Vol. 76 (1) 2024

ARTICLES

Evaluation of the Effects of Environmental Pollutants
on Populations of the European Pond Turtle Emys orbicularis (Linnaeus, 1758) (Testudines: Emydidae) at Çanakkale, Türkiye

Nurşen Çördük, Çiğdem Gül, Nurcihan Hacıoğlu Doğru & Murat Tosunoğlu*

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*Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Çanakkale, Türkiye; mrttosunoglu35@gmail.com

https://doi.org/10.71424/azb76.1.002674

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Abstract
We evaluated and compared the effects of different environmental pollutants on haematological, microbiological and genotoxic characteristics of populations of the freshwater turtle Emys orbicularis from the Kavak Delta and Dardanos in Çanakkale (NW Türkiye). The haematocrit values of samples of E. orbicularis differed considerably between the two localities: they were higher in the Kavak Delta samples. The mean cell haemoglobin concentration was also significantly different between the two localities (higher in the samples of the Dardanos). The water samples of the two localities were within the limit (Class I-II) for all parameters, except Dardanos temperature (Class III). Although it was not statistically significant, the nuclear abnormality formation in the erythrocytes of the sample from Dardanos was numerically higher than that from the Kavak Delta. The study assessed the impact of pollutants on populations of Emys orbicularis and conducted on-site evaluations and monitoring of genotoxic pollution.

Key words
Reptilia, Emydidae, genotoxicity, haematology, microbiology

How to Cite
Çördük N. Gül Ç., Hacıoğlu N. Doğru & Tosunoğlu M. 2024. Evaluation of the Effects of Environmental Pollutants on Populations of the European Pond Turtle Emys orbicularis (Linnaeus, 1758) (Testudines: Emydidae) at Çanakkale, Türkiye. Acta zoologica bulgarica 76 (1) 105-114.

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