title: Novel fluorinated surfactants tentatively identified in firefighters using liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry and a case-control approach.
abstract: Fluorinated surfactant-based aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs) are made up of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) and are used to extinguish fires involving highly flammable liquids. The use of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and other perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in some AFFF formulations has been linked to substantial environmental contamination. Recent studies have identified a large number of novel and infrequently reported fluorinated surfactants in different AFFF formulations. In this study, a strategy based on a case-control approach using quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (QTOF-MS/MS) and advanced statistical methods has been used to extract and identify known and unknown PFAS in human serum associated with AFFF-exposed firefighters. Two target sulfonic acids [PFOS and perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS)], three non-target acids [perfluoropentanesulfonic acid (PFPeS), perfluoroheptanesulfonic acid (PFHpS), and perfluorononanesulfonic acid (PFNS)], and four unknown sulfonic acids (Cl-PFOS, ketone-PFOS, ether-PFHxS, and Cl-PFHxS) were exclusively or significantly more frequently detected at higher levels in firefighters compared to controls. The application of this strategy has allowed for identification of previously unreported fluorinated chemicals in a timely and cost-efficient way.
authors.affiliation: National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology (Entox), The University of Queensland , Coopers Plains, Queensland 4108, Australia.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rotander
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kärrman
authors.forename: Leisa-Maree L
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Toms
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kay
authors.forename: Jochen F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Mueller
authors.forename: María José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Gómez Ramos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid / Q000379:methods; D061388:Firefighters; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D013451:Sulfonic Acids / Q000097:blood; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000032:analysis*; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids; D005466:Fluorocarbons; D013451:Sulfonic Acids; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; C471071:perfluorohexanesulfonic acid; C076994:perfluorooctane sulfonic acid