Occurrence and health risk of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in seafood from Yellow Sea, China

• Published in: The Science of the total environment 2019-05, Vol.665, p.1026-1034
• Main Authors: Zhang, Anqi, Wang, Pei, Lu, Yonglong, Zhang, Meng, Zhou, Yunqiao, Wang, Yichao, Zhang, Sheng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alkanesulfonic Acids - analysis; Alkanesulfonic Acids - metabolism; Aquatic Organisms - metabolism; Bioaccumulation; China; Environmental Monitoring; Fluorocarbons - analysis; Fluorocarbons - metabolism; Food Contamination - analysis; Health risk assessment; Humans; PFAAs; Risk Assessment; Seafood; Seafood - analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - metabolism; Yellow Sea
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.02.165

PFAAs have emerged as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in a variety of environmental matrixes and biota, posing potential hazards for wildlife and humans. Diet has been considered as an important source for human exposure to PFAAs and seafood accounts for a relatively large proportion in human diets, especially for coastal residents. In an effort to clarify the impact of PFAAs in seafood on human health, 17 PFAAs were determined in 42 pooled seafood samples (14 species) from the Yellow Sea areas, China. The concentrations of total PFAAs (sum of 17 PFAAs, ∑PFAAs) were in the range of 1.10–1067 ng/g dry weight (dw), with the highest concentration found in swimming crab (Portunus trituberculatus) and the lowest in silvery pomfret (Pampus argenteus). Concentrations and composition profiles of PFAAs varied significantly among different species, suggesting that bioaccumulation potential of PFAAs differed from species to species. The distinct spatial distribution of PFAAs in four categories of seafood could be mainly attributed to the contamination patterns of PFAAs in three nearby cities. PFBA was presented as the most abundant PFAA in this study, which was different from the findings in many other studies where PFOS was the predominant compound. Furthermore, the human health risk assessment suggested that a comprehensive action plan is needed to protect people from high exposure to PFAAs through seafood consumption. [Display omitted] •Widespread contamination of PFAAs occurred in Yellow Sea areas.•PFAAs levels in seafood samples varied largely from 1.10 to 1067 ng/g dw.•Crabs were detected with the highest concentrations of all 7 PFAAs except PFOS.•Local people were likely to be exposed to PFAAs through seafood consumption.