Determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon compounds in edible oils by GC-MS

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) is a group of carcinogenic compounds consisting of fused aromatic rings, which is formed due to incomplete combustion of organic substances. The heavy PAHs containing more than four aromatic rings are chemically stable and very toxic. PAHs are lipophilic in nature and often found in edible oils, fats and food stuffs. In 2005, the European Union Commission Regulation (EC, No 208/2005) set the maximum level of PAH (with benzo[a]pyrene as a marker) in oils and fats to be 2.0 mg/kg. In this study, PAH-selective SPE extraction coupled with GC-MS SIM mode method were used to determine the PAHs in edible oils.