First insight into accumulation of characteristics and tissue distribution of PCBs, PBDEs, and other BFRs in the living Indonesian coelacanth ( Latimeria menadoensis )

Persistent organic pollutants, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and other brominated flame retardants, were detected in the liver, muscle, and ovary tissues of the Indonesian coelacanth ( Latimeria menadoensis ) incidentally caught around Gangga Island, North Sulawesi Province, Indonesia, on November 5, 2014. Concentrations of total PCBs (209 congeners, 300–2600 ng g −1 lipid weight) in all tissues showed higher than those of PBDEs (41 congeners, 3.9–6.3 ng g −1 lw) and BTBPE (1.1–3.6 ng g −1 lw). The tissue-specific PCB and PBDE profiles were likely due to differences in the lipid composition. Toxic equivalent (TEQ) values of dioxin-like PCBs in coelacanth tissues were lower than the benchmark values for early-life fish. However, compared with the data reported for deep-sea fishes in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, the relatively high concentrations of PCBs detected in this study raise concerns regarding Indonesian coelacanth conservation and habitat conditions.