Simultaneous and High-Throughput Analytical Strategy of 30 Fluorinated Emerging Pollutants Using UHPLC-MS/MS in the Shrimp Aquaculture System

This study established novel and high-throughput strategies for the simultaneous analysis of 30 fluorinated emerging pollutants in different matrices from the shrimp aquaculture system in eastern China using UHPLC-MS/MS. The parameters of SPE for analysis of water samples and of QuEChERS methods for sediment and shrimp samples were optimized to allow the simultaneous detection and quantitation of 17 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and 13 fluoroquinolones (FQs). Under the optimal conditions, the limits of detection of 30 pollutants for water, sediment, and shrimp samples were 0.01-0.30 ng/L, 0.01-0.22 μg/kg, and 0.01-0.23 μg/kg, respectively, while the limits of quantification were 0.04-1.00 ng/L, 0.03-0.73 μg/kg, and 0.03-0.76 μg/kg, with satisfactory recoveries and intra-day precision. The developed methods were successfully applied to the analysis of multiple samples collected from aquaculture ponds in eastern China. PFASs were detected in all samples with concentration ranges of 0.18-0.77 μg/L in water, 0.13-1.41 μg/kg (dry weight) in sediment, and 0.09-0.96 μg/kg (wet weight) in shrimp, respectively. Only two FQs, ciprofloxacin and enrofloxacin, were found in the sediment and shrimp. In general, this study provides valuable insights into the prevalence of fluorinated emerging contaminants, assisting in the monitoring and control of emerging contaminants in aquatic foods.