Optimization and application of a method to determine 24 perfluorinated compounds in umbilical cord serum by using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

•A cost-efficient, practical, and reliable method for the determination of 24 PFCs in umbilical cord serum samples using only two internal standards was validated by LC-MS/MS.•The LODs ranged from 0.013 to 0.248 μg/L, and the average spiked recoveries ranged from 64.0% to 124% with RSDs ranged from 0.74% to 11.2%.•Seven new PFCs were detected for the first time in this method, the LODs ranged from 0.068 to 0.248 μg/L, and the average spiked recoveries ranged from 82.7% to 114%, all of them were detected in umbilical cord serum samples.•The developed method has been successfully applied to the analysis of PFCs in umbilical cord serum samples, 24 PFCs were detected in human samples.