Determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in cane sugar

Different brands and types of commercial cane sugar available on the Brazilian market were analysed for five polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by HPLC-FL. PAHs were detected in 57% of the samples at levels ranging from not detected to 1.35 μg/kg. The most commonly found PAH was benz(a)anthracene, found in 51% of the analysed samples, while dibenz(a,h)anthracene was not detected. The results indicate that the practice of burning sugar cane before harvest may be responsible for the presence of PAHs in commercial cane sugar and suggests that the levels of PAH residues in the final product depend on the amount of burnt sugar cane being processed and on the steps involved in the sugar refining process.