Trace level analyses of selected perfluoroalkyl acids in food: Method development and data generation

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Food Safety Analysis
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) are persistent environmental contaminants.
• Regulatory bodies like EFSA have lowered tolerable intake levels for PFOS and PFOA.
• Accurate detection methods are crucial for monitoring PFAAs in food.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate analytical methods for detecting low levels of PFAAs in various food matrices.
• To address challenges in analyzing PFAAs in specific foods like eggs.
• To support the enforcement of potential future PFAA limit values.

Main Methods:

• Alkaline digestion, solid-phase extraction, and granular carbon adsorption were employed.
• Method was validated for cow milk, butter, chicken, beef, and fish.
• Interference from taurodeoxycholic acid (TDC) in egg samples was addressed.

Main Results:

• High recoveries (>70%) and low limits of quantification (LOQs) were achieved for PFHxS, PFOA, and L-PFOS.
• PFOS and PFOA were detected in all analyzed food samples.
• PFHxS was detected in 76% of samples, with method applicability demonstrated on 53 real-world samples.

Conclusions:

• The developed method effectively quantifies low pg g⁻¹ concentrations of PFAAs in foods of animal origin.
• The method is suitable for enforcing future regulatory limits for PFOS and PFOA.
• Further method development is needed for PFAA analysis in plant-based foods and for PFHxS in eggs.