Pollution Status and Dietary Exposure Assessments of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Animal Food from a Typical Area in Hubei Province

Abstract

To know the contamination level and composition characteristics of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in animal food (aquatic food, egg food, meat food) produced in a typical area of Hubei Province, and to evaluate the exposure risk of local standard man consuming PFASs from animal food, taking the animal food (aquatic food, egg food, meat food, dairy product) consumed by residents in a typical area of Hubei Province as the research object, the pretreatment method (alkali digestion and solid phase extraction with small column purification) combined with high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) was established. The concentrations of 14 kinds of PFASs in animal food were determined. The exposure risk of local adult men to PFASs from food of animal origin was assessed by referring to the consumption of various kinds of food, standard human body weight and the dose value of European Food Safety Authority in the fifth China total dietary survey. The results showed that the recoveries of 14 kinds of PFASs were in the range of 81%~120%. And the relative standard deviations (RSD) were in the range of 2.71%~12.28%. The correlation coefficient (R2) was greater than 0.994 in the concentration range of 0.1~20 ng/g. The limit of detection was 0.003 ng/g, and the limit of quantification was 0.01 ng/g. PFASs contamination was widespread in animal food in Hubei Province. The detection rate of 5 kinds of PFASs in aquatic food reached 100%, and the total PFASs concentration in aquatic food ranged from 0.381 to 75.114 ng/g, with an average of 8.655 ng/kg. The detection rate of 6 kinds of PFASs in egg foods reached 100%, and the total PFASs content in egg foods ranged from 1.090 to 7.581 ng/g, with an average of 4.163 ng/g. The detection rate of 1 kinds of PFASs in meat samples reached 100%. The total PFASs content in local meat products ranged from 0.306 to 2.512 ng/g, with an average of 0.742 ng/g. In addition, the concentration level and residual characteristics of PFASs in different kinds of animal foods were different. This was the median concentration of ∑PFASS in aquatic products: silver carp (11.680 ng/g)>Channa argus (2.156 ng/g)>crucian carp (1.766 ng/g)>bream (1.216 ng/g)>grass carp (0.754 ng/g). This was the median concentration of ∑PFASs in eggs: chicken eggs (6.049 ng/g)> duck eggs (2.514 ng/g). This was the median concentration of ∑PFASs in meat: beef (0.765 ng/g)>duck meat(0.665 ng/g)>chicken (0.547 ng/g) >pork (0.535 ng/g). From the perspective of dairy products, the median of ∑PFASs in yogurt was 0.138 ng/g. It was estimated that the harm index of PFOS in aquatic food and egg food was greater than 1 for a local standard person. These were potentially harmful to the local population.