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In 2015, Brazil had its most notorious ecological disaster due to an iron mine dam collapse. It was considered the world's largest environmental disaster associated with mining industry. The tailings composed mostly of iron ore and silica, but with high levels of heavy metals reached the Atlantic Ocean, through the Doce River, sixteen days after the rupture. The region where the mud ran into the ocean is an important nesting area for loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) in Brazil (Povoação, Espírito Santo state). The aim of this study is to evaluate the heavy metal effects on the health parameters of loggerhead turtles that nest in the exposed area (Povoação, Doce river estuary) and compare them with turtles from another coastal area that was not affected by the tailings (Praia do Forte, Bahia state).

Animals’ health status was determined by a physical examination during which blood samples used to …