PFAS in Wild Fish Tissue: Development of a Simple and Robust Extraction Procedure Using Pass-Through Matrix RemovalPer- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in the Environment
Oral Presentation
Prepared by M. Giardina1, E. Pulster2, L. Zhao1, E. Parry1
1 - Agilent Technologies, 2850 Centerville Rd, Wilmington, DE, 19808-1610, United States
2 - University of South Florida, College of Marine Science, , St. Petersburg, FL, United States
Contact Information: [email protected]; 13026368211
ABSTRACT
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of over 5,000 synthetic organofluorine chemicals, first developed in the 1940s. Their unique chemical characteristics have led to their extensive use as surfactants and coatings in a wide range of commercial applications. The chemical structure of PFAS molecules includes a chain of strong carbon-fluorine bonds, making them resistant to environmental degradation. As a result, these chemicals tend to be pervasive, persistent, and environmentally stable. Contaminated water and food, including seafood, are considered the main exposure routes for humans to PFAS.
Analyzing fish tissue extracts can be challenging due to the presence of matrix interferences such as fats and lipids. This presentation will discuss the development and evaluation of a multicomponent method for the analysis of 25 PFAS in fish muscle tissue. The method incorporates a solvent extraction followed by a pass-through lipid removal step, and quantitative analysis by LC/MS/MS.
This sample preparation and analysis procedure was used to measure PFAS in wild-caught fish, supporting a pilot environmental study in Tampa Bay, Florida. The average surrogate recovery for 140 extractions across 25 fish species was 105%, with an average relative standard deviation (RSD) of 14%.
