Occurrence, Distribution, and Risk Assessment of Perfluoroalkyl Acids (PFAAs) in Muscle and Liver of Cattle in Xinjiang, China.

Gehui Wang,Zhenni Xing,Jianjiang Lu,Yanbin Tong,Shanman Li,Zilong Liu

doi:10.3390/ijerph14090970

Gehui Wang, Zhenni Xing + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14090970

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Abstract

Despite risks associated with perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in many regions, little is known about their prevalence in Xinjiang. We determined the presence of 13 PFAAs in 293 beef muscle and liver samples collected in 22 cities covering northern, southern, and eastern Xinjiang using liquid chromatography, coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. Overall, the average values for PFAAs were relatively low compared with previous studies. Liver presented higher mean levels of total PFAAs at 1.632 ng/g, which was over 60-fold higher than in muscle (0.026 ng/g). Among the PFAAs analyzed, medium-chain compounds were dominant, accounting for more than 70% of the total. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) was highly prevalent in the liver with the highest mean concentration (0.617 ng/g) and detection frequency (80%). When comparing the three regions of Xinjiang, we found differences in PFAA profiles, with the northern region showing the highest levels. Furthermore, the average daily intake and hazard ratios of PFOS and perfluorooctanoic acid varied by region, urban/rural environment, gender, ethnicity, and age. The highest risk value of 13 PFAAs was estimated to be 0.837 × 10−3, which is far below 1, indicating that there is no health risk posed by eating beef muscle and liver in Xinjiang.

Highlights

Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) are an anthropogenic, emerging class of persistent organic pollutants (POPs)
perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was detected in 24% of the muscle samples and in 75% of liver samples; as for perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), it was detected in 30% and 82% of muscle and liver samples, respectively
PFAA contamination was widespread in cattle samples, especially in liver, the pollution levels were lower than in most other studies

Summary

Introduction

Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) are an anthropogenic, emerging class of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). These compounds are composed of a fully fluorinated carbon chain with an acidic terminal group, such as a carboxylic, phosphonic, or sulfonic acid moiety, with the strong chemical bonds of C-F conferring their unique amphiphilicity, persistence, and bioaccumulation properties [1,2,3]. The 3M Company declared a phase-out of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) (the two most frequently used PFAAs) and their long-chain homologs in 2000 due to their widespread contamination and potential risks to the environment and to humans, and phased-in a series of shorter-chain alternatives with relatively low toxicity [2,3].

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