High sensitivity detection method for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons using GC-MS/MS
Introduction
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are organic compounds produced not only by industrial activities but also by the combustion of substances in human activities and natural phenomena such as home heating, cooking, and forest fires. It has been recognized that PAHs have strong carcinogenicity or mutagenicity. Because they are produced in various combustion processes, there is a possibility that PAHs are contained not only in environmental pollution but also in various substances around human activity. The government organizations of several territories have already controlled and regulated contaminant level of PAHs from various points of view.
In Japan, the PAHs level in environmental pollutants is controlled and regulated, and the contamination levels of PAHs in various household products are also controlled and regulated by law (Act on Control of Household Products Containing Harmful Substances).
In Europe, the contamination level of PAHs in familiar products such as toys and furniture is controlled and regulated by GS mark certification from the perspective of safety certification. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) sets maximum acceptable levels for PAHs in food. Various regulations concerning PAH contamination levels have been in place, and there is a possibility to create new regulations about PAHs from different interests.
In the United States, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates PAHs pollution levels in soil and water, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sets limits for PAH contamination levels in food. In addition, each state and local government may implement its own regulations, and it is expected that the scope of regulations will continue to expand in the future.
Several methods have been proposed to measure trace amounts of PAHs. Gas chromatography- triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC-Triple QMS) is commonly used for high sensitivity measurement methods for specific PAHs in complex matrices. Twenty kinds of PAHs shown in Table 1 (left) were measured using JMS-TQ4000GC (JEOL Ltd.) and those the results are reported in this application note.