1.jpg

5 Human Impacts Infants can suffer of mental retardation, cerebral palsy, and severe developmental delays In the United States 1 in 10 women of childbearing age has elevated blood mercury levels

6 Mercury Threshold NJ sensitive population~ 0.18ppm EPA ~ 0.3ppm FDA ~ 1ppm

7 Northern Diamondback Terrapin Malaclemys terrapin Only brackish water turtle in the US Lower Risk/near threatened Special concern species in NJ Long life span Sexually Dimorphic High tolerance to pollutants

8 Diamondback Terrapin Characteristics Sexual maturity between ages 8-10 Lay 4 to 20 oval eggs High mortality rates of eggs, hatchlings and juveniles For unpredated nest, 20 to 45% of eggs hatch Chance of surviving to sexual maturity is about 2%

9 Diamondback Terrapin Diet Omnivorous They eat shrimp, clams, crabs, mussels, and other marine invertebrates, especially periwinkle snails

10 Diamondback Terrapin Harvest Prior to 2016 the open season for terrapins: November 1 to March 31 In July 2016 the legislation voted to remove terrapins from the game list In 2016, another status review recommended a Special Concern status for this species within the state, but no formal rule proposal has been filed to date.

11 U.S. Export Of Diamondback Terrapins 14,220 Diamondback Terrapins were exported from the US in being exported to Japan, 40 exported to Thailand, 126 to China, 210 to Taiwan, 13,956 exported to Hong Kong

12 Aquatic Food Chain Source: factsheet/146-00/

13 Objectives Determine if terrapins are safe for human consumption Examine mercury concentrations variation among study sties and sexes

14 Distribution And Study Site Meadowlands Cape May

15 Sample Collection Carapace Muscle Blood 24 terrapins from Cape May 13 terrapins from Meadowlands Mercury concentration were analyzed by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrophotometry Statistical Analysis using ANOVA

16 Results 3.5 Cape May 3.5 Meadowlands Mercury Concentration, ppm Mercury Concentration, ppm Carapace Blood Muscle -0.5 Carapace Blood Muscle Male Female Male Female

17 Mean Hg Concentrations In Terrapins (ppm) Male & Female Cape May Hackensack Meadowlands Carapace ±0.555 (N=24) ±0.114 (N=13) Blood ±0.152 (N=16) ±0.036 (N=8) Muscle ±0.042 (N=22) ±0.069 (N=11)

18 Mean Hg Concentrations In Female Terrapins (ppm) Female Cape May Hackensack Meadowlands Carapace ±0.801 (N=16) ±0.241 (N=4) Blood ±0.195 (N=12) ±0.073 (N=3) Muscle ±0.053 (N=15) ±0.208 (N=4)

19 Mean Hg Concentrations In Male Terrapins (ppm) Male Cape May Hackensack Meadowlands Carapace ±0.461 (N=8) ±0.134 (N=9) Blood ±0.014 (N=4) ±0.033 (N=5) Muscle ±0.072 (N=7) ±0.010 (N=7)

20 Site Variation There were no statistical significant difference in mercury concentrations between the two sites Site Carapace (ppm) Blood (ppm) Muscle (ppm) Cape May ± ± ±0.042 Meadowlands ± ± ±0.069

21 Sex Variation There were no statistical significant difference in mercury concentrations between male and female Source: 01glance/symbols/html/reptile.html Carapace (ppm) Blood (ppm) Muscle (ppm) Female ± ± ±0.060 Male ± ± ±0.035

22 Muscle Mercury Concentrations There was no statistical significant difference in muscle mercury concentrations Study Site Male (ppm) Female (ppm) Male & Female (ppm) Cape May ± ± ±0.042 Meadowlands ± ± ±0.069 All ± ± ±0.035

23 % of terrapins above thresholds General Populations/ 0.3ppm High Risk Populations/ 0.18ppm 100% 100% 80% 80% 60% 60% 40% 40% 20% 20% 0% All Female Male 0% All Female Male Cape May Meadowlands Cape May Meadowlands

