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Abstract
Brunswick, Georgia is the location of an Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and heavy metals associated with this site occur in upper-level predators at concentrations that could cause negative effects. The marsh around the Brunswick area is critical habitat to diamondback terrapins, loggerhead sea turtles, and American alligators. My research sought to quantify how much these three reptile species were being exposed to contaminants from the Superfund site. While terrapins closer to the site had higher levels of PCBs, we found no difference between PCB levels in terrapins found within a fishing advisory zone and terrapins found outside of the advisory zone. Mercury levels in loggerheads that nested primarily in the Brunswick area were similar to levels in loggerheads that nested elsewhere. Contaminant results in alligators varied, however many alligators contained lead levels that exceeded the lead limit placed on food by the Food and Drug Administration.