Accumulation and selective maternal transfer of contaminants in the turtleTrachemys scripta associated with coal ash deposition

Coal combustion wastes are enriched in a number of potentially toxic compou nds and may pose risks to biota exposed to the wastes. Slider turtles (Trac hemys scripta) are common inhabitants of coal ash settling basins in South Carolina, USA, where they feed on contaminated prey items and accumulate hi gh levels of potentially toxic compounds in their tissues. Furthermore, fem ale sliders sometimes nest in contaminated spill piles and thus may expose embryos to contaminated soils. We examined two potential pathways by which female T. scripta may influence the survivorship and quality of their offsp ring in a contaminated habitat: (1) nesting in contaminated soil and (2) ma ternal transfer of pollutants. Eggs were collected from turtles captured in coal ash-polluted or unpolluted sites; individual clutches were incubated in both ash-contaminated and uncontaminated soil in outdoor, artificial nes ts. Incubation in contaminated soil was associated with reduced embryo surv ivorship. Adult females from the polluted site accumulated high levels of A s, Cd, Cr, and Se in their tissues, yet Se was the only element transferred maternally to hatchlings at relatively high levels. Hatchlings from pollut ed-site females exhibited reduced O-2 consumption rates compared to hatchli ngs from reference sites. Relatively high levels of Se transferred to hatch lings by females at the ash-polluted site might contribute to the observed differences in hatchling physiology.