Detecting PAHs in grilled beef and chicken using QuEChERS and GC-MS/UV-Vis
Nasiru Tambai
Ibrahim Musa
Abstract
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are environmental pollutants that are formed during the incomplete combustion of organic matter, including wood and charcoal used for grilling. Grilled meat products, such as beef steak and chicken, can be contaminated with PAHs, posing a potential health risk to consumers. This study aimed to detect and quantify the levels of PAHs in grilled beef steak and chicken using different wood/charcoal types, employing the Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe (QuEChERS) method and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometry for analysis.Detection and quantification of PAHs in grilled beef steak and chicken.Comparison of PAH levels across different wood/charcoal types, Assessment of the potential health risks associated with PAH contamination in grilled meat products.The UV-Vis analysis revealed varying PAH levels: Beef-Charcoal (1.20 ± 0.10) had the highest concentration, followed by Chicken-Charcoal (1.05 ± 0.08), Beef-Wood (0.85 ± 0.05), and Chicken-Wood (0.70 ± 0.03) at 254 nm. Charcoal-grilled samples showed higher PAH levels.The QuEChERS extraction method yielded satisfactory results, with 80-90% recovery of PAHs from grilled beef and chicken samples.GC-MS analysis detected 12 PAHs in grilled beef and chicken samples, including Naphthalene, Acenaphthalene, Acenaphthylene, Acenaphthene, Fluorene, Phenanthrene, Anthracene, Fluoranthene, Pyrene, Benz(a)anthracene, Chrysene, and Benzo(b)fluoranthene, indicating varying concentrations of these compounds in the samples.
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