Determination of perfluorooctane sulfonate and perfluorooctanoic acid in food packaging using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry

• Published in: Journal of hazardous materials 2012-02, Vol.205-206, p.139-143
• Main Authors: Poothong, Somrutai, Boontanon, Suwanna Kitpati, Boontanon, Narin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alkanesulfonic Acids - analysis; Caprylates - analysis; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Fluorocarbons - analysis; Food Contamination; Food Packaging; LC–MS/MS; PFOA; PFOS; Saliva - chemistry; Saliva simulant; Tandem Mass Spectrometry
• ISSN: 0304-3894; 1873-3336
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2011.12.050

► PLE and LC–MS/MS was employed to determine PFOS and PFOA in food packaging. ► Highest concentration of PFOS was found in fast-food container samples (92.48ngdm−2). ► Highest concentration of PFOA was found in ice cream cup samples (16.91ngdm−2). ► Saliva simulant could leach PFOS and PFOA from the thickest paper samples group (≤1dm2g−1) at 7.01 and 6.41ngdm−2. ► Greater thickness and less area might release larger quantities of coated/added PFOS or PFOA. This research aimed to monitor the amounts of PFOS and PFOA in food packaging and study the migration of PFOS and PFOA from food packaging, using a saliva simulant and pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) technique. Liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) was employed to determine residues of PFOS and PFOA by using a gradient reversed-phase method with ammonium acetate/acetonitrile buffer. A good linearity was established for PFOS and PFOA in a range of 0.05–10μgL−1, with R2≥0.9998. Of the samples extracted by methanol, the highest concentration of PFOS was found in fast-food container samples, at a level of 92.48ngdm−2. For PFOA, the highest concentration in samples extracted by methanol was found in ice cream cup samples, at a level of 16.91ngdm−2. The amounts of PFOS and PFOA that migrated from food packaging samples through contact with saliva simulant were 4.80 and 4.55ngdm−2, respectively. Saliva simulant could leach PFOS and PFOA from the group of the thickest paper samples (≤1dm2g−1) at levels of 7.01 and 6.41ngdm−2, respectively, indicating that paper with greater thickness and less area might release larger quantities of coated/added PFOS or PFOA.