24 % Of Terrapin Muscle Samples Over Thresholds Sensitive EPA FDA CM HM CM HM CM HM All Muscle 50% 73% 28% 46% 0% 0% Female Muscle Male Muscle 50% 25% 25% 25% 0% 0% 38% 100% 25% 57% 0% 0%

25 Conclusion There were no statistical significant differences in mercury concentrations between study sites or sexes 27% of Cape May terrapins and 46% of Meadowlands terrapins surpassed the general population/0.3ppm threshold 50% of Cape May terrapins and 73% of Meadowlands terrapins surpassed the high risk population/0.18ppm threshold For the general population, based on mercury concentration, terrapins should not be consumed more than 3 times a month

26 Acknowledgements The Wetlands Institute Drs. Roger Wood and Patrick Baker Meadowlands Environmental Research Institute Mr. Brett Bargain

27 Literature Cited Basile, E. R., Avery, H. W., Bien, W. F., and J. M. Keller (2011) Diamondback terrapins as indicator species of persistent organic pollutants: Using Barnegat Bay, New Jersey as a case study. Chemosphere 82(1): Blanvillain, G., Schwenter, J. A., Day, R. D., Point, D., Christopher, S. J., Roumillat, W. A., and D. W. Owens (2007) Diamondback terrapins, Malaclemys terrapin, as a sentinel species for monitoring mercury pollution of estuarine systems in South Carolina and Georgia, USA. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 26(7): Bloom, N.S. (1992) On the chemical form of mercury in edible fish and marine invertebrate tissue. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 49: Boening, D.W. (2000) Ecological effects, transport, and fate of mercury: a general review. Chemosphere 40(12): Golet, W. J., and T. A. Haines (2001) Snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) as monitors for mercury contamination of aquatic environments. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 71(3): Gochfeld, M. (2003) Cases of mercury exposure bioavailability and absorption. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 56: Fitzgerald, W.F. (1995) Is mercury increasing in the atmosphere? The need for an atmospheric mercury network (AMNET). Water Air Soil Pollution 80: Fitzsimmons, N. N., and J. L. Greene (2001) Demographic and Ecological Factors Affecting Conservation and Management of the Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) in South Carolina. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 4(1) Kainz, M., Telmer, K., and A. Mazumder (2006) Bioaccumulation patterns of methyl mercury and essential fatty acids in lacustrine planktonic food webs and fish. Science of the Total Environment 368: Klemens, M.W., and J.B. Thorbjarnarson (1995) Reptiles as a food resource. Biodiversity and Conservation 4: Lovich, J. E., and J. W. Gibbons (1990) Age at maturity influences adult sex ratio in the turtle Malaclemys terrapin. Oikos Tsipoura, N., Burger, J., Feltes, R., Yacabucci, J., Mizrahi, D., Jeitner, C., and M. Gochfeld (2008) Metal concentrations in three species of passerine birds breeding in the Hackensack Meadowlands of New Jersey. Environmental Research 107(2): Turnquist, M. A., Driscoll, C. T., Schulz, K. L., and M.A. Schlaepfer (2011) Mercury concentrations in snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) correlate with environmental and landscape characteristics. Ecotoxicology 20(7): Turnquist, M.A., Driscoll, C.T., Schulz, K.L., Schlaepfer, M.A. (2011) Mercury concentrations in snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) correlate with environmental and landscape characteristics. Ecotoxicology 20(7): UNEP, United Nations Environment Programme (2013) Global Mercury Assessment, Sources, Emissions, Releases and Environmental Transport. Ward, D.M., Nislow, K.H., and C.L. Folt (2010) Bioaccumulation syndrome: identifying factors that make some stream food webs prone to elevated mercury bioaccumulation. NY Academy of Science 1195:62-83 Watras, C.J., Back, R.C., Halvorsen, S., Hudson, R.J., Morrison, K.A., and S.P. Wente (1998) Bioaccumulation of mercury in pelagic freshwater food webs. The Science of the total environment 219:

28 THANK YOU!