Occurrence of brominated persistent organic pollutants (PBDD/DFs, PXDD/DFs, and PBDEs) in Baltic Wild Salmon (Salmo Salar) and Correlation with PCDD/DFs and PCBs

The contamination profiles of polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PBDDs), dibenzofurans (PBDFs), diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and mixed monobromo/chloro dibenzo-p-dioxins (PXDDs) and dibenzofurans (PXDFs) were determined in the tissue of Baltic wild salmon and compared with those of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and biphenyls (PCBs). Out of the analyzed PXDD/DFs, only the 3-B-2,7,8-triCDF was detected (in the concentration range of 0.039-0.075 pg g^-1 fresh weight (f.w.)). The toxic equivalents (TEQs) for analyzed PBDD/DFs (0.074-0.142 pg TEQ g ^-1 f.w.) were found to contribute on average 2.1% to the total PCDD/DF-PBDD/DF-TEQ. The total concentrations of 27 PBDE congeners were in the range of 1.3-5.6 ng g^-1 f.w., with an average of 3.3 ng g ^-1 f.w. The levels of PCDD/DFs and PCBs were found to be in the range of 4.53-14.6 pg WHO(2005)-PCDD/DF-PCB-TEQ g^-1 f.w., and concentrations of these compounds in most of the analyzed samples were above the maximum levels specified in Commission Regulation (EU) No. 1259/2011. Good correlation was observed between WHO(2005)-PCDD/DF-TEQ and WHO(2005)-PCB-TEQ (r² = 0.98), and these parameters were well correlated with the total sum of PBDE concentrations (r² = 0.91 and r² = 0.94, respectively). The results suggest that the consumption of Baltic wild salmon has no crucial impact on the average POP intake for typical Latvians.