Publications by authors named "Anna K Boatman"

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of thousands of man-made chemicals that are persistent and highly stable in the environment. Fish consumption has been identified as a key route of PFAS exposure for humans. However, routine fish monitoring targets only a handful of PFAS, and non-targeted analyses have largely only evaluated fish from heavily PFAS-impacted waters.

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Detection and monitoring of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in aquatic environments has become an increasingly higher priority of regulatory agencies as public concern for human intake of these chemicals continues to grow. While many methods utilize active sampling strategies ("grab samples") for precise PFAS quantitation, here we evaluate the efficacy of low-cost passive sampling devices (Solid Phase Adsorption Toxin Tracking, or SPATTs) for spatial and temporal PFAS assessment of aquatic systems. For this study, passive samplers were initially deployed in North Carolina along the Cape Fear River during the summer and fall of 2016 and 2017.

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Article Synopsis
  • PFAS are persistent man-made chemicals found in fish, mainly from recreational and drinking water sources, which pose potential health risks to humans.
  • A study in central North Carolina detected 36 different PFAS in fish fillets using advanced analytical methods, revealing 19 PFAS that traditional methods would miss.
  • Median levels of a specific PFAS, PFOS, were significantly high in the samples, indicating a need for broader monitoring and inclusion of non-targeted analyses in fish safety studies, especially in areas not previously deemed contaminated.
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Article Synopsis
  • PFAS are long-lasting, toxic chemicals that require careful analysis methods due to their unique properties.
  • Research tested two sample preparation methods to see if PFAS levels decreased during vacuum evaporation and reconstitution.
  • Results indicated that recovery rates varied significantly among different PFAS classes and chain lengths, emphasizing the need for tailored extraction protocols to optimize results.
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