The Occurrence of 16 EPA PAHs in Food – A Review

Figures & data

Table 1: Molecular structure of PAHs assessed by the authorities

		Molecular	US EPA	EU priority	IARC
Compound	Structure	weight	PAHs	PAHs	group^a
Acenaphthene		154	x	—	3
Acenaphthylene		152	x	—	Not assessed
Anthracene		178	x	—	3
Fluoranthene		202	x	—	3
Fluorene		166	x	—	3
Naphthalene		128	x	—	2B
Phenanthrene		178	x	—	3
Pyrene		202	x	—	3
Benz[a]anthracene		228	x	x	2B
Benzo[b]fluoranthene		252	x	x	2B
Benzo[j]fluoranthene		252	—	x	2B
Benzo[k]fluoranthene		252	x	x	2B
Benzo[ghi]perylene		276	x	x	3
Benzo[a]pyrene		252	x	x	1
Chrysene		228	x	x	2B
Cyclopenta[cd]pyrene		226	—	x	3
Dibenz[a,h]anthracene		278	x	x	2A
Dibenzo[a,e]pyrene		302	—	x	3
Dibenzo[a,h]pyrene		302	—	x	2B
Dibenzo[a,i]pyrene		302	—	x	2B
Dibenzo[a,l]pyrene		302	—	x	2A
Indeno[1,2,3—cd]pyrene		276	x	x	2B
5—Methylchrysene		242	—	x	2B
Benzo[c]fluorene		216	—	x	3

IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) classification: group 1 = carcinogenic to humans, group 2A = probably carcinogenic to human, group 2B = possibly carcinogenic to humans, group 3 = not classifiable as to carcinogenicity to humans

Table 2: Maximum levels for benzo[a]pyrene and the sum of benzo[a]pyrene, benz[a]anthracene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, and chrysene as laid down in Regulation (EU) No 835/2011

		Maximum levels [μg/kg]
Foodstuffs		Benzo[a]pyrene	Sum of benzo[a]pyrene, benz[a]anthracene, benzo[b]fluoranthene and chrysene
6.1.1	Oils and fats (excluding cocoa butter and coconut oil) intended for direct human consumption or use as an ingredient in food	2.0	10.0
6.1.2	Cocoa beans and derived products	5.0 μg/kg fat	35.0 μg/kg fat until 31.3.201530.0 μg/kg fat from 1.4.2015
6.1.3	Coconut oil intended for direct human consumption or use as an ingredient in food	2.0	20.0
6.1.4	Smoked meat and smoked meat products	5.0 until 31.8.20142.0 as from 1.9.2014	30.0 until 31.8.201412.0 as from 1.9.2014
6.1.5	Muscle meat of smoked fish and smoked fishery products, excluding fishery products listed in points 6.1.6 and 6.1.7. The maximum level for smoked crustaceans applies to muscle meat from appendages and abdomen. In case of smoked crabs and crab-like crustaceans it applies to muscle meat from appendages.	5.0 until 31.8.2014 2.0 as from 1.9.2014	30.0 until 31.8.2014 12.0 as from 1.9.2014
6.1.6	Smoked sprats and canned smoked sprats; bivalve molluscs (fresh, chilled or frozen); heat treated meat and heat treated meat products sold to the final consumer	5.0	30.0
6.1.7	Bivalve molluscs (smoked)	6.0	35.0
6.1.8	Processed cereal-based foods and baby foods for infants and young children	1.0	1.0
6.1.9	Infant formulae and follow-on formulae, including infant milk and follow-on milk	1.0	1.0
6.1.10	Dietary foods for special medical purposes intended specifically for infants	1.0	1.0

Table 3: Indicators of maximum levels of benzo[a]pyrene in foods regulated in China

Food type/ Name	Maximum levels (μg/kg)
Paddy, wheat	5
Smoked or baked meats	5
Smoked or baked aquatic products	5
Fats and oils, and fat emulsions	10

Table 4: Currently commercially available certified reference materials (CRMs) for PAHs in food matrices

Producer	CRM	Matrices	Notes
NIST^a	SRM 1974c	organics in mussels tissue	22 PAHs with certified values (10 EPA), 18 PAHs with reference values (6 EPA), including alkylated PAHs
NIST^a	SRM 2974a	organics in freeze-dried mussels tissue	21 PAHs with certified values (8 EPA), 18 PAHs with reference values (5 EPA), including alkylated PAHs
EC-JRC-IRMM^b	BCR 458	coconut oil (PAH doped)	6 PAHs (pyrene, chrysene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene, benzo[ghi]perylene, indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene, currently out of stock
EC-JRC-IRMM^b	BCR 459	coconut oil (PAH blank)	6 PAHs (pyrene, chrysene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene, benzo[ghi]perylene, indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene
IAEA^c	IAEA-140/OC	seaweed	14 PAHs with recommended values (11 EPA), 7 PAHs with information values (4 EPA), broad confidence intervals, currently out of stock
IAEA^c	IAEA-406	fish homogenate	1 PAH with recommended value (pyrene), 14 PAHs with information values (12 EPA)
IAEA^c	IAEA-432	mussel homogenate	13 PAHs with recommended value (10 EPA), 4 PAHs with information values (1 EPA), elevated standard deviations
IAEA^c	IAEA-435	tuna homogenate	5 PAHs with recommended value (4 EPA), 17 PAHs with information values (11 EPA), elevated standard deviations

^aNational Institute of Standards and Technology (http://www.nist.gov)^bEuropean Commission – Joint Research Centre – Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (https://irmm.jrc.ec.europa.eu/reference_materials_catalogue/Pages/index.aspx)^cInternational Atomic Energy Agency (http://www.iaea.org)

Figure 1: Gas chromatographic separation of critical pairs/triplets on different columns stationary phases. (A) DB-17MS column, 60 m length, 0.25 mm i.d., 0.25 μm film thickness; (B) DB-5MS column, 60 m length, 0.25 mm i.d., 0.25 μm film thickness; (C) Optima® δ-6 column, 30 m length, 0.25 mm i.d., 0.25 μm film thickness (102); (D) Select PAH, 15 m lenght, 0.25 mm i.d., 0.1 μm film thickness (chromatogram was taken from authors experimental results).(BaA = benz[a]anthracene, CPP = cyclopenta[cd]pyrene, CHR = chrysene, Trp = triphenylene, BbF = benzo[b]fluoranthene, BkF = benzo[k]fluoranthene, BjF = benzo[j]fluoranthene, DhA = dibenz[ah]anthracene, IcP = indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene.) © Springer Science and Business Media. Reproduced by permission of Springer Science and Business Media. Permission to reuse must be obtained from the rightsholder.

Figure 2: GC x GC separation of PAHs in edible oil sample with highlighted critical non-separated groups of PAHs (BaA = benz[a]anthracene, CPP = cyclopenta[cd]pyrene and BbF = benzo[b]fluoranthene, BjF = benzo[j]fluoranthene, BkF = benzo[k]fluoranthene). Reprinted from, Purcaro et al. (107), © Elsevier. Reproduced by permission of Elsevier. Permission to reuse must be obtained from the rightsholder.

Purcaro, G., P. Morrison, S. Moret, L.S. Conte, and P.J. Marriott. “Determination of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Vegetable Oils using Solid-Phase Microextraction–Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography Coupled with Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry.” Journal of Chromatography A 1161 (2007): 284–291.

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