Infant exposure of perfluorinated compounds: Levels in breast milk and commercial baby food

• Published in: Environment international Vol. 36; no. 6; pp. 584 - 592
• Main Authors: Llorca, Marta, Farré, Marinella, Picó, Yolanda, Teijón, Marisa Lopez, Álvarez, Juan G., Barceló, Damià
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-08-2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: Baby food; Biological and medical sciences; Breast; Breast milk; Caprylates - analysis; Cereals; Chromatography, Liquid; Environmental Exposure - analysis; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Environmental Pollutants - analysis; Environmental Pollutants - metabolism; Female; Fluorocarbons - analysis; Fluorocarbons - metabolism; Food toxicology; Humans; Infant; Infant Food - analysis; Infant formulas; Infants; Intakes; LC-QLIT-MS; Mathematical analysis; Matrices; Medical sciences; Milk; Milk, Human - metabolism; Perfluorinated chemicals; Risk; Solid Phase Extraction; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Toxicology; Europe; Spain; Spain, Cataluna, Barcelona; Infant formulas; Perfluorinated chemicals; Baby food; LC-QLIT-MS; Breast milk; Human; Organic perhalocompound; Infant; Liquid chromatography; Exposure; Infant food; Fluorine Organic compounds; Infant formula; Mass spectrometry; Public health; Organic compounds; Chemical contamination
• ISSN: 0160-4120; 1873-6750
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2010.04.016

In this study, an analytical method to determine six perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) based on alkaline digestion and solid phase extraction (SPE) followed by liquid chromatography-quadrupole-linear ion trap mass spectrometry (LC-QqLIT-MS) was validated for the analysis of human breast milk, milk infant formulas and cereals baby food. The average recoveries of the different matrices were in general higher than 70% with a relative standard deviation (RSD) lower than 21% and method limits of detection (MLOD) ranging from 1.2 to 362
ng/L for the different compounds and matrices.
The method was applied to investigate the occurrence of PFCs in 20 samples of human breast milk, and 5 samples of infant formulas and cereal baby food (3 brands of commercial milk infant formulas and 2 brands of cereals baby food). Breast milk samples were collected in 2008 from donors living in Barcelona city (Spain) on the 40
days postpartum. Perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and perfluoro-7-methyloctanoic acid (i,p-PFNA) were predominant being present in the 95% of breast milk samples. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was quantified in 8 of the 20 breast milk samples at concentrations in the range of 21–907
ng/L. Commercial formulas and food were purchased also in 2009 from a retail store. The six PFCs were detected in all brands of milk infant formulas and cereals baby food analyzed, being perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), PFOS, PFOA and i,p-PFNA the compounds detected in higher concentrations (up to 1289
ng/kg). PFCs presence can be associated to possible migration from packaging and containers during production processes.
Finally, based on estimated body weight and newborn intake, PFOS and PFOA daily intakes and risk indexes (RI) were estimated for the firsts 6
month of life. We found that ingestion rates of PFOS and PFOA, with exception of one breast milk sample did not exceed the tolerable daily intake (TDI) recommended by the EFSA. However, more research is needed in order to assess possible risk associated to PFCs contamination during early stages of life.