Determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in food samples by automated on-line in-tube solid-phase microextraction coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection

A simple and sensitive automated method, consisting of in-tube solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD), was developed for the determination of 15 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in food samples. PAHs were separated within 15 min by HPLC using a Zorbax Eclipse PAH column with a water/acetonitrile gradient elution program as the mobile phase. The optimum in-tube SPME conditions were 20 draw/eject cycles of 40 μL of sample using a CP-Sil 19CB capillary column as an extraction device. Low- and high-molecular weight PAHs were extracted effectively onto the capillary coating from 5% and 30% methanol solutions, respectively. The extracted PAHs were readily desorbed from the capillary by passage of the mobile phase, and no carryover was observed. Using the in-tube SPME HPLC-FLD method, good linearity of the calibration curve (r > 0.9972) was obtained in the concentration range of 0.05–2.0 ng/mL, and the detection limits (S/N = 3) of PAHs were 0.32–4.63 pg/mL. The in-tube SPME method showed 18–47 fold higher sensitivity than the direct injection method. The intra-day and inter-day precision (relative standard deviations) for a 1 ng/mL PAH mixture were below 5.1% and 7.6% (n = 5), respectively. This method was applied successfully to the analysis of tea products and dried food samples without interference peaks, and the recoveries of PAHs spiked into the tea samples were >70%. Low-molecular weight PAHs such as naphthalene and pyrene were detected in many foods, and carcinogenic benzo[a]pyrene, at relatively high concentrations, was also detected in some black tea samples. This method was also utilized to assess the release of PAHs from tea leaves into the liquor.     

Highly sensitive and selective sensing platform based on π–π interaction between tricyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with thionine–graphene composite

We are just beginning to exploit the fascinating potential of thionine, called electrochemical probe that can selectively recognize specific polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), as tools for the detection of tricyclic aromatic hydrocarbons phenanthrene (PHE) and anthracene (ANT). A novel electrochemical sensing platform by modification of electroactive thionine functionalized graphene onto glass carbon electrode (Th/GRs/GCE) surface was constructed. The immobilized thionine showed a remarkable stability, which may benefit from the π–π stacking force with graphene. Under optimum conditions, the proposed electrochemical sensor exhibited high sensitivity and low detection limit for detecting PHE and ANT. The total amount of PHE and ANT could be quantified in a wide range of 10 pM–0.1 μM with a good linearity (R² = 0.9979) and a low detection limit of 0.1 pM (S/N = 3). Compounds which possess one or two benzene rings or PAHs with more than three rings, such as benzene, naphthalene (NAP), benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) and pyrene (PYR) show little interference on the detection. Consequently, a simple and sensitive electrochemical method was proposed for the determination of PHE and ANT, which was used to determine PHE and ANT in waste water samples. The electrochemical method provides a general tool that complements the commonly used spectroscopic methods and immune method for the detection of PAHs.     

Admicelle-enhanced synchronous fluorescence spectrometry for the selective determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water

A simple and rapid method for the highly sensitive determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in water was developed. Benzo[a]pyrene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, perylene, and pyrene in water were concentrated into sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-alumina admicelles. The collection was performed by adding SDS and alumina particles into the sample solution at pH 2. After gentle mixing, the resulting suspension was passed through a membrane filter to collect the SDS admicelles containing highly concentrated PAHs. The filter was placed on a slide glass and then covered admicellar layer with a fused silica glass plate before setting in a fluorescence spectrometer. Benzo[a]pyrene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, perylene, and pyrene were selectively determined by the synchronous fluorescence scan (SFS) analysis with keeping wavelength intervals between excitation and emission to 98, 35, 29, and 45 nm, respectively. Because of the minimum spectral overlapping, 1-40 ng l⁻¹ of benzo[a]pyrene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, and perylene as well as 10-150 ng l⁻¹ of pyrene were selectively determined with eliminating the interferences of other 12 PAHs. The detection limits were 0.3 ng l⁻¹ for benzo[a]pyrene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, and perylene, and 1 ng l⁻¹ for pyrene. They were 2-3 orders of magnitude lower than the detection limits in normal aqueous micellar solutions. The application to water analysis was studied.     

Comparison of ultrasonic and pressurized liquid extraction for the analysis of polycyclic aromatic compounds in soil samples by gas chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry

A pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) method has been optimized for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil samples and it was compared with ultrasonic extraction. The extraction step was followed by gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC-QqQ-MS/MS) analysis. Parameters such as type of solvent, extraction time, extraction temperature and number of extractions were optimized. There were no significant differences among the two extraction methods although better extraction efficiencies were obtained when PLE was used, minimizing extraction time and solvent consumption. PLE procedure was validated, obtaining limits of detection (LODs) ranging from 0.02 to 0.75 μg kg⁻¹ and limits of quantification (LOQs) ranging from 0.07 to 2.50 μg kg⁻¹ for the selected PAHs. Recoveries were in the range of 59-110%, except for naphthalene, which was the most volatile PAH. Finally, the method was applied to real soil samples from Southeast of Spain. PAHs concentrations were low, and phenanthrene, pyrene, fluorene, benzo[a]pyrene and chrysene were the most frequently detected analytes in the samples.     

