Determination of perfluorinated substances (PFAS) in muscle tissue from wild boar from three districts of Serbia – Zlatibor, Pčinj and Raška

Ognjen Krnjaja; Nikola Borjan; Milenko Babić; Damjan Gavrilović; Aleksandar Bajčić; Branka Borović; Jasna Đinović-Stojanović

doi:10.18485/meattech.2025.66.3.47

Ognjen Krnjaja Institute of Meat Hygiene and Technology, Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0009-0005-2242-0457
Nikola Borjan Institute of Meat Hygiene and Technology, Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4067-3755
Milenko Babić Institute of Meat Hygiene and Technology, Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0009-0006-6467-6757
Damjan Gavrilović Institute of Meat Hygiene and Technology, Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0009-0000-3786-496X
Aleksandar Bajčić Institute of Meat Hygiene and Technology, Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2923-4137
Branka Borović Institute of Meat Hygiene and Technology, Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0371-0991
Jasna Đinović-Stojanović Institute of Meat Hygiene and Technology, Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4602-0835

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18485/meattech.2025.66.3.47

Keywords: PFAS, biomonitoring, wild boar, LC-MS/MS, environmental pollution, Serbia

Abstract

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are recognized as significant environmental pollutants due to their widespread industrial use and persistence. Wild boars are known bioindicators of environmental contamination with PFAS, as they accumulate these compounds through their omnivorous diet and foraging behaviour. In this study, muscle tissue samples (n = 15) from 15 respective wild boars were collected during the 2024–2025 hunting season as part of the Serbian National Residue Monitoring Program. Samples were obtained from three Serbian districts—Zlatibor, Pčinj, and Raška—and analyzed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). PFAS compounds were detected in 9 of the 15 wild boars, with total PFAS concentrations ranging from <0.170 to 3.179 μg/kg and an average concentration of 1.030 μg/kg. The results suggest regional differences in PFAS exposure and confirm the suitability of wild boar as a bioindicator species for PFAS contamination in Serbia.