Compound-Specific, Quantitative Characterization of Organic Fluorochemicals in Biological Matrices

Abstract

Since the early 1980s, there has been a steady increase in the use of nonvolatile fluorinated organic compounds for a variety of industrial and commercial applications. The industrial use of these relatively stable compounds has initiated debate over the fate of fluorochemicals in the environment and, ultimately, the bioavailability of these compounds. In this manuscript, we present quantitative results from a study of 65 human sera samples purchased from biological supply companies that provide characterization of specific organic fluorochemicals present in the sera of nonindustrially exposed humans. Summed together, the compound-specific characterization data reported here agree closely with levels of nonspeciated organic fluorine that were originally reported to be present in sera in 1970. The compound-specific method for the extraction of extremely low levels of several commercial organic fluorochemicals from sera and liver with quantitative detection by negative ion electrospray tandem mass spectrometry described represents a robust, previously undescribed approach to quantifying specific organic fluorochemicals in biological matrices.

Spatiotemporal distribution and mass loadings of perfluoroalkyl substances in the Yangtze River of China

“…The freeze-dried sediment samples were extracted using the method described elsewhere (Hansen et al, 2001). Briefly, two grams of homogenized sediment was weighed into a 50 mL PP tube, then 5 ng (50 μL, 100 μg/L) of an internal standard mixture was added to the tube, and the sample was mixed with 2 mL of Milli-Q water by vortexing for 2 min.…”

“…Incomplete removal of PFASs by waste water treatment plants (WWTPs) (Schultz et al, 2006;Sun et al, 2011), and transport by water flow and oceanic currents (Yamashita et al, 2008) and atmosphere (Stock et al, 2007) make them ubiquitously distributed in various environmental media including air (Li et al, 2011b), water (Hansen et al, 2002;Hong et al, 2013), sediment (Higgins et al, 2005;Benskin et al, 2011), biota (Giesy and Kannan, 2001;Tao et al, 2006), and human (Hansen et al, 2001). They have even been found in some remote areas, such as the Arctic (Benskin et al, 2012) and Tibetan Plateau (Shi et al, 2010).…”

Excretion of PFOA and PFOS in Male Rats During a Subchronic Exposure

“…The analytical procedure for PFOA and PFOS in urinary and fecal samples was similar to that described by Hansen et al (2001), with some modifications in the sample pretreatment. In brief, a small portion of the urinary sample or fecal homogenate (prepared with 9 vol of water) was diluted with ultrapure water in a suitable proportion.…”

Baseline study of perfluorochemicals in harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) from Northern Europe

“…Concentrations of perfluorinated compounds in liver tissue extracts were determined using high performance liquid chromatography combined with electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) as described by Hansen et al (2001) with modifications described by Hoff et al (2003). Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUA) and perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA) were measured in all liver samples.…”