Perfluorooctane sulfonate and Bisphenol A evaluation in daily consumption products using molecularly imprinting polymers and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry

Emerging pollutants are of great concern due to the associated risks to human and environmental health. Bisphenol A (BPA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) are some of the most commonly found endocrine disruptors due to their wide use in human activities; therefore, their monitoring is crucial. Data about these pollutants in water matrices is available; however, other exposure routes have not been considered. In this study,an indirect evaluation of the transport of these pollutants by daily consumption products was performed using molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs). This research explores PFOS transport to water for the first time through cuisine instruments; also, BPA transport in bottled water after shelf time was confirmed. Six MIPs (4 of PFOS and 2 of BPA) and four NIPs were synthesized, and analytical method validation was performed, achieving linearity for each template (0.99) in the working range (BPA: 12.5 μg L-1 to 1000 μg L-1; PFOS: 2.5 μg L-1 to 1000 μg L-1). Precision was determined considering three concentrations (low, middle, and high). Reproducibility values were obtained (11.03 % to 18.4 % for BPA and 11.0 % to 13.0 % for PFOS), along with replicability values (8.7 % to 11.7 % for BPA and 10.5 % to 13.0 % for PFOS). MIPs showed high retention percentages (BPA: 99 % and PFOS: 90 %), and their template selectivity was confirmed with each impression factor (higher than one). Concentrations of BPA were found in all the bottled water samples (28.33 – 882.14 µg/L); likewise, PFOS was found in Teflon pans (27.80 – 116.32 µg/L) and in stainless steel pans (2.2 – 18.78 µg/L). These results evidence high exposure risks, mainly due to the lack of regulations during manufacturing processes in low- and middle-income countries like Mexico. The development of nanomaterials based on MIPs could represent a strategy for water remediation and exposure prevention.