A practical and eco-friendly method for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in açaí-based food products by vacuum-assisted sorbent extraction coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

ABSTRACT

For the first time, a method for the simultaneous analysis of fifteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), including light and heavy PAHs, in açaí-based food products (AFPs) was developed using vacuum-assisted sorbent extraction (VASE) combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The method requires no organic solvents and is amenable to full automation. To achieve optimal analytical extraction conditions, VASE parameters including stirring rate, extraction time, desorption temperature, desorption time, preheat time, and preheat temperature were optimized using sequential multivariate optimization. The method was validated and yielded limits of quantification below 1 µg kg-1 for all analytes, with recoveries ranging from 65 % to 112 % and good precision (≤11 % relative standard deviation). Additionally, the greenness and practical aspects of the method were investigated using the Green Analytical Procedure Index (GAPI), eco-scale, and the Blue Applicability Grade Index (BAGI), respectively. The VASE-GC-MS approach is suitable for routine analysis and exhibits characteristics of a green analytical method. No PAHs were detected above the limits of detection in thirty samples of AFPs.