Heavy-Metal Content and Oxidative Damage in Hypsiboas faber: The Impact of Coal-Mining Pollutants on Amphibians

It has been identified worldwide that amphibians are experiencing massive population declines. This decrease could be further enhanced by the exposure of amphibians to pollutants, which would enhance reactive oxygen species production and cause subsequent alterations in oxidant defense levels. The present study was aimed at understanding the impact of mineral coal on amphibians. For this purpose, chemical elemental contents and oxidative stress indexes in Hypsiboas faber from coal-mining areas and in an unpolluted area in the Catarinense Coal Basin, Brazil, were assessed. The highest contents of sulfur, chlorine, iron, zinc, and bromine were registered in specimens from the coal-mining area, whereas the highest contents of potassium calcium, and silicon were registered in specimens from the control area. It was found that there was a significant increase ( p