Overview on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: occurrence, legislation and innovative determination in foods

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons content of food, water and vegetables and associated cancer risk assessment in Southern Nigeria

The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon content of water (four surface water, six underground water (borehole water), seven sachet water), barbecued food and their fresh equivalents (barbecued beef, fish, plantain, pork, yam, chicken, chevon, potato, corn), oil (three palm oil, nine vegetable oil), and fresh vegetable samples (water leaf, bitter leaf, cabbage, carrot, cucumber, pumpkin, garlic, ginger, green leaf, Gnetum Africana, onion, pepper) were determined by GC-MS analysis. The current study also determined the estimated lifetime cancer risk from ingesting polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-contaminated food. The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon content of water, oil, vegetable, and food samples were within the United States Environmental Protection Agency/World Health Organization safe limits. The naphthalene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, and benzo(k)fluoranthene levels in surface water were significantly higher than in borehole samples (P = 0.000, 0.047, 0.047). Vegetable oils had higher anthracene and chrysene compared to palm oil (P = 0.023 and 0.032). Significant variations were observed in levels of naphthalene, acenaphthylene, phenanthrene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, benzo(k)fluoranthene, benzo(a)pyrene, and dibenzo(a,h)anthracene among the barbecued and fresh food samples (P <0.05). Barbecued pork, potato, and corn had significantly higher naphthalene compared to their fresh equivalents (P = 0.002, 0.017, and <0.001). Consumption of barbecued food and surface water may be associated with higher exposure risk to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons which may predispose to increased cancer health risk. The current work explores in depth the concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in different dietary categories that pose direct risk to humans via direct consumption. These findings add knowledge to support future considerations for human health.

Food process contaminants: formation, occurrence, risk assessment and mitigation strategies - a review

Thermal treatment of food can lead to the formation of potentially harmful chemicals, known as process contaminants. These are adventitious contaminants that are formed in food during processing and preparation. Various food processing techniques, such as heating, drying, grilling, and fermentation, can generate hazardous chemicals such as acrylamide (AA), advanced glycation end products (AGEs), heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs), furan, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), N-nitroso compounds (NOCs), monochloropropane diols (MCPD) and their esters (MCPDE) which can be detrimental to human health. Despite efforts to prevent the formation of these compounds during processing, eliminating them is often challenging due to their unknown formation mechanisms. It is critical to identify the potential harm to human health in processed food and understand the mechanisms by which harmful compounds form during processing, as prolonged exposure to these toxic compounds can lead to health problems. Various mitigation strategies, such as the use of diverse pre- and post-processing treatments, product reformulation, additives, variable process conditions, and novel integrated processing techniques, have been proposed to control these food hazards. In this review, we summarize the formation and occurrence, the potential for harm to human health produced by process contaminants in food, and potential mitigation strategies to minimize their impact.

Ecological and human health impact assessments based on long-term monitoring of soil PAHs near a coal-fired power plant

The combustion of coal in power plants releases significant amounts of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are highly toxic and carcinogenic. This study assesses the ecological and human health impacts of PAHs contamination from a coal-fired power plant over 8 years. The monitoring site selection considered the distance from the power plant and the prevailing wind direction in the investigated area. The results reveal that, during the monitoring period, PAH levels increased on average by 43%, 61%, and 37% in the zone of the prevailing wind direction, in the area proximate to the power plant, and the zone distant from it, respectively. The site, which has a radius of 4.5 km in the prevailing wind direction, exhibited the highest ecological and human health impacts. Additionally, a strong correlation was observed between environmental and human health impacts, depending on the distance from the power plant, particularly in areas with the prevailing wind direction. These insights contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the intricate dynamics linking power plant emissions, PAHs contamination, and their far-reaching consequences on the environment and human health.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons' Impact on Crops and Occurrence, Sources, and Detection Methods in Food: A Review

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) represent a category of persistent organic pollutants that pose a global concern in the realm of food safety due to their recognized carcinogenic properties in humans. Food can be contaminated with PAHs that are present in water, air, or soil, or during food processing and cooking. The wide and varied sources of PAHs contribute to their persistent contamination of food, leading to their accumulation within these products. As a result, monitoring of the levels of PAHs in food is necessary to guarantee the safety of food products as well as the public health. This review paper attempts to give its readers an overview of the impact of PAHs on crops, their occurrence and sources, and the methodologies employed for the sample preparation and detection of PAHs in food. In addition, possible directions for future research are proposed. The objective is to provide references for the monitoring, prevention, and in-depth exploration of PAHs in food.

