Honors College Theses

Publication Date

2024

Major

Biochemistry (B.S.)

Document Type and Release Option

Thesis (open access)

Faculty Mentor

Dr. Worlanyo Gato

Abstract

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of complex synthetic chemicals with applications ranging from automotive and electronic parts to consumer products. PFAS bioaccumulate in the ecosystem due to their carbon-fluorine bonds, which are among the strongest in organic chemistry. The persistence of PFAS has led to their accumulation in sources of groundwater, making them ubiquitous drinking water contaminants with evidence linking PFAS exposure to adverse health effects, including reduced kidney function, thyroid disruption, and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

This thesis evaluated the retention of PFBS in the adipose tissues of Sprague-Dawley rats on an eleven-week diet containing a PFBS concentration of 100 parts per million (ppm). The protocol involved homogenizing adipose tissues and developing solvent-phase extraction methods using methanol and phosphate-buffered saline to extract PFBS. After the extraction procedure, detection and quantification using Liquid Chromatography with Tandem Mass Spectroscopy. Results from the mass spectrometry showed that both solvent extraction methods produced ions with a mass to charge transition of 298.95>80.10 m/z, indicating the presence of PFBS fragments. The peak data and standard curve generated from the PFAS internal standard dilutions showed that the recovered sample from the methanol extraction method had a concentration of 2.736 ppm, indicating its effectiveness in isolating PFBS from adipose tissues. Comparison with the PBS extraction method (2.58 ppm) showed that methanol will have a higher extraction efficiency under the same experimental conditions.

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