Determination of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in fats and oils by QuEChERS/micro-HPLC-MS/MS

• Published in: Food research international 2020-11, Vol.137, p.109583-109583, Article 109583
• Main Authors: Sznajder-Katarzyńska, Katarzyna, Surma, Magdalena, Wiczkowski, Wiesław, Piskuła, Mariusz
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Edible fats and oils; Fluorocarbons; Health risk; Humans; Micro-HPLC-MS/MS; Oils; Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs); QuEChERS; Solid Phase Extraction; Tandem Mass Spectrometry
• ISSN: 0963-9969; 1873-7145
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2020.109583

[Display omitted] •Edible fats and oils were tested for10 perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) by micro-HPLC-MS/MS.•The optimisation of the QuEChERS method with different protocol variations was carried out.•Perfluorooctanoic acid was the most frequently detected compound (100%).•Sunflower oils were the most contaminated food products (PFAS concentrations ranged between 0.003 and 3.181 ng/g).•The current study provides new data of PFASs levels in fat-rich food samples. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are man-made chemicals that have been identified as global pollutants. Their widespread occurrence, including in food, is a potential concern for consumers. This work focuses on the application of a simple and reliable analytical method for the simultaneous determination of ten perfluoroalkyl acids in highly complex fatty matrices (fats and oils). The perfluoroalkyl substances were extracted by the QuEChERS method, based on the dispersive-Solid Phase Extraction using styrene–divinylbenzene bulk sorbent, and quantitatively analysed by micro-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Recoveries ranged from 72 to 104% with an acceptable relative standard deviation below 10%. Limits of quantification were within the range 0.002–0.075 ng/g depending on the perfluoroalkyl compound. The most predominant compound in fat and oil food samples was perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) with a detection frequency of 100%, and the highest levels were found for perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA). The estimated exposure to PFOA, which was 46% and 19% of the existing TWI for the EU and Polish population, respectively, is relatively high and indicates a potential risk to human health.