Development of a highly sensitive method based on QuEChERS and GC-MS/MS for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in infant foods

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are environmental contaminants that can be found in various food products, including those intended for infants. Due to their potential health risks, it is crucial to develop sensitive analytical methods for the accurate determination of PAHs in infant foods. This study describes the development and validation of a highly sensitive method for the quantification of European PAH markers, namely benzo[a]pyrene, benzo[a]anthracene, chrysene, and benzo[b]fluoranthene, using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS), in baby food samples. The first step was the optimization of the sample preparation procedure, performed using different methods based on the QuEChERS approach, also testing different extraction solvents. Several factors such as extraction efficiency, selectivity, and recovery were evaluated to choose the most effective procedure for sample preparation. Furthermore, the GC-MS/MS method was optimized, evaluating parameters such as linearity, sensitivity, accuracy, and robustness using spiked infant food samples. The method demonstrated excellent linearities with a correlation coefficient higher than 0.999 over a wide concentration range, and limits of detection and limits of quantification in the range 0.019-0.036 μg/kg and 0.06-0.11 μg/kg, respectively. Extraction recoveries were between 73.1 and 110.7%, with relative standard deviations always lower than 8%. These findings are compliant with the indications of the European Commission (Reg. 836/2011). To assess the applicability of the method to official control activities, a survey was conducted on commercially available infant food products. Four markers were determined in commercial samples belonging to different food categories for infants and young children. The outcome of this monitoring showed that PAH contamination, in all samples, was below the quantification limits. In conclusion, the developed GC-MS/MS method provides a highly sensitive and reliable approach for the determination of PAHs in baby foods. The optimized sample preparation, instrumental parameters, and validation results ensure accurate quantification of 4 PAHs even at trace levels. This method could contribute to the assessment of PAH exposure in infants and it could support regulatory efforts to ensure the safety and quality of infant food products with regular monitoring.

Poly-(ionic liquid) coated with magnetic nanoparticles for micro solid phase extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in food samples

Poly(methyl methacrylate-vinyl imidazole bromide) (poly-MMA-IL)-grafted magnetic nanoparticles were successfully developed and applied in the micro-magnetic solid phase extraction (μ-MSPE) for 16 types of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from tea, fried food, and grilled food samples via gas chromatography flame ionization detector (GC-FID). One variable at a time (OVAT) and response surface methodology (RSM) were used for efficient optimization. The validation method showed a good coefficient of determination (R2) ranging from 0.9901 to 0.9982 (n = 3) with linearity of 0.2 μg L-1-500 μg L-1. Detection and quantification limits were 0.06 µg L-1-0.32 µg L-1 and 0.18 µg L-1-0.97 µg L-1. Additionally, satisfactory reproducibility was attained with intra-day and inter-day precisions having RSD ranges of 3.6%-11.1%. The spiked recovery value of 16 PAHs in fried food, grilled food and tea samples obtained from the night market in Malaysia ranged from 80%-12%, respectively.

Assessment of High-temperature Refined Charcoal to Improve the Safety of Grilled Meat Through the Reduction of Carcinogenic PAHs

This study presents mitigation strategies for reducing carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination levels in grilled meat using high-temperature refined charcoal (HTC) prepared by Iwate kiln, also known as high-quality charcoal. Four different types of HTC were investigated for their properties in conjunction with their potential to reduce PAHs in grilled meat, including high-temperature Eucalyptus charcoal (HTEC), Leucaena charcoal (HTLC), Acacia charcoal (HTAC), and bamboo charcoal (HTBC). The results showed that all HTCs had higher fixed carbon, higher heating value, and lower volatile compounds (83.07-87.81%, 7,306-7,765 Kcal/g, and 6.98-11.97%, respectively) than commercial low-temperature refined charcoal (LTC) (65.33%, 6,728 Kcal/g, and 22.22%, respectively). The current high fixed carbon content and heating value responded to the rising maximum temperature of charcoal up to 500-600°C, providing heat source stabilization to control the radiant energy exposure of charcoal during grilling, thereby shortening grilling time. The PAH16 value of the LTC-grilled sample (144.41 μg/kg) was significantly higher than that of the HTEC, HTLC, and HTAC-grilled samples (98.21, 80.75, and 79.56 μg/kg, respectively). However, PAH16 levels in the sample grilled with HTBC were unexpectedly high (265.75 μg/kg), and cooking loss was not significantly different between samples grilled with all charcoals. Overall, the findings indicated that using HTC prepared from Eucalyptus, Leucaena, and Acacia woods could reduce PAH contamination in grilled pork by up to 45%. However, more research is needed to determine the best preparation method for high-quality charcoal made from bamboo.

The effect of flavorings on PAHs level in the roasted sunflower seeds

The amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) can be reduced by food additives. In this study, the impact of various flavors was investigated on the formation of PAHs in roasted sunflower seeds. PAHs was measured in the shell and kernel of sunflower with the flavors of lemon, golpar (hogweed), salt, ketchup and raw sunflower. Measuring the amount of PAHs was analyzed by Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). PAHs with low molecular weight were detected. The total of PAHs of sunflower seeds were in the range of 0.4-3.2 mg kg-1. The lowest amount was related to the hogweed kernel, and the highest amount was related to the lemon. High molecular weight PAHs were not detected because the temperature did not rise above 100 °C during roasting. Some flavors, such as hogweed can reduce the amount of PAHs because of their antioxidant properties. On the contrary, the PAHs level with lemon juice was higher than other flavors.

