Issue 13, 2021

Determination of perfluoroalkyl acids in different tissues of graminaceous plants

Abstract

A method for the determination of 12 perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAA) in vegetal samples was proposed. The analytical procedure was developed to optimize the detection of short-chain PFAA (C < 8) due to their higher potential to be translocated and bioaccumulated in plants than long-chain congeners. The method, based on ultrasonic extraction, clean-up and HPLC-MS/MS analysis, determined PFAA in different plant tissues allowing the PFAA distribution and partition in vegetal compartments to be studied. The performance of this analytical procedure was validated by analysing samples (root, stem and leaf) of reed grass. The validated method was then applied to graminaceous plants from an agricultural area impacted by a fluorochemical plant discharge (Northern Italy). The PFAA congeners were detected in most of the samples with ΣPFAA concentrations in the whole plant ranging from <LOD to 10.4 ng g−1 ww and with a greater rate of PFAA accumulation in corn cob than corn kernel. The proposed approach is particularly relevant in edible plant investigation because PFAA levels recorded in comestible fractions provide information for human risk assessment due to vegetable consumption. Furthermore data on the remaining not edible parts, intended for forage, are also useful for the assessment of the PFAA transfer in the trophic chain of breeding animals.

Graphical abstract: Determination of perfluoroalkyl acids in different tissues of graminaceous plants

Article information

Article type
Technical Note
Submitted
06 Dez 2020
Accepted
26 Feb 2021
First published
26 Feb 2021

Anal. Methods, 2021,13, 1643-1650

Determination of perfluoroalkyl acids in different tissues of graminaceous plants

C. Ferrario, S. Valsecchi, R. Lava, M. Bonato and S. Polesello, Anal. Methods, 2021, 13, 1643 DOI: 10.1039/D0AY02226H

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements