Analysis of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in plastic food storage bags by different analytical approaches

In this study, consumer and lab grade plastic food storage bags were subjected to a variety of analytical techniques to investigate the presence and levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Samples were extracted and analyzed by both targeted and non-targeted analyses using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry and Orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry. Of the 18 bags tested, 57 % had detectable levels of PFAS ranging from 0.5 – 26.6 ng/g. Perflurorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS) was detected at the highest concentration while 6:2 fluorotelomer phosphate diester (6:2 diPAP) was the most frequently detected. No other PFAS were found in the targeted method. Non-targeted analysis resulted in six potential new PFAS candidates not found within the targeted method, however the lack of available analytical standards did not allow for confirmation. Eight samples with detectable PFAS were chosen for both migration and total oxidizable precursor (TOP) assay experiments to understand the potential impact to dietary exposure. No 6:2 diPAP was found to migrate however migration of PFBS was found to be rapid (2 h) and with relatively high migration efficiencies (22 – 75 %). To estimate potential exposure to PFBS migrating from food storage bags, tolerable weekly intake (TWI) values were calculated at 2.12 ng/kg body weight/week, and were below the regulatory TWI value of 4.4 ng/kg established by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).