Environmental endocrine disruptors and pregnane X receptor action: A review

The pregnane X receptor (PXR) is a kind of orphan nuclear receptor activated by a series of ligands. Environmental endocrine disruptors (EEDs) are a wide class of molecules present in the environment that are suspected to have adverse effects on the endocrine system by interfering with the synthesis, transport, degradation, or action of endogenous hormones. Since EEDs may modulate human/rodent PXR, this review aims to summarize EEDs as PXR modulators, including agonists and antagonists. The modular structure of PXR is also described, interestingly, the pharmacology of PXR have been confirmed to vary among different species. Furthermore, PXR play a key role in the regulation of endocrine function. Endocrine disruption of EEDs via PXR and its related pathways are systematically summarized. In brief, this review may provide a way to understand the roles of EEDs in interaction with the nuclear receptors (such as PXR) and the related pathways.

A systematic assessment of research trends on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in different environmental compartments using bibliometric parameters

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a large group of diverse hazardous organic compounds that are relatively stable and widely distributed throughout the world's ecosystems due to various anthropogenic activities. They are generally less soluble in water and have a low vapour pressure, but dissolve easily in adipose tissues; and they bioaccumulate into high concentrations in aquatic animals, thereby exerting a variety of hazardous and lethal effects. Despite the plethora of research studies on these pollutants, only few bibliometric reviews on the subject have been documented in the literature. As a result, the present study aimed to assess the research growth on PAHs-related studies across different ecosystems. Science Citation Index-Expanded of Web of Science was explored to obtain the research studies that were conducted between 1991 and 2020, and RStudio was utilized for the data analysis. Annual productivity increased arithmetically over the years, with a 9.2% annual growth rate and a collaboration index of 2.52. Foremost among the trend topics in this field of study include soil, sediments, biodegradation, bioremediation, bioavailability, and source apportionment. China, USA, Spain, France and Germany were the five top-ranked countries in terms of publications and citations over the three decades investigated; however, Korea, Japan, United Kingdom, Germany, and Canada were ranked as the five leading countries in terms of collaboration per published article (MCP ratio). Therefore, efforts to strengthen international collaboration in this field of study especially among the less participating countries and continents are thus encouraged. The findings of this study are expected to provide future direction for the upcoming researchers in identifying the hot spots in this field of study as well as research leaders whom to seek collaboration in their future research plan.

Quantitative Structure–Retention Relationship Analysis of Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds in Ultra-High Performance Chromatography

A comparative quantitative structure–retention relationship (QSRR) study was carried out to predict the retention time of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) using molecular descriptors. The molecular descriptors were generated by the software Dragon and employed to build QSRR models. The effect of chromatographic parameters, such as flow rate, temperature, and gradient time, was also considered. An artificial neural network (ANN) and Partial Least Squares Regression (PLS-R) were used to investigate the correlation between the retention time, taken as the response, and the predictors. Six descriptors were selected by the genetic algorithm for the development of the ANN model: the molecular weight (MW); ring descriptor types nCIR and nR10; radial distribution functions RDF090u and RDF030m; and the 3D-MoRSE descriptor Mor07u. The most significant descriptors in the PLS-R model were MW, RDF110u, Mor20u, Mor26u, and Mor30u; edge adjacency indice SM09_AEA (dm); 3D matrix-based descriptor SpPosA_RG; and the GETAWAY descriptor H7u. The built models were used to predict the retention of three analytes not included in the calibration set. Taking into account the statistical parameter RMSE for the prediction set (0.433 and 0.077 for the PLS-R and ANN models, respectively), the study confirmed that QSRR models, associated with chromatographic parameters, are better described by nonlinear methods.

Investigation of the effect of refining on the presence of targeted mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons in coconut oil

The goal of this work was to investigate the impact of refining on coconut oil particularly on the most toxicologically relevant fraction of the mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbon (MOAH) contamination, namely the fraction composed by the three to seven aromatic rings. A fully integrated platform consisting of a liquid chromatography (LC), a comprehensive multidimensional gas chromatography (GC) (LC-GC × GC) and flame ionization detector (FID) was used to obtained a more detailed characterization of the MOAH sub-classes distribution. The revised EN pr 16995:2017-08 official method was used for preparing the samples, both with and without the auxiliary epoxidation step. Crude coconut oil was spiked with different MOAH standards, namely naphthalenes, alkylated naphthalenes, benzo(a)pyrene, and its alkylated homologues. Refining was modelled by deodorization at 230 °C, stripping with 10 kg/h of steam under 1 mbar vacuum for 3 h. Complete removal of the naphthalenes and reduction of more than 98.8% of the benzo(a)pyrenes was observed. Epoxidation had a significant impact on the MOAH fraction with more than three rings, but with a high dependency on the sample matrix, being significantly less evident in the refined samples than in the crude ones.

