多环芳烃(PAHs)是可以在各种食品中发现的环境污染物,包括那些打算给婴儿的。由于其潜在的健康风险,开发灵敏的分析方法对准确测定婴幼儿食品中的PAHs至关重要。本研究描述了一种用于量化欧洲PAH标记的高灵敏度方法的开发和验证,即苯并[a]芘,苯并[a]蒽,chrysene,和苯并[b]荧蒽,气相色谱-串联质谱(GC-MS/MS),在婴儿食品样品中。第一步是样品制备程序的优化,使用基于QuEChERS方法的不同方法执行,还测试不同的提取溶剂。几个因素,如提取效率,选择性,和回收率进行评估,以选择最有效的样品制备程序。此外,优化了GC-MS/MS方法,评估参数,如线性度,灵敏度,准确度,和使用加标婴儿食品样品的鲁棒性。该方法在很宽的浓度范围内表现出优异的线性,相关系数高于0.999。检测限和定量限范围为0.019-0.036μg/kg和0.06-0.11μg/kg,分别。提取回收率在73.1~110.7%之间,相对标准偏差始终低于8%。这些发现符合欧盟委员会的指示(Reg。836/2011)。为了评估该方法对官方控制活动的适用性,对市售婴儿食品进行了调查。在属于婴儿和幼儿的不同食物类别的商业样品中确定了四种标记。这次监测的结果表明,PAH污染,在所有样品中,低于定量限。总之,所建立的气相色谱-质谱联用(GC-MS/MS)方法为婴儿食品中多环芳烃的检测提供了一种灵敏度高、可靠性高的检测方法。优化的样品制备,仪器参数,和验证结果确保4PAHs的准确定量,即使在痕量水平。这种方法可以有助于评估婴儿的PAH暴露,并且可以通过定期监测来支持监管工作,以确保婴儿食品的安全性和质量。
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.