Publication
Title
A rapid method for the detection and quantification of legacy and emerging per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in bird feathers using UPLC-MS/MS
Author
Abstract
The bioaccumulation and toxicity of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have raised scientific and public concern in recent decades, leading to regulatory measures for some PFAS (e.g. perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)). In addition, the discovery of new PFAS alternatives in the environment has led to growing concern about the presence of numerous other PFAS that are used unrestricted. Feathers have been successfully applied as non-destructive indicators for various contaminants, mostly metals and persistent organic pollutants (POPs), whereas their suitability as an indicator for PFAS is still discussed. Previous studies on PFAS in feathers have focused primarily on perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids (PFSAs) and perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs); analytical methods for other groups of PFAS or PFAS alternatives in feathers are still lacking. Hence, this study aimed to develop a rapid, sensitive and reliable analytical method for determining a broad range of PFAS (N = 32) in feathers, using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). An extraction duration of 24 h was found to be sufficient to extract the majority of PFAS from the feathers. The extraction recovery of the internal standards ranged on average from 68 % (PFBA) to 97 % (PFOS). The spike recovery was within an acceptable range of at least 70% for most of the target analytes and the precision was often > 80%. A further extract clean-up using weak anion exchange (WAX) solid phase extraction (SPE), was proven unnecessary, as it resulted in a similar or lower spike recovery, and, as a consequence, a lower precision and higher quantification limit. The analytical method allows detection of low PFAS concentrations in a low quantity of matrix (i.e. small feathers). The developed LC-MS/MS method was validated and shown to be a fast, sensitive and reliable method for determining a broad range of legacy and emerging PFAS in feathers.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Journal of chromatography : B: analytical technologies in the biomedical and life sciences. - Amsterdam, 2002, currens
Publication
Amsterdam : Elsevier , 2021
ISSN
1570-0232 [print]
1873-376X [online]
DOI
10.1016/J.JCHROMB.2021.122653
Volume/pages
1172 (2021) , 8 p.
Article Reference
122653
ISI
000646447000001
Pubmed ID
33839488
Medium
E-only publicatie
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Project info
Toxicity of Perfluoralkyl Substances (PFAAs) to terrestrial invertebrates and songbirds. Effects at different levels of biological organization including behaviour and reproduction.
Influence of soil properties on the sorption of per- and polyfluoroalkylated substances to soil and the bioavailability and bioaccumulation to terrestrial biota.
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 06.04.2021
Last edited 25.11.2024
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