title: Analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in fish: evaluation of a quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe extraction method.
abstract: QuEChERS method was evaluated for extraction of 16 PAHs from fish samples. For a selective measurement of the compounds, extracts were analysed by LC with fluorescence detection. The overall analytical procedure was validated by systematic recovery experiments at three levels and by using the standard reference material SRM 2977 (mussel tissue). The targeted contaminants, except naphthalene and acenaphthene, were successfully extracted from SRM 2977 with recoveries ranging from 63.5-110.0% with variation coefficients not exceeding 8%. The optimum QuEChERS conditions were the following: 5 g of homogenised fish sample, 10 mL of ACN, agitation performed by vortex during 3 min. Quantification limits ranging from 0.12-1.90 ng/g wet weight (0.30-4.70 microg/L) were obtained. The optimized methodology was applied to assess the safety concerning PAHs contents of horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus), chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus), sardine (Sardina pilchardus) and farmed seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax). Although benzo(a)pyrene, the marker used for evaluating the carcinogenic risk of PAHs in food, was not detected in the analysed samples (89 individuals corresponding to 27 homogenized samples), the overall mean concentration ranged from 2.52 +/- 1.20 ng/g in horse mackerel to 14.6 +/- 2.8 ng/g in farmed seabass. Significant differences were found between the mean PAHs concentrations of the four groups.
authors.affiliation: Requimte, Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Maria João
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ramalhosa
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Paíga
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morais
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Delerue-Matos
authors.forename: Maria Beatriz Prior Pinto
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Oliveira
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049872:Bivalvia / Q000737:chemistry; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005399:Fishes; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010573:Pesticide Residues / Q000032:analysis*; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D010573:Pesticide Residues; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons