Determination of perfluorocarboxylic acids by gas-liquid chromatography in rat tissues.

A method for the determination of tissue perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCA) was developed using gas-liquid chromatography with an electron capture detector (ECD). Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) were efficiently extracted from rat liver, methylated with diazomethane, and separated on GLC. Internal standards that were added to liver homogenates were used in the quantitative analysis of PFCAs to correct the loss during the extraction and derivatization. The concentration of PFDA in rat liver 24 h after intraperitoneal administration at a dose of 20 mg/kg body weight was 113.9 +/- 11.4 microg/g liver. The value corresponds to the previously reported results that were obtained using [14C]PFDA.