An automated extraction approach for isolation of 24 polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from various marine matrixes

An efficient and selective analytical method for determination and quantification of 24 various polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in blue mussel (Mytilus edulis), salmon fillet (Salmo salar), fish oil and fish feed has been developed. The samples were extracted by means of accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) technique followed by a purification step with gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Identification and quantification were performed by using GC/MS. The novel combination of silica and alumina in the extraction step furnishes highly purified analytes for the most of the 24 PAHs investigated, and thus a fast and selective analytical method is developed. A small limitation with the method concerns the quantification of acenaphthene (Ace), fluorene (Fl), pyrene (Py) and benzo[a]anthracene (BaA), as the found values for these compounds do not match the certified values (SRM 2977, mussel tissue). Chrysene (Chr) and triphenylene (Tph) give unresolved peaks. The limits of detection (LOD) and limits of quantification (LOQ) found for benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) were 1.7 and 0.44 pg/g (LOD), and 5.8 and 1.5 pg/g (LOQ) for salmon fillet and blue mussel, respectively. This is in a very good accordance with respect to the European Community legislation for official control of BaP levels in foodstuff. The method may be used for qualitative identification of petroleum compounds in marine matrixes.