PFAS in animal by-products in Lanzhou, China, and health risk assessment

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are an emerging class of organic compounds that are widely used in industrial production and therefore can be found in the environment. Dietary intake is the main route of human exposure to PFAS, especially in animal-derived foods. In this study, 25 PFAS compounds were determined in 234 animal by-products sold in Lanzhou City, China, by LC-MS/MS. In total 22 PFAS compounds were detected, among which PFBA and PFOS were detected most frequently, with average levels of 2.1 μg/kg and 1.8 μg/kg, respectively. The average level of total PFAS was 0.65 μg/kg, among which the contamination of liver was relatively high. Health risk assessment indicated that local animal by-products did not pose a significant risk to the health of the population, but attention needs to be paid to the health risks for children.