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Bioaccumulation of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in a restricted terrestrial food chain was investigated with the omnivorous wood mouse ( Apodemus sylvaticus) on top of the studied food chain. The levels detected are very high compared with literature as a result of the presence of fluorochemical plant in the immediate vicinity of the study area. Soil, surface water, fruits of European elder and common blackberry, invertebrates, bank vole and wood mouse were collected at two sites, e.g. Blokkersdijk, adjacent to the fluorochemical plant, and Galgenweel, a reference site 2 km further away. In wood mouse, the highest PFOS concentrations were found in the liver followed by the pancreas, lungs and kidneys, with the spleen having the lowest levels. In the liver, the concentrations ranged from 787 to 22,355 ng/g ww at Blokkersdijk and these were significantly correlated with those detected in the kidneys (13.7-4,226 ng/g ww). If current results are compared to the findings of a previous study conducted in 2002 at the same sites, a significant decrease of PFOS in livers of wood mouse is observed. To the best of our knowledge, so far no studies reported levels of PFOS in terrestrial invertebrates under field conditions. At Blokkersdijk, PFOS was detected in all invertebrate species ranging from 28 to 9,000 ng/g. Soil and water were also contaminated with levels of respectively 68 ng/g and 22 ng/L. Biota-to-soil accumulation factors ranged from 0.11 to 68 for earthworms. Biomagnification factors (BMFs) of liver wood mouse/berries were as high as 302. BMFs for invertebrates were remarkably lower (up to 2). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of a European project, 12 perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) were determined in 14 food items collected in four European countries representing northern, southern, eastern and western Europe. This study presents the results of PFAAs measured in fruit, cereals, sweets and salt. Out of the 12 PFAAs, 10 PFAAs were detected in 67% of the samples. Overall, PFOA was the most abundant compound and the highest concentrations were found for PFOS but all were less than 1ngg(-1). When comparing the four countries, highest levels and detection frequencies were observed in Belgium (Western Europe), followed by the Czech Republic (Eastern Europe), Italy (Southern Europe) and finally Norway (Northern Europe). Comparison of profiles and levels is difficult due to variations in constitution of the food categories in the investigated countries and countries of origin of the food items. Dietary intake assessments for PFOS and PFOA show that the daily intake of PFAAs is far below the existing tolerable levels. However, they contribute to the total dietary intake and should therefore be included in future dietary exposure assessments., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The increasing time spent indoors combined with the abundant usage of diverse indoor chemicals led to concerns involving the impact of these compounds on human health. The current study focused on two groups of important indoor contaminants i.e. Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs). Concentrations of both compound classes have been measured in Flemish indoor dust samples from homes and offices. ΣPolybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) (BDE 47, 99, 100, 154, 153, 197, 196 and 203) and BDE 209 in homes ranged between 4-1214 ng g(-1)dw (median 35) and <5-5295 ng g(-1)dw (median 313), respectively. Hexabromocyclododecane (ΣHBCD) levels ranged from 5 to 4,2692 ng g(-1)dw (median 130), with α-HBCD being the major isomer (mean 59%). In addition, tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) ranged between <3 and 419 ng g(-1)dw (median 12). For all BFRs, median levels in office dust were up to an order of magnitude higher than in home dust. ΣPFCs (sum of perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS), perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA), perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA)) concentrations in homes ranged from 0.2 to 336 ng g(-1) (median 3.0 ng g(-1)). Levels in office dust were higher (p<0.01) than in house dust with ΣPFCs ranging between 2.2 and 647 ng g(-1) (median 10 ng g(-1)) and median (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate values of 2.9 and 2.2 ng g(-1), respectively. The congener pattern was dominated by PFOA, followed by PFOS. Calculated human exposure was below the reference dose values set by the US-EPA for BDE 209, HBCD and below the provisional tolerable daily intakes proposed by European Food Safety Authority for PFOS and PFOA., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The widespread distribution and degradation of PFCs in the environment results in a very complex exposure pattern, which makes it difficult to define the relative contribution to human exposure from different exposure pathways. The present review is designed to provide an overview of the existing data on levels of PFCs measured in the human diet and in drinking water. Data on levels of PFCs in the human diet are rather scarce, but the level in the fish appear to be well documented. Among PFCs, PFOS and PFOA are the best studied compounds in fish from both experimental and monitoring studies. Recently, the number of publications that address other PFCs has increased, but the total number available is still limited. In general, we discovered that care should be exercised when using the reviewed data, because, in the majority of publications, quality control and/or details on analysis are, at least partly, lacking. It has been well documented that PFOA and PFOS have the potential to accumulate in fish and concentrations up to 7 and 170 ng/g wwt, respectively in edible fish species have been found. PFOS is the most crucial and prominent compound identified, followed by the PFOA. Also, in aquatic invertebrate such as shrimps, mussels, clams, and oysters, high PFOS levels have been reported (up to 387 ng/g wwt). However in most publications PFC level reported in molluscs were less than 1 ng/g wwt. Positive correlations were found between PFC body burden and self reported fish consumption. In recognition of the potential for human exposure to PFCs via fish consumption, the Minnesota Department of Health has recently issued fish consumption advisories for contaminated sections of the Mississippi River. It is interesting to note that 79% of the reviewed publications on PFCs in the whole fish homogenates exceed the that threshold. Moreover, five of the PFC concentration reported in muscles tissue exceeded the advisory level of 38 ng/g wwt. Even though several authors concluded that consumption of contaminated food and drinking water constitutes the major exposure pathway for humans, only a few reports on PFCs in composite food exist. Food can be contaminated in an indirect way, because PFCs are widely used in food-packaging coatings and cooking materials. On the other hand, PFCs can also enter food organisms via environmental routes such as inhalation or adsorption from air. In a few studies, composite samples, duplicate diet samples, or other food items were analyzed for several PFCs, PFOS and PFOA, PFHpA, PFHxA, and PFHxS were meAsured and displayed concentrations ranging from-detected up to 15 ng/g wwt. In one study, a very high PFOA concentration of 118 ng/g were reported, but overall, PFC levels are below 10 ng/g wwt. It is important to note that, among all studies reviewed, PFCs were found in a maximum of 50% of the analyzed samples and generally only in 10% or less of samples analyzed. In contrast to what is observed in fish and other food items PFOA levels in drinking water (ND - 50 ng/L) and other PFCs (1-3 ng/L). In one study, extremely high values (519 ng/L) were measured in drinking water of a contaminated area in the Ruhr region. In Spain, bottled water was analyzed and four PFCs (PFOA, PFNA,PFDA and PFHpA) were found at low levels (<1 ng/L). Because of higher levels found in drinking water at several locations, some provisional drinking water guideline values for PFOS and PFOA have already been established, e.g., in the UK, Bavaria, and Minnesota. Since PFCs are present both in food and drinking water, Tolerable Daily Intake values for PFOS and PFOA have also been proposed by several institutes in Europe and in the USA. The ingestion of dust through hand-to-mouth transfer from indoor house dust can also be a potential source of PFC exposure, especially for toddlers and children. In publications on PFCs in indoor dust, the mean PFOS and PFOA levels varied between 39 and 1,200 ng/g and between 11 and 220 ng/g, respectively. Overall, it is clear that there is still lack of PFC exposure data for food and beverages, which renders the assessment of the contribution of the diet to total human PFC exposure uncertain. It is, therefore, appropriate that several scientific projects have recently been launched that addresses the assessment of human exposure to PFCs and related compounds from dietary sources.