Effect of Baking Temperature and Time on Advanced Glycation End Products and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Beef

ABSTRACT

Beef is an important red meat that contains essential nutrients for human growth and development. Baking is a popular beef cooking method. Temperature and time play key roles in the final quality of beef. How temperature and time affect the changes of nutrients and the formation of harmful products in beef is not clear. The purpose of this study was to measure the content of water, fat, protein, ash, nitrite, total volatile base nitrogen, advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and their precursors, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at different temperatures (150, 190, 230, 270, and 310°C) for 20 min and at 190°C for different times (10, 20, and 30 min), so as to discuss the effect of different temperatures and times on beef nutrients and harmful products. The results showed that the moisture content of beef decreased with increased baking temperature and time, resulting in the increase of the relative content of fat, protein, and ash. The content of total volatile base nitrogen increased continuously. Compared with the control group, the content of glyoxal in beef decreased, whereas the content of methylglyoxal, pentosidine, and fluorescent AGEs increased, indicating the continuous accumulation of AGEs in beef. A total of 13 PAHs were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The concentrations of 13 PAHs in beef increased with increases in baking temperature and time. The concentrations of BkP and BaP, which are the most carcinogenic to humans, were 0.36 and 0.35 μg/kg in raw meat, respectively; these were increased by high temperature and long baking times. After beef was baked at 270 and 310°C for 20 min, the concentration of BkP increased to 9.49 and 5.66 μg/kg, respectively, and the concentration of BaP increased to 5.45 and 4.42 μg/kg, respectively. After baking at 190°C for 30 and 40 min, the concentration of BkP increased to 4.81 and 24.20 μg/kg, respectively, and the concentration of BaP increased to 3.85 and 17.79 μg/kg, respectively.

HIGHLIGHTS

Monitoring and Occurrence of Heavy PAHs in Pomace Oil Supply Chain Using a Double-Step Solid-Phase Purification and HPLC-FLD Determination

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous environmental and processing contaminants generated by both spontaneous and anthropogenic incomplete combustion processes of organic matter. Contamination of PAHs in vegetable oils can result from several factors and processes, including environmental contamination, oil processing, and migration from food contact materials. The determination of PAHs in edible oil presents a challenge because of the complexity of the matrix. Since PAHs are present at lower levels than triglycerides, it is necessary to isolate the compounds of interest from the rest of the matrix. To this purpose, a new purification approach based on a double solid-phase extraction (SPE) step followed by high performance liquid chromatography–fluorometric detector (HPLC-FLD) analysis was developed. The method involves a first purification step by using a 5 g silica SPE cartridge, previously washed with dichloromethane (20 mL), dried completely, and then conditioned with n-hexane (20 mL). The triglycerides are retained by the silica, while the PAH-containing fraction is eluted with a mixture of n-hexane/dichloromethane (70/30, v/v). After evaporation, the residue is loaded on a 5 g amino SPE cartridge and eluted with n-hexane/toluene (70/30, v/v) before HPLC-FLD analysis. The focus was the evaluation of the contribution of the various phases of the pomace oil supply chain in terms of the heavy PAHs (PAH8) concentration. Data collected showed that pomace contamination increased (by 15 times) as storage time increased. In addition, the process of pomace drying, which is necessary to reduce its moisture content before solvent extraction of the residual oil, appeared to significantly contribute to the total heavy PAHs content, with increases in value by up to 75 times.

Determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface waters by high performance liquid chromatography previous to preconcentration through solid-phase extraction by using polymeric monoliths

A simple, sensitive and reproducible solid-phase extraction method using plastic cartridges containing a monolithic sorbent (m-SPE), coupled to reverse phase liquid chromatography analysis, aiming to determine fifteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface water samples, was developed. The sorbent was easily prepared through a thermal polymerization reaction by using a mixture of n-butyl methacrylate as non-polar monomer and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as crosslinker contained in a typical Polypropylene syringe cartridge. The effect of different parameters (type of hydrophobic monomer, elution solvent, sample volume, sorbent amount and sorbent load capacity) on the extraction efficiency was optimized. The optimal conditions were achieved by using n-butyl methacrylate as monomer, tetrahydrofurane (THF) as solvent for sorbent cleaning, THF:acetone (1:1) as elution solvent, 25.00 mL of sample volume, 600 µL of the polymerization mixture and 60 µg L^-1 as sample loading capacity. Finally, the sorbent charge capacity, the reusability of the cartridges and the extraction efficiency of the m-SPE monolith, as compared with a typical C8 cartridge, were evaluated. Under the optimized experimental conditions, enrichment factors were between 76 and 103, relative recovery factors from 78 to 103%, accuracy values in the range of 58 to 98%, and inter-batch reproducibility values from between 2 and 10%, were obtained. The limits of detection and quantification were obtained by two different procedures: the signal to noise (S/N) ratios (3 and 10, respectively) and the IUPAC convention. The lowest LOD and LOQ values, obtained with the S/N ratios, were between 0.02 and 1.00 µg L^-1, respectively whereas with the IUPAC convention the values were between 0.07 and 5 µg L^-1. Using this procedure, several PAHs could be detected in the surface water sample taken from a river stream located in La Plata city (Buenos Aires Province, Argentina).

