Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Environmental Matrices, Milk and Eggs: Occurrence, Legislation and Analytical Challenges

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are organic compounds consisting of carbon and hydrogen atoms, with more than two fused benzene rings. PAHs are associated with risks to human health, particularly carcinogenesis. One exposure route is the ingestion of contaminated food, which can result from high-temperature preparation and processing (such as grilling, smoking, toasting, frying, and deep-frying), as well as from PAHs present in soil, air, and water due to environmental pollution, including incomplete combustion or pyrolysis of organic matter during industrial processing and motor vehicle exhaust. Deposition of PAHs from the air leads to their entry into soil, which is their main route into the environment – sediments and water. Analytical methods for determining PAHs in environmental samples include extraction, purification, and detection techniques. Sample preparation is a crucial step in the analysis of PAHs, especially in complex food matrices that require efficient extraction and clean-up procedures to isolate PAHs from co-extracted matrix components. This review provides an overview of the available literature – from sample preparation procedures, extraction and clean-up methods, to instrumental analytical techniques in various matrices, including soil, water (wastewater, drinking water, surface water), and food of animal origin (egg, milk) – thus offering a comprehensive summary in one place. The paper also reviews the occurrence of PAHs in different types of matrices in the context of legislation.