Brominated, chlorinated and mixed brominated/chlorinated persistent organic pollutants in European eels (Anquilla anquilla) from Latvian lakes

Fifty-eight European eel (Anquilla anquilla) specimens collected from five Latvian lakes were investigated for six groups of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including polychlorinated, polybrominated and mixed bromo-chloro dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/DFs, PBDD/DFs and PXDD/DFs), polychlorinated and mixed bromo-chloro biphenyls (PCBs and PXBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). PCDD/DFs and PCBs were found to occur in the range 0.85–15.8 pg Total-WHO2005-TEQ g−1 f.w., and concentrations in most of the samples were below the maximum levels specified in European Commission Regulation (EU) No. 1259/2011. The summed concentrations of 27 PBDEs (∑PBDE) and 16 non-dioxin…