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Determination of perfluorinated alkyl acid concentrations in biological standard reference materials

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Abstract

Standard reference materials (SRMs) are homogeneous, well-characterized materials used to validate measurements and improve the quality of analytical data. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has a wide range of SRMs that have mass fraction values assigned for legacy pollutants. These SRMs can also serve as test materials for method development, method validation, and measurement for contaminants of emerging concern. Because inter-laboratory comparison studies have revealed substantial variability of measurements of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs), future analytical measurements will benefit from determination of consensus values for PFAAs in SRMs to provide a means to demonstrate method-specific performance. To that end, NIST, in collaboration with other groups, has been measuring concentrations of PFAAs in a variety of SRMs. Here we report levels of PFAAs and perfluorooctane sulfonamide (PFOSA) determined in four biological SRMs: fish tissue (SRM 1946 Lake Superior Fish Tissue, SRM 1947 Lake Michigan Fish Tissue), bovine liver (SRM 1577c), and mussel tissue (SRM 2974a). We also report concentrations for three in-house quality-control materials: beluga whale liver, pygmy sperm whale liver, and white-sided dolphin liver. Measurements in SRMs show an array of PFAAs, with perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) being the most frequently detected. Reference and information values are reported for PFAAs measured in these biological SRMs.

NIST SRMs 1946 Lake Superior Fish Tissue and 1947 Lake Michigan Fish Tissue

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Acknowledgement

We would like to thank S. Leigh of the NIST Statistical Engineering Division for statistical analysis of the results as part of the value-assignment process for the SRMs. We would also like to thank Mary Williamson, from the Water Science and Technology Directorate, Burlington, for her help in the analyses of SRMs 1946 and 1947.

Disclaimer

Specific commercial equipment, instruments, or materials are identified in this paper to specify adequately the experimental procedure. Such identification does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, nor does it imply that the materials or equipment identified are necessarily the best available for the purpose.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Analytical Chemistry Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 8392, Gaithersburg, MD, 20899-8392, USA

    Jessica L. Reiner & Michele M. Schantz

  2. Analytical Chemistry Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Charleston, SC, 29412, USA

    Jessica L. Reiner, Steven G. O’Connell & Jennifer M. Keller

  3. University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1 J4, Canada

    Craig M. Butt & Scott A. Mabury

  4. Water Science and Technology Directorate, Environment Canada, Burlington, ON, M3H 5T4, Canada

    Jeff M. Small, Amila O. De Silva & Derek C. G. Muir

  5. US Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, Durham, NC, 27709, USA

    Amy D. Delinsky, Mark J. Strynar & Andrew B. Lindstrom

  6. Environmental Laboratory, 3M Company, St. Paul, MN, 55144, USA

    William K. Reagen & Michelle Malinsky

  7. Bundesamt fuer Seeschiffahrt und Hydrographie, Wuestland 2, 22589, Hamburg, Germany

    Sandra Schäfer

  8. Wageningen IMARES, Haringkade, 1976 CP, Ijmuiden, The Netherlands

    Christiaan J. A. F. Kwadijk

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  1. Jessica L. Reiner
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Correspondence to Jessica L. Reiner.

Additional information

Published in the topical collection Emerging Contaminants in Biota with guest editors Yolanda Picó and Damià Barceló.

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Reiner, J.L., O’Connell, S.G., Butt, C.M. et al. Determination of perfluorinated alkyl acid concentrations in biological standard reference materials. Anal Bioanal Chem 404, 2683–2692 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-012-5943-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-012-5943-5

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