Table 2 Concentrations of toxic metals ( µg/g dry wt) in different tissues of Loggerhead Turtles (Caretta caretta) from various locations.

West Italy^a

Muscle

26

0.20 ± 0.2

–

–

26

0.40 ± 0.30

Adriatic Sea^b

17

1.28 ± 0.11

–

–

–

East Mediterranean^c

19

0.25 ± 0.03

19

0.14 ± 0.03

–

19

0.64 ± 0.021

West Mediterranean^d

6

0.11 ± 0.07

6

0.25 ± 0.27

6

37.73 ± 31.44

6

0.24 ± 0.30

Southwestern Mediterranean^e

20

0.20 ± 0.14

20

0.26 ± 0.23

–

–

Adriatic and Mediterranean^f

10

0.81 ± 0.04

BLD

–

–

North Tunisian Coastsⁱ

4

0.80 ± 1.13

4

0.26 ± 0.30

–

4

0.12 ± 0.13

Present study

8

0.47 ± 0.09

8

11.23 ± 2.10

8

0.269 ± 0.04

8

0.47 ± 0.09

West Italy^a

Liver

14

19.3 ± 34.2

–

–

22

1.10 ± 1.70

East Mediterranean^c

19

7.79 ± 1.94

19

0.37 ± 0.05

–

19

0.99 ± 0.29

West Mediterranean^d

3

0.63 ± 0.5

3

0.17 ± 0.13

3

16.39 ± 19.02

3

0.14 ± 0.04

Southwestern Mediterranean^e

16

23.3 ± 53.6

16

2.75 ± 1.64

–

–

Adriatic and Mediterranean^f

11

2.4 ± 0.4

11

0.1 ± 0.08

–

–

Sicilian coast-Mediterranean^h

8

10.2 ± 11.0

8

0.12 ± 0.24

8

77.27 ± 45.21

8

1.05 ± 0.89

North Tunisian Coastsⁱ

5

8.31 ± 3.22

5

0.23 ± 0.01

–

5

1.15 ± 0.8

Present study

8

6.45 ± 3.95

8

6.12 ± 1.22

8

0.94 ± 0.01

8

1.16 ± 0.76

West Italy^a

Kidney

19

57.2 ± 34.6

–

–

20

0.90 ± 0.70

East Mediterranean^c

19

26.50 ± 4.83

19

0.38 ± 0.07

–

19

0.51 ± 0.007

West Mediterranean^d

4

8.24 ± 7.01

4

1.27 ± 1.12

4

34.24 ± 42.86

4

0.45 ± 0.59

Southwestern Mediterranean^e

19

31.47 ± 70.75

19

0.52 ± 0.49

–

–

Adriatic and Mediterranean^f

9

5.80 ± 1.10

9 0.1 ± 0.07

–

–

Sicilian coast-Mediterranean^h

3

39.90 ± 41.86

3

0.19 ± 0.32

3

166.17 ± 74.74

3

0.44 ± 0.36

North Tunisian Coastsⁱ

2

78.13 ± 59.6

3

0.67 ± 0.51

–

3

0.61 ± 0.39

Present study

8

42.49 ± 11.61

8

6.51 ± 2.12

8

0.272 ± 0.014

8

0.88 ± 0.34

East Mediterranean^c

Fat

19

0.10 ± 0.06

19

0.11 ± 0.03

–

19

0.05 ± 0.03

Sicilian coast-Mediterranean^h

3

0.12 ± 0.13

3

 < 0.02

3

32.15 ± 27.0

3

0.04 ± 0.01

Present study

8

0.39 ± 0.09

8

2.01 ± 0.43

8

0.098 ± 0.02

8

0.04 ± 0.01

West Mediterranean^d

Blood

5

0.12 ± 0.21

5

0.31 ± 0.31

5

6.99 ± 9.28

5

0.02 ± 0.01

USA^g

–

–

–

0.029 ± 0.008

Present study

8

6.645 ± 2.55

8

2.46 ± 0.49

8

3.735 ± 1.710

8

3.347 ± 0.670