Per- and poly fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are known as ‘forever chemicals’ because of their highly stable fluorinated carbon chains. These substances have been used in many applications such as fire-fighting foams, food contact materials, household products, cosmetics, and textiles due to their ability to withstand high temperatures and resist water, grease, and stains. However, it was found that PFAS have bioaccumulative, carcinogenic, and toxic properties negatively impacting human and environmental health systems. Human exposure can occur through many pathways including water, food and air resulting in PFAS in the blood. Although there are known health effects, examples include high cholesterol, pregnancy induced hypertension and cancers, the biological consequences of living with PFAS need to be further evaluated.
Here, we have established a method to detect PFAS from a rat model. Oral doses of PFAS, ranging from 5µg to 500 µg, were introduced into female Sprague Dawley rats through 20-16G metal gavage needles. The animals were housed in metabolic cages and samples of various matrices were collected at different timepoints over 120 hr. Proteins were removed from the samples containing PFAS using an organic extraction followed by purification of the supernatant using solid phase extraction (SPE). Samples were analysed using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) by dynamic multiple reaction monitoring (dMRM) using an Agilent 6495B Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer. We found that the various PFAS compounds had different accumulation, distribution, and elimination trends in rat models. These findings aid our understanding of PFAS toxicokinetic properties within biological systems.