Preliminary results from monitoring perfluoroalkyl substances contamination in the livers of broiler chickens raised in Italy

Abstract

This study aimed to demonstrate the efficacy of the analytical method proposed for the assessment of the amount of European Union (EU)-regulated perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in broiler chicken livers and to perform preliminary monitoring of hepatic contamination in chickens raised in Italy under different rearing systems. A total of 21 liver samples were analyzed, revealing wide-spread PFAS contamination, with perfluorooctanoic acid detected in all samples at 0.48-0.66 μg/kg. Perfluorononanoic acid and per-fluorohexane sulfonic acid were also found, while perfluorooc-tanesulfonic acid contamination was observed only in specific samples. The total PFAS amount varied across groups, even though none of the samples exceeded the EU regulatory limits. The PFAS content in livers from rural free-range chickens tended to be higher than that of their indoor counterparts (upper bound: 0.83 vs. 0.67 µg/kg; lower bound: 0.87 vs. 0.71 µg/kg, respectively; p=0.08 and p=0.06), suggesting that access to outdoor environments is a key factor involved in PFAS contamination. Further monitoring across more diverse samples is needed to confirm these preliminary findings and define mitigation strategies to reduce the risk of PFAS contamination.