Development of styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer beads using QuEChERS for simultaneous detection and quantification of 13 perfluorinated compounds in aquatic samples

Abstract

In this work, a reliable and affordable QuEChERS sampling method is developed for simultaneous detection and quantification of 13 perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) in aquatic products. Liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used for rapid analysis and the analytes were extracted using styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer (PS-DVB). The performances of the sorbents were evaluated based upon parameters, such as recovery and matrix effect. Under optimized conditions, the limits of detection of 13 PFCs were found to be lying within the range of 0.001–0.070 μg kg−1. The application of aquatic sampling demonstrated that ultra-trace levels of PFCs were successfully detected and quantified within the range of 0.028–31.0 μg kg−1 in tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), salmon (Oncorhynchus mykiss), mussels (Perna viridis) and clam (Ruditapes philippinarum). Compared with the solid phase extraction method, the application of PS-DVB beads as an adsorbent proved to be quicker and successful in the determination of PFCs in aquatic samples.