PFAS Concentrations in 103 U.S. Fruit and Vegetable Samples

103 samples of fruits and vegetables from the USA were tested for ultrashort per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The study developed a validated analytical method with recoveries of 70–107% and relative standard deviations ≤ 15%. Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) was found in all samples at concentrations from 1 to 625 ng/g, marking the first report of TFA in U.S. produce.

Use Cases

• Benchmarking PFAS detection methods based on the described recovery rates and precision.
• Assessing dietary exposure to ultrashort PFAS based on the measured concentrations in produce.
• Validating analytical models for environmental contaminant uptake in fruits and vegetables.
• Comparing contaminant levels across different agricultural products based on the sample collection.

Strengths

• Method validation includes specific recovery rates (70–107%) and precision metrics (RSDs ≤ 15%).
• Covers 103 real-world samples of fruits and vegetables from the USA.
• Reports the first detection of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) in U.S. produce, a novel finding.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to the sample collection from a single country.

Provenance

Source

Yelena Sapozhnikova via figshare.

Collection Method

A developed and validated analytical method applied to test samples.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-19 17:40:54; freshness should be verified.

Geography

United States of America (USA).