Perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) are anthropogenic substances and can only come from polluted sources. There are many classes of PFAS which can be transformed to perfluoalkyl carboxylic acids and perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids in the environment. Once they are in this form, they are environmentally mobile and extremely stable with half-lives of decades. These compounds are not innocuous and are implicated in causing many different diseases. In this publication, a method for the extraction and quantitation of perflurocarboxylic acids and perfluorosulfonic acids, using high-resolution liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (HRMS), is evaluated. A QuEChERS extraction method was performed on tomatoes, strawberries and milk purchased from different supermarkets on different days. Recoveries from milk and tomatoes were between 80 and 120%. Matrix effects were significant for strawberries and tomatoes and stable isotope internal standards were required to compensate. PFBA was found in all 3 food types. The total PFAS was 0.68 ng g−1 in milk, 0.20 ng g−1 in strawberries and 0.36 ng g−1 in tomatoes. This study demonstrates the importance of using a robust analytical method to investigate the PFAS content of complex food matrices and in particular the contribution of short-chain PFAS to overall dietary consumption.

Perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) are anthropogenic substances and can only come from polluted sources. There are many classes of PFAS which can be transformed to perfluoalkyl carboxylic acids and perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids in the environment. Once they are in this form they are environmentally mobile and extremely stable with half lifes of decades. These compounds are not innocuous and are implicated in causing many different diseases.In this publication a method for the extraction and quantitation of perflurocarboxylic acids and perfluorosulfonic acids, using high resolution liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (HRMS), is evaluated. The linearity, recovery and matrix effect are described and the method tested on tomato, strawberry and milk purchased from different locations. The C8 PFAS – perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid which were added to the Stockholm Convention list for restricted use in 2008 were not determined. However, the C4 version – perfluorobutanoic acid was determined at different concentrations in all 3 matrices. The samples were sourced from different locations and had different packaging and therefore it is likely the contamination was from environmental sources such as bio-accumulation from groundwater or airborne particles.