Quantification of PFAS in Oyster Tissue Using a Rapid QuEChERS Extraction Followed by UPLC-MS/MS Analysis

Abstract

Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large group of man-made chemicals that repel oil, stains, grease, and water and are fire resistant. PFAS are known to be persistent in the environment and bioaccumulate in human and animal tissue, soil, and water. To mitigate human exposure to these chemicals, PFAS analysis by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was used to monitor their presence in the environment. This study focused on analyzing oysters harvested from coastal New England for 14 PFAS. The validated method addressed in this study utilized a quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) approach using various sorbents and showed that the combination of primary secondary amine/graphitized carbon black (PSA/GCB) provided the most effective sample clean-up prior to analysis. The recoveries for the targeted analysis ranged from 61% to 116.3% with relative standard deviations from 2.4% to 13.3% at the 125.0 ng mL−1 analyte level. The method detection limits were from 0.33 ng g−1 to 6.75 ng g−1. In a targeted analysis of five unknown samples, two samples had a detectable level of the legacy compound, perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS).