Retraction. Method development and measurement of perfluorinated compounds in U.S. chicken eggs

Alternative eluent composition for LC-MS analysis of perfluoroalkyl acids in raw fish samples

A wide range of anthropogenic pollutants that possess serious environmental and health risks are known. One type of these harmful substances that have become a focus of interest during the past decade are perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs), which are extensively used in industry for different purposes. Due to the harmful effects that these compounds might cause in living organisms, EFSA and EU CONTAM panel have issued a monitoring program for PFAAs in foodstuffs. This has given rise to intense research dedicated to the analysis of PFAAs over the past few years. This work focuses on chromatographic analysis of three PFAAs in fish. The analytes, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), are commonly associated with the production of fluoropolymers. Fluorinated alcohols are used as eluent components, and their possible advantages as eluent modifiers in LC-MS analysis of PFAAs, alternative retention mechanism and enhanced ionization efficiency, are examined. The analyzed fish samples originating from Estonian fresh and marine waters had low contents of PFAAs.

Dietary predictors of perfluorinated chemicals: a study from the Danish National Birth Cohort

This study investigated the association between dietary variables and plasma levels of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) among 1076 pregnant women. Diet was assessed at midpregnancy by a food-frequency questionnaire. Mean first trimester plasma PFOS and PFOA levels were 35.1 and 5.6 ng/mL respectively. PFOS levels were positively associated (p < 0.05) with intake of red meat, animal fats, and snacks (e.g., popcorn, potato chips), whereas intake of vegetables and poultry was inversely associated. The adjusted mean differences between the 75th and 25th intake percentiles were 4.3 ng/mL [95% CI: 2.1, 6.5] for red meat 3.4 ng/mL [95% CI: 1.2, 5.6] for animal fats, and 2.0 ng/mL [95% CI: 0.3, 3.6] for snacks. Similar but weaker associations were observed for PFOA. Furthermore, a comparison between women reporting low (< or =25th percentile) red meat and high (> or =75th percentile) vegetable intake and women reporting low vegetable and high red meat intake resulted in differences in plasma PFOS and PFOA concentrations equal to 31% and 18% of mean levels, respectively. Studies quantifying levels of perfluorinated compounds in food have suggested that diet could be an important route of human exposure. The observed associations in our study between dietary variables and maternal exposure further support that conclusion.