Evaluation of chemical analysis method and determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons content from seafood and dairy products

Abstract

This study was carried out to investigate contents of 8 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from frequently consumed seafood and dairy products and to evaluate their chemical analysis methods. Samples were collected from markets of 9 cities in Korea chosen as the population reference and evaluated. The methodology involved saponification, extraction with n-hexane, clean-up on Sep-Pak silica cartridges and gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry analysis. Validation proceeded on 2 matrices. Recoveries for 8 PAHs ranged from 86.87 to 103.57%. The limit of detection (LOD) 8 PAHs was 0.04~0.20 μg/kg, and limit of quantification (LOQ) of 8 PAHs was 0.12~0.60 μg/kg. The mean concentration of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) was 0.34 μg/kg from seafood and 0.34 μg/kg from dairy products. The total PAHs concentration was 1.06 μg/kg in seafood and 1.52 μg/kg in dairy products.