Study on dietary intake, risk assessment, and molecular toxicity mechanism of benzo[α]pyrene in college students in China Bashu area

As an extremely strong polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon carcinogen, benzo[α]pyrene (BaP) is often produced during food processing at high temperatures. Recently, food safety, as well as toxicity mechanism and risk assessment of BaP, has received extensive attention. We first constructed the database of BaP pollution concentration in Chinese daily food with over 10⁴ data items; collected dietary intake data using online survey; then assessed dietary exposure risk; and finally revealed the possible toxicity mechanism through four comparative molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The statistical results showed that the concentration of BaP in olive oil was the highest, followed by that in fried meat products. The margins of exposure and incremental lifetime cancer risk both indicated that the dietary exposure to BaP of the participants was generally safe, but there were still some people with certain carcinogenic risks. Specifically, the health risk of the core district population was higher than that of the noncore district in Bashu area, and the female postgraduate group was higher than the male group with bachelor degree or below. From MD trajectories, BaP binding does not affect the global motion of individual nucleic acid sequences, but local weak noncovalent interactions changed greatly; it also weakens molecular interactions of nucleic acid with Bacillus stearothermophilus DNA polymerase I large fragment (BF), and significantly changes the cavity structure of recognition interface. This work not only reveals the possible toxicity mechanism of BaP, but also provides theoretical guidance for the subsequent optimization of food safety standards and reference of rational diet.

Migration and Distribution of PAH4 in Oil to French Fries Traced Using a Stable Isotope during Frying

Isotope-labeled four polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH4-d12) were applied to study the migration and distribution of PAH4 in oil to French fries during frying. The results showed that the mobilities of PAH4-d12 showed a downtrend within 0-6 h and then an uptrend, and PAH4-d12 were mainly distributed in the crust of the French fries, especially five-ring PAHs-d12. The correlation analysis showed that PAH4-d12 migration was mainly caused by oil absorption of French fries. The low fluidity of the oil slowed down the PAH4-d12 migration, which was accelerated as the total polar component increased (higher than 15-20%). Additionally, higher frying temperature enhanced the crust ratio and porous structure of French fries, which explained the abundant five-ring PAHs-d12 distributed in the crust. This study provided references for optimizing the frying parameters: the exposure of PAH4 in French fries to humans can be reduced by controlling the oil quality and weakening the crust of the French fries.

The effect of in-package cold plasma on the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in charcoal-grilled beef steak with different oils or fats

In-package cold plasma (ICP) pretreatment is an emerging non-thermal food processing methods. In the current study, ICP on the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in grilled beef steaks with different oils and fats was evaluated, the influence of prolonged storage periods (1 d, 2 d) of raw meat after ICP pretreatment on the PAH inhibitory effect was investigated. The results showed that sunflower seed oil had an inhibitory effect on PAH formation; the groups with ICP pretreatment showed a significant decrease in PAH content (p < 0.05) according to the UHPLC results, inhibitory rates were dependent on the original contents in each group without ICP pretreatment, ranging from 35% to 96%. The optimal condition was grilling immediately after ICP pretreatment, and the results indicated that the nonpolar radical scavenging activity (RSA) of ungrilled meat was negatively correlated with PAH8 contents according the DPPH assay, while ICP pretreatment enhanced the RSA_oil of raw meat.

Bioaccessibility of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Grilled Meat: The Effects of Meat Doneness and Fat Content

Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) through diet is gaining concern due to the risk it poses to human health. This study evaluated the bioaccessibility of PAHs contained in charcoal-grilled beef and chicken in different segments of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) with regard to the degree of doneness and fat content of the meats. The levels of 15 PAHs in the grilled meat samples and bioaccessible fractions were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) equipped with PAH column, and UV and fluorescence detectors. Total PAHs were found in beef (30.73 ng/g) and chicken (70.93 ng/g) before its digestion, and different PAHs’ bioaccessibility were observed in the different segments of GIT, with the highest in the stomach followed by the small intestine, despite the relatively higher bioaccessibility of individual PAHs in grilled beef as compared to those in grilled chicken. Additionally, the PAHs’ bioaccessibility increased with the increase in the degree of doneness. Positive linear correlation was observed for the PAHs’ bioaccessibility and the fat contents of grilled meat. Overall, this study highlights the influence of meat doneness (cooking time) and fat contents on the bioaccessibility and bioaccumulation of PAHs.

Critical Assessment of Clean-Up Techniques Employed in Simultaneous Analysis of Persistent Organic Pollutants and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Fatty Samples

Interference of residual lipids is a very common problem in ultratrace analysis of contaminants in fatty matrices. Therefore, quick and effective clean-up techniques applicable to multiple groups of analytes are much needed. Cartridge and dispersive solid-phase extraction (SPE and dSPE) are often used for this purpose. In this context, we evaluated the lipid clean-up efficiency and performance of four commonly used sorbents—silica, C18, Z-Sep, and EMR-lipid—for the determination of organic pollutants in fatty fish samples (10%) extracted using ethyl acetate or the QuEChERS method. Namely, 17 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), 22 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), 13 brominated flame retardants (BFRs), 19 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined in this study. The clean-up efficiency was evaluated by direct analysis in real time coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (DART-HRMS). The triacylglycerols (TAGs) content in the purified extracts were significantly reduced. The EMR-lipid sorbent was the most efficient of the dSPE sorbents used for the determination of POPs and PAHs in this study. The recoveries of the POPs and PAHs obtained by the validated QuEChERS method followed by the dSPE EMR-lipid sorbent ranged between 59 and 120%, with repeatabilities ranging between 2 and 23% and LOQs ranging between 0.02 and 1.50 µg·kg⁻¹.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) Sample Preparation and Analysis in Beverages: A Review

