SREL Reprint #3431

Influence of coal ash contamination on metabolic rates of eastern mud turtles (Kinosternon subrubrum)

J. P. Cochran1, N. Eady1, D. Haskins2, M. A. Pilgrim1, and T. Tuberville2

1Division of Natural Sciences and Engineering, University of South Carolina Upstate,
800 University Way, Spartanburg, SC 29303
2Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Aiken, SC 29802

Abstract: On the Savannah River Site (SRS), coal combustion facilities powered site operations. The waste product of coal combustion, coal ash, contains potentially toxic trace elements (e.g., mercury, selenium, arsenic, and lead) that can negatively impact animal physiology. Coal ash was disposed of in constructed wetlands on the SRS. Many animals use constructed wetlands as habitat and can be exposed to coal ash contamination, potentially affecting their physiology. Thus, the objective of our study was to evaluate whether the metabolic rates of eastern mud turtles (Kinosternon subrubrum) inhabiting contaminated sites differed from the metabolic rates of K. subrubrum inhabiting uncontaminated sites. We used aquatic traps to capture mud turtles from reference and contaminated sites. We utilized flow through respirometry to determine metabolic rates of captured turtles. Our results did not indicate that turtles from contaminated sites expressed lower metabolic rates than turtles from reference sites but did show a biological trend of turtles from contaminated sites having a lower metabolic rate at higher temperatures. Since the degree of contamination is known to affect metabolic rates, our next step will be to quantify the contaminant body burdens of captured mud turtles.

Keywords: Respirometry, Reptiles, Savannah River Site, Heavy Metals, Ecotoxicology

SREL Reprint #3431

Cochran, J. P., N. A. Eady, M. A. Pilgrim, T. D. Tuberville, and D. L. Haskins. 2012. Influence of coal ash contamination on metabolic rates of eastern mud turtles (Kinosternon subrubrum). Oral presentation at the Annual SC Upstate Research Symposium; printed proceedings, Spartanburg, SC.

This information was provided by the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (srel.uga.edu).