Speaker
Description
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are amongst the most toxic compounds known to man. Several PAHs are proven to be carcinogenic, mutagenic, and teratogenic. Due to their wide distribution in the environment and their toxicity, it is considered important to monitor the levels of these compounds in foodstuff. PAHs have been detected in many foods including plant-based such as vegetable oils, cereal grains, herbs, spices, teas, and supplements1,2. As the awareness for the healthy life-style has increased globally, the intake of medicinal herbs as teas and spices has also grown immensely. Therefore, even bigger emphasis must be made to monitor the toxic levels of PAHs in herbs. The maximum concentrations of certain contaminants in food in the Republic of Serbia included PAHs values in dry herbs only by the end of 2019 ("Official Gazette / RS", No. 81/2019)3. Herein, we investigate the sources of PAHs contamination in dry herbs collected from the different parts of Serbia, its quantification and the potential health risk posed by their toxicity.
Keywords: analytical chemistry, PAH, processing, pollution
References
1. Vasudha B., Ki-Hyun K. Review of PAH contamination in food products and their health hazards, Environ. Int. 2015, 84, 26-38. DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2015.06.016
2. Radomirović M., Miletić A., Onjia A. Accumulation of heavy metal(loid)s and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the sediment of the Prahovo Port (Danube) and associated risks, Environ. Monit. Assess, 2023, 195 (323). DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-10926-2.
3. Regulation on maximum concentrations of certain contaminants in food "Official Gazette / RS", No. 81/2019, 2019, Article 2 of Annex 2, Section 6.