The monitoring of food contaminants is of interests to both food regulatory bodies and the consumers. This literature review covers polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with regard to their background, sources of exposures, and occurrence in food and environment as well as health hazards. Furthermore, analytical methods focusing on the analysis of PAHs in tea, coffee, milk, and alcoholic samples for the last 16 years are presented. Numerous experimental methods have been developed aiming to obtain better limits of detections (LODs) and percent recoveries as well as to reduce solvent consumption and laborious work. These include information such as the selected PAHs analyzed, food matrix of PAHs, methods of extraction, cleanup procedure, LOD, limits of quantitation (LOQ), and percent recovery. For the analysis of tea, coffee, milk, and alcoholic samples, a majority of the research papers focused on the 16 US Environmental Protection Agency PAHs, while PAH4, PAH8, and methylated PAHs were also of interests. Extraction methods range from the classic Soxhlet extraction and liquid–liquid extraction to newer methods such as QuEChERS, dispersive solid-phase microextraction, and magnetic solid-phase extraction. The cleanup methods involved mainly the use of column chromatography and SPE filled with either silica or Florisil adsorbents. Gas chromatography and liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry or fluorescence detectors are the main analytical instruments used. A majority of the selected combined methods used are able to achieve LODs and percent recoveries in the ranges of 0.01–5 ug/kg and 70–110%, respectively, for the analysis of tea, coffee, milk, and alcoholic samples.

The loss and fate of BaA, Chr, BbF, and BaP (PAH4) tracked by stable isotope during frying

The objective of this work was to accurately quantify the loss of benzo(a)anthracene, chrysene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, and benzo(a)pyrene (PAH4) and investigate the fate of the lost PAH4 into their derivatives during frying. Stable isotopes (PAH4-d12) were used to simulate the loss and track the conversion of PAH4. The results showed that the rate of loss of PAH4-d12 increased with the increase of frying temperature and the loss rate of benzo(a)pyrene-d12 was the largest, indicating that benzo(a)pyrene had the strongest chemical reactivity during frying. Moreover, the identification of five PAH4 derivatives has confirmed the conversion of lost PAH4. Finally, the loss of PAH4 during frying positively correlated with the oxidation of oil, and a conversion mechanism of PAHs to derivatives was proposed. This work directly proved the loss and conversion of PAH4 and provided a comprehensive perspective for studying the changes in PAH4 during frying.

The Future of Moringa Foods: A Food Chemistry Perspective

The tree Moringa oleifera Lam. provides its leaves, pods, flowers and seeds for human nutrition. The chemical profile of all these Moringa products varies substantially, not only among the different parts of the plants used. Cultivating, processing as well as storage conditions chiefly determine the contents of nutrients and anti-nutritive constituents. Anti-nutrients, e.g., phytic acid or tannins, are present in notable amounts and may affect micronutrient bioavailability. Although Moringa oleifera products have been promoted for several health benefits and are discussed as an alternative treatment in various diseases, risk assessment studies evaluating contamination levels are scarce. Recent investigations have demonstrated alarming contents of heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and mycotoxins in Moringa oleifera products, indicating the need for a comprehensive risk assessment and contingent legal regulation of these products. In this mini review, we briefly outline pivotal, food chemistry and nutrition related data on Moringa preparations in order to stimulate in-depth research to close the presented knowledge gaps.

Simultaneous Analysis of 10 Priority PAHs in Iranian Sangak Bread Samples by Developing a GC-MS Method

Human exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is known as a carcinogen risk factor. In this study, a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) technique combined with the QuEChERS extraction method was developed for concurrent analysis of 10 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Iranian traditional Sangak bread samples. The method was validated by determining different parameters, including; linearity, accuracy, precision, limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ). Calibration curves showed a linear relationship in the concentration range of 10-500 ng/g with a coefficient of determination (R²) ranged between 0.994 and 0.999. The obtained mean recoveries were 92-106% with the relative standard deviations (RSDs) in the range of 3-7% with an acceptable precision (RSD < 20%). The Limit of detections (LODs) for different PAHs were between 0.14-0.78 ng/g, while the limit of quantitation (LOQ) was 0.46-2.60 ng/g. Matrix effect studies showed that the analytes concluded signal suppressions or enhancements. Therefore, spiked calibration curves were used for overcoming this issue. The result of Sangak bread samples analysis using the validated method showed that 9 (19.4%) out of 47 Sangak bread samples were contaminated with phenanthrene (PHE) and anthracene (ANT) at the mean level of 10.08 ± 6.38 ng/g which were higher than the permissible limit of European Commission regulatory control value for BaP (1 μg/kg of wet weight) in processed cereal-based foods and baby foods for infants and young children.

