Concentrations and human exposure assessment of per and polyfluoroalkyl substances in farmed marine shellfish in South Africa

Although the consumption of seafood is a major route of human exposure to perfluomalkyl substances (PFAS), data on their concentrations in marine shellfish and the exposure of the African population to PFAS through the consumption of shellfish is lacking. In this study, the concentrations of 15 PFAS were measured in four species of farmed marine shellfish by using a validated UHPLC-MS/MS method. These concentrations were used to determine the human daily intake of PFAS through the consumption of marine shellfish and the hazard quotient thereof. PFPeA, PFOS, PFHxA and PFTeDA were the most prevalent compounds with detection frequencies of 94, 88, 76 and 71%, respectively. The Sigma(11)PFAS concentrations (in ng g(-1) wet weight (ww)) ranged from 0.12 to 0.49, 4.83-6.43, 0.64-0.66 and 0.22 ng g(-1) ww in abalone, mussel, oyster and lobster, respectively. The prevalence of PFCAs reflects the current contamination profile of PFAS in farmed shellfish. The estimated daily intake for Sigma(10) PFAS through the consumption of marine shellfish ranged from 0.05 to 1.58 ng kg(-1) bw d(-1). Overall, the hazard quotients for these compounds were low, indicating that these compounds do not pose a health risk to the South African population through shellfish consumption. This study provides background data for future studies on the occurrence of PFAS and other emerging contaminants in the African coastal environment.

Automated summary

This study measured the concentrations of 15 PFAS in farmed marine shellfish and determined the human daily intake and hazard quotient of PFAS through shellfish consumption, finding that these compounds do not pose a health risk to the South African population. The prevalence of PFCAs in farmed shellfish reflects the current contamination profile of PFAS in the environment, providing background data for future studies on emerging contaminants in the African coastal environment.