To investigate the contamination levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in livestock meat, eggs, and dairy products in Chongqing, and to assess the exposure risk of population to PFAS through the consumption of these foods.
45 livestock meat, 45 eggs and 30 dairy products samples were randomly collected to determine 23 types of PFAS in Chongqing. Based on estimated food consumption data for Chongqing population in 2022, the dietary PFAS exposure risk was evaluated.
The detection rates of PFAS in the three categories of animal-derived foods in Chongqing were as follows: eggs > livestock meat > dairy products. Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) was identified as the predominant PFAS, with detection rates of 95.6% in eggs, 37.8% in livestock meat, and 10.0% in dairy products. Both livestock meat and eggs were found to contain perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), with PFOA detection rates (33.3% in eggs, 31.1% in livestock meat) higher than those of PFOS (2.2% in eggs, 4.4% in livestock meat). The total average exposure to PFAS through the consumption of these three animal-derived food categories for the population over 3 years old in Chongqing was 6.75-32.81 ng/(kg·week). The average exposure levels of PFOA, PFOS, and Σ4 PFASs (PFOA, PFOS, perfluorohexane sulfonic acid, and perfluorononanoic acid) did not exceed the tolerable weekly intake (TWI) recommended by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). However, at high contamination levels of PFAS, the exposure levels of Σ4 PFASs for children aged 3-5 and 6-11 ranged from 5.84 to 7.09 ng/(kg·week), which exceeded the TWI Σ4 PFASs by 32.7%-61.1%.
PFAS were detected in all three categories of animal-derived foods in Chongqing, with eggs contributing the most. The average PFAS exposure from these foods for individuals over 3 years old do not pose a health risk, but high PFAS contamination presents a certain health risk to young children in Chongqing.
| 科 Family | 属数 Number of genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) | 属 Genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鹅膏菌科Amanitaceae | 2 | 11 | 5.26 | 鹅膏菌属 Amanita | 10 | 4.78 |
| 小菇科 Mycenaceae | 2 | 12 | 5.74 | 丝盖伞属 Inocybe | 5 | 2.39 |
| 多孔菌科 Polyporaceae | 8 | 14 | 6.70 | 蜡蘑属 Laccaria | 5 | 2.39 |
| 红菇科 Russulaceae | 3 | 23 | 11.00 | 小皮伞属 Marasmius | 6 | 2.87 |
| 小菇属 Mycena | 11 | 5.26 | ||||
| 光柄菇属 Pluteus | 5 | 2.39 | ||||
| 红菇属 Russula | 17 | 8.13 | ||||
| 栓菌属 Trametes | 5 | 2.39 |