Feasibility of supercritical fluid extraction-supercritical fluid chromatography mass spectrometry for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in particulate matter samples

There has been an increased interest in the development of green analytical methods for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in environmental samples due to their toxicity and ubiquitous nature. In this work, the feasibility of on-line supercritical fluid extraction-supercritical fluid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was investigated for rapid and automated determination of the 16 United States Environmental Protection Agency priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in particulate matter samples. Three specialty polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons columns with different stationary phases were screened and an octadecyl-silica column was selected for method development. Enhanced extraction efficiency was achieved using an extraction program with gradient flow rate and gradient concentration of acetonitrile as a modifier. The method was evaluated by analyzing standard reference materials of urban dust and diesel particulate matter from the National Institute of Standards and Technologies. Possible reasons for the unsatisfactory recoveries with certain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are discussed.

The Ability of Probiotic Lactobacillus Strains in Removal of Benzo[a]pyrene: a Response Surface Methodology Study

In this study, the ability of various lactic acid bacteria was assessed in removing benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) from contaminated phosphate buffer saline (PBS). Response surface methodology (RSM) was performed using Box-Behnken design to investigate the effect of four independent variables including pH (5-7), incubation time (1-24 h), cell density (10⁷-10⁹ cfu/mL), and initial BaP concentration (5-15 mg/kg) at three levels to evaluate in vitro removal of BaP as response. The results showed that all the tested strains were able to remove BaP from PBS and this reduction was entirely strain-specific. Bifidobacterium lactis BB-12 followed by Lactobacillus casei TD10 exhibited the lowest binding ability while the highest binding rate was related to Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus PTCC 1737, Lactobacillus casei TD4, and Lactobacillus brevis TD3, respectively. Cyclohexane washing weakened BaP-bacteria complex, while this complex was not significantly changed by PBS washing. The results showed that BaP binding rate was influenced by pH, cell density, time, and BaP concentration in linear and quadratic manners. Moreover, there were interactions between cell density and time as well as between time and BaP concentration. The highest BaP-binding rate by L. acidophilus LA-5 was 10 ppm of BaP concentration, pH = 5, cell density of 10⁹ cfu/mL, and an incubation period of 24 h. It can be concluded that a range of pH, time, and microbial population is required to obtain maximum binding efficiency for BaP based on the concentration of the toxin and the species of the bacteria.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Foods: Biological Effects, Legislation, Occurrence, Analytical Methods, and Strategies to Reduce Their Formation

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are chemical compounds comprised of carbon and hydrogen molecules in a cyclic arrangement. PAHs are associated with risks to human health, especially carcinogenesis. One form of exposure to these compounds is through ingestion of contaminated food, which can occur during preparation and processing involving high temperatures (e.g., grilling, smoking, toasting, roasting, and frying) as well as through PAHs present in the soil, air, and water (i.e., environmental pollution). Differently from changes caused by microbiological characteristics and lipid oxidation, consumers cannot sensorially perceive PAH contamination in food products, thereby hindering their ability to reject these foods. Herein, the occurrence and biological effects of PAHs were comprehensively explored, as well as analytical methods to monitor their levels, legislations, and strategies to reduce their generation in food products. This review updates the current knowledge and addresses recent regulation changes concerning the widespread PAHs contamination in several types of food, often surpassing the concentration limits deemed acceptable by current legislations. Therefore, effective measures involving different food processing strategies are needed to prevent and reduce PAHs contamination, thereby decreasing human exposure and detrimental health effects. Furthermore, gaps in literature have been addressed to provide a basis for future studies.

Detoxification modification of coal-tar pitch by ultraviolet & microwave radiation-enhanced chemical reaction and toxicity evaluation by chemical index and cytotoxicity assay in vitro

Although coal tar pitch (CTP) has a large yield in China, its large-scale and effective utilization is significantly hindered because of existing and possibly releasing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Therefore, it is an imminent problem how to prepare an environmentally friendly CTP by detoxification modification. In the investigation, a typical CTP was subjected to structural characterization via solid-state ¹³C NMR and gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer, which confirmed the existence of dominant PAHs such as fluoranthene, pyrene, as well as benzo[a]pyrene, and few heterocyclic compounds. Subsequently, the CTP was modified using 10-undecenal via alkylation reaction enhanced by ultraviolet & microwave radiation. Compared with the original CTP, the total content of 16 toxic PAHs in the modified CTP decreased with a reduction efficiency of above 90%. According to different environmental standards, toxic equivalent quotient of CTP after modification was reduced by above 90%. In order to veritably and fully evaluate the toxicity of CTP, a living vascular smooth muscle cell (A-10 cell) in vitro was used in the cell counting kit-8 assay. The viability of A-10 cell was always higher when exposed to modified CTP than the original CTP. These results powerfully indicated that the enhanced modification was actually effective and efficient for reducing the toxicity of CTP.

