Preliminary investigation by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry of perfluorinated compounds presence in bass reared and fished in Italy

The term perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) defines synthetic fully-fluorinated compounds; since the 50s they have been largely employed in a wide range of industrial and consumer applications, due to their chemical and physical properties. Only recently, research on their potential adverse effects on both the environment and human health has been conducted, highlighting carcinogenic activity, toxic effects on reproduction, liver and kidney. Human exposure to PFCs is mainly through diet, and in particular fishery products are one of the most contaminated food. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are the two most important and investigated compounds of this group. The aim of this work was to carry out a preliminary monitoring on the presence of these two molecules in 50 bass muscle samples, of which 30 reared and 20 fished, collected from different Italian areas of the Mediterranean Sea. The method used was based on extraction with organic solvent followed by two purification steps: one with salts and one with dispersive solid phase. The extract was finally analysed by means of an ultra performance liquid chromatographytandem mass spectrometric system. Data showed a relevant contamination of this species and evidenced a significant difference of concentrations between fished (PFOS 112.4- >2000 ng/L and PFOA 3.3-487.0 ng/L) and reared basses (PFOS 11.1-104.5 ng/L and PFOA <3-51.4 ng/L). Even if these levels of contamination are sensibly lower than those observed in several studies, fished basses could represent a more relevant source of PFCs exposure in human diet.