Detection of benzotriazole-type ultraviolet stabilizers in sea turtles breeding in the Northwest Pacific Ocean

Benzotriazole-type ultraviolet stabilizers (BUVSs) are emerging contaminants whose exposure to wildlife is of concern. In this study, we investigated the contamination status of BUVSs in green turtles (Chelonia mydas) breeding at Ogasawara Islands, Japan, through chemical analysis of 10 BUVSs and 26 congeners of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in adipose tissue (n = 21) and blood plasma (n = 9). BUVSs were detected significant levels in adipose tissue (19 of 21 turtles), and UV-327 (not detected - 14.8 ng/g-lipid, detection frequency: 76 %), UV-326 (not detected - 24.1 ng/g-lipid, 29 %), and UV-328 (not detected - 5.8 ng/g-lipid, 24 %) were frequently detected. Turtles exhibiting sporadically high concentrations of BUVSs (>10 ng/g-lipid) did not necessarily correspond to individuals with high total PCB concentrations (1.03–70.2 ng/g-lipid). The sporadic occurrence pattern of BUVSs suggested that these contaminants in sea turtles cannot be explained solely by diet but are likely derived from plastic debris. [Display omitted] •Benzotriazole-type ultraviolet stabilizers (BUVSs) in green turtles were investigated.•BUVSs were detected in significant amounts in 19 of 21 adipose tissue samples from the turtles.•Sporadically high concentrations of UV-326 and UV-327 were observed.•Our results suggest that BUVSs are derived from plastic debris.•This is the first study of BUVSs measurements in sea turtles.