| dc.description.abstract | Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs)—a class of extremely persistent man-made chemicals with unique hydrophobic and lipophobic properties and thus applied in consumer products. Several PFASs have been associated with harmful effect to human health: immunotoxicity, development toxicity, sex hormone homeostasis disturbance, hypercholesterolemia, and bioaccumulation in protein-rich tissues, with oral uptake as primary exposure route. This study analysed 15 PFASs compounds including perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCA), sulfonic acid (PFSA), sulfonamides (FASAs) and a non-fluorinated chemical presented in Norwegian products which mainly associated with a circular economy model. PFASs occurrence in 47 samples encompassed fast food and retail food packaging, textiles, waste electronic and electrical equipment (WEEE) and end-of-life vehicle (ELV) residual fluff, and examined using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS) together with internal standard methods. The method provided rapid screening and extraction of targeted PFASs in the samples. All analysed samples were detected with PFASs; specifically, PFOS, but mostly in low or negligible content. PFOA and PFBS were found in 86% and 84% of samples, respectively. At least 50% of samples were detected with short-chain homologues such as PFBS and PFHxS, which may reflect a shift of using short-chain alternatives among industries. PFOS derivatives such as PFOSA and EtFOSA were detected in relatively low level. Consumer products such as textiles including a leather sample shown low PFASs content. Contrarily, high concentration levels of PFASs were found in WEEE and ELV residual fluff samples, with PFBS up to 966.2 ng/g, PFHxA up to 100.3 ng/g, and PFOA up to 24.3 ng/g close to the REACH regulatory threshold limit of 25 ppb. Six out of ten fast food packaging samples made from recycled materials were detected with relatively high levels of PFBS, exceeding the median level of 1.42 ng/g. The highest concentration of PFOS and PFDoDA, 29.5 and 13.0 ng/g, respectively, were found in a cookies paper holder. This study highlights the needs to further monitor PFASs compounds especially products produced or will be used in the circular economy to safeguard public health. | |