Quantification of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in fruits and vegetables using high performance liquid chromatography

This paper describes a method for determination of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in vegetables and fruits. In the present study reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography with UV-VIS detection was optimized for separation and quantification of individual PAHs in fruit and vegetable samples. Concentration of total PAHs in different vegetable and fruit samples varied from 59.6 to 194.3 µg/kg and 25.5 to 51.7 µg/kg, respectively. The mean recovery of PAHs in different samples was in range of 70-86% with relative standard deviation in the range of 0.4-7%.