Simultaneous action of microbial phospholipase C and lipase on model bacterial membranes - Modeling the processes crucial for bioaugmentation

Bioaugmentation is a promising method of the remediation of soils polluted by persistent organic pollutants (POP). Unfortunately, it happens frequently that the microorganisms inoculated into the soil die out due to the presence of enzymes secreted by autochthonous microorganisms. Especially destructive are here phospholipases C (PLC) and lipases which destruct the microorganism's cellular membrane. The composition of bacterial membranes differs between species, so it is highly possible that depending on the membrane constitution some bacteria are more resistant to PLCs and lipases than other. To shed light on these problems we applied phospholipid Langmuir monolayers as model microbial membranes and studied their interactions with α-toxin (model bacterial PLC) and the lipase isolated from soil fungus Candida rugosa. Membrane phospholipids differing in their headgroup (phosphatidylcholines, phosphatidylethanolamines, phosphatidylglycerols and cardiolipins) and in their tail structure were applied. The monolayers were characterized by the Langmuir technique, visualized by Brewster angle microscopy, and the packing mode of the phospholipid molecules was verified by the application of the diffraction of synchrotron radiation. We also studied the mutual miscibility of diacylglycerols and the native phospholipids as their interaction is crucial for the understanding of the PLC and lipase activity. It turned out that all the investigated phospholipid classes can be hydrolyzed by PLC; however, they differ profoundly in the hydrolysis degree. Depending on the effects of the initial PLC action and the mutual organization of the diacylglycerol and phospholipid molecules the lipase can ruin the model membranes or can be completely neutral to them.

Occurrence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in fried and grilled fish from Shandong China and health risk assessment

Diet is the main way for the human body to ingest polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). In this study, the occurrence, dietary exposure, and health risks of 15 PAHs in 31 fried and grilled fish samples were investigated, which were collected from the Shandong Province of China. The results showed that benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) of 5 samples exceeded the European Union (EU) limit value. Naphthalene (NaP) and fluorene (Fle) were present in all samples, and the average concentration of ∑15PAHs was 91.1 μg/kg, with light PAHs dominated. The average contamination level of ∑15PAHs in fried and grilled fish was distributed differently, and there seemed to be more PAH contamination in the grilled samples. The results of the margin of exposure (MOE) suggested that PAH ingestion through fried and grilled fish did not imply significant toxicological concern for consumers in Shandong. The incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) values for the consumption of fried and grilled fish were higher than 1 × 10-6, indicating a potential health risk in the adult population. The study provides baseline health information on PAH intake by residents due to dietary exposure to fried and grilled fish food products, suggesting that health risk monitoring of PAHs in such foods should be continually performed.

Persistent organic pollutants (PCBs and PCDD/Fs), PAHs, and plasticizers in spices, herbs, and tea - A review of chromatographic methods from the last decade (2010-2020)

Edible and highly demanded plant-derived products such as herbs, spices, and tea may be subjected to exogenous contamination of well-known chemical hazards such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs), and emerging ones such as plasticizers, affecting negatively the safety of these food commodities. This fact has led to the increasing analysis of exogenous compounds including priority POPs such as polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), as well as highly persistent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Currently, plasticizer residues are also considered an emerging issue because of the extensive use in food packaging and potential migration into foodstuffs. In this review, the studies published from 2010 to 2020 were discussed, including the main extraction methods applied for these contaminants from herbs, spices, and tea, and it was revealed the trend toward the use of less solvent-consuming and time-effective methods. Chromatographic methods were also described, which were mainly combined with detection techniques such as classical or mass spectrometry (MS) detection. Finally, a comprehensive overview of the occurrence of these selected exogenous compounds was presented in the studied matrices, showing that their monitoring should be further investigated to ensure food safety of highly consumed condiments and tea.

A Review on the Occurrence and Analytical Determination of PAHs in Olive Oils

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous environmental and processing contaminants, which may contaminate vegetable oils due to atmospheric fall-out or bad production practices. Due to their carcinogenic and toxic effects, surveillance schemes and mitigation strategies are needed to monitor human exposure to PAHs. In particular, due to the lipophilic nature of these substances, edible oils may present unsafe levels of these compounds. Among these, olive oil, and in particular extra virgin olive oil, is a high-value commodity, also known for its health benefits. Therefore, the occurrence of contaminants in this product is not only of health concern but also causes economic and image damage. In this review, an overview of the occurrence of PAHs in all categories of olive oil is provided, as well as a description of the official methods available and the analytical developments in the last 10 years.

Rapid screening and quantitation of PAHs in water and complex sample matrices by solid-phase microextraction coupled to capillary atmospheric pressure photoionization-mass spectrometry

A capillary atmospheric pressure photoionization (cAPPI) source was used to analyze polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in complex matrices like grilled meat extract and urban dust reference material, as well as screening for PAHs in aqueous samples such as tap and lake water. A high-throughput workflow was developed that allowed rapid screening of unknown samples by direct solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled with cAPPI-MS, with confirmatory gas chromatography performed only for samples containing trace amounts of PAHs. Extraction times were as low as 15 s, with a total analysis time of 2 min per sample for screening. Limits of detections were in the low pg/ml range and in the subpg/ml range for the direct and chromatographic approach, respectively, with a linear dynamic range between two and three orders of magnitude, as determined for 15 model PAHs. This rapid approach represents an attractive way to screen samples containing nonpolar compounds using an ambient ionization source.