Use of ionic liquid aggregates of 1-hexadecyl-3-butyl imidazolium bromide in a focused-microwave assisted extraction method followed by high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet and fluorescence detection to determine the 15+1 EU priority PAHs in toasted cereals ("gofios")

A focused-microwave assisted extraction method using aggregates of the ionic liquid (IL) 1-hexadecyl-3-butylimidazolium bromide (HDBIm-Br) followed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with ultraviolet (UV) detection and single-channel fluorescence detection (FLD) has been developed for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in toasted cereals (“gofios”) of different nature (wheat, barley, rye, and maize corn) from the Canary Islands, Spain. The optimized HPLC-UV-vis/single-channel FLD method takes 40 min for the chromatographic run with limits of detection varying between 0.02 and 4.01 ng mL⁻¹ for the fluorescent PAHs from the European Union (EU) priority list in foods, and 20.5 ng mL⁻¹ for the non-fluorescent PAH cyclopenta[c,d]pyrene (CPP). The optimized microwave step presented extractions recoveries ranging from 70.1 to 109% and precision values lower than 12.6% (as relative standard deviation), using an extraction time of 14 min. The extraction method also utilizes low amounts of sample (0.1 g), and low amounts of IL (77 mg), avoiding completely the use of organic solvents.     

New approach to quantitative analysis of benzo[a]pyrene in food supplements by an immunochemical column test

A quantitative immunochemical rapid test for sensitive determination of benzo[a]pyrene (BAP) as a model analyte was developed making use of a handheld reader for results evaluation. The covalent immobilization of antibodies to different Sepharose gels, i.e., CNBr-activated Sepharose 4B and CNBr-activated Sepharose 4 Fast Flow was compared with adsorption to a polyethylene support. The lowest limits of detection (LOD) were 4 ng L⁻¹ and 40 ng L⁻¹, respectively, using optimized assay conditions. The developed test was applied to food supplements (garlic, black radish and maca), including a pretreatment procedure. LOD of 9 ng kg⁻¹ and linear range of 13-80 ng kg⁻¹ were obtained. Results of BAP determination in naturally contaminated samples were confirmed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to fluorescence detection and a good correlation was achieved. We suggest that the developed test format can be used to quantitative detection of the low molecular weight analytes, such as mycotoxins, pesticides, other pollutants in food and environmental samples.     

Microwave-assisted extraction and ultrasonic extraction to determine polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in needles and bark of Pinus pinaster Ait. and Pinus pinea L. by GC-MS

Two different extraction strategies (microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and ultrasonic extraction (USE)) were tested in the extraction of the 16 US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from pine trees. Extraction of needles and bark from two pine species common in the Iberian Peninsula (Pinus pinaster Ait. and Pinus pinea L.) was optimized using two amounts of sample (1 g and 5 g) and two PAHs spiking levels (20 ng/g and 100 ng/g). In all cases, the clean-up procedure following extraction consisted in solid-phase extraction (SPE) with alumina cartridges. Quantification was done by gas chromatography (GC) with mass spectrometry (MS), using five deuterated PAH surrogate standards as internal standards. Limits of detection were globally below 0.2 ng/g. The method was robust for the matrices studied regardless of the extraction procedures. Recovery values between 70 and 130% were reached in most cases, except for high molecular weight PAHs (indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene, dibenzo[a,h]anthracene and benzo[ghi]perylene). A field study with naturally contaminated samples from eight sites (four in Portugal and four in Catalonia, Spain) showed that needles are more suitable biomonitors for PAHs, yielding concentrations from 2 to 17 times higher than those found in bark. The levels varied according to the sampling site, with the sum of the individual PAH concentrations between 213 and 1773 ng/g (dry weight). Phenanthrene was the most abundant PAH, followed by fluoranthene, naphthalene and pyrene.     

The application of an in vitro gastrointestinal extraction to assess the oral bioaccessibility of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soils from a former industrial site

The total and bioaccessible concentration of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil from a former industrial site was investigated. Typical total concentrations across the sampling sites ranged from 1.5 mg kg⁻¹ for acenaphthylene up to 243 mg kg⁻¹ for fluoranthene. The oral bioaccessibility of PAHs in soil was assessed using an in vitro gastrointestinal extraction (Fed Organic Estimation human Simulation Test, FOREhST method). The oral bioaccessibility data indicated that fluorene, phenanthrene, chrysene, indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene and dibenzo(a,h)anthracene had the highest % bioaccessible fraction (based on their upper 75th percentile values being >60%) while the other PAHs had lower % bioaccessible fractions (means ranging between 35 and 59%). Significantly lower bioaccessibilities were determined for naphthalene. With respect to method validation and inter-laboratory comparison, the total and bioaccessible concentrations of benzo(a)anthracene, benzo(b)anthracene, benzo(k)fluoranthene, benzo(a)pyrene, indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene and dibenzo(a,h)anthracene was compared to published data derived using the same samples. The total PAH concentrations at the site were compared with generic assessment criteria (GAC) using the residential land use scenario (with plant uptake at 6% soil organic matter). Concentrations of 7 of the PAHs investigated within the soils could lead to an unacceptable risk to human health at this site.     

EDXRF spectrometry determination of tungsten in tobacco plants after antiviral treatment with 12-tungstophosphoric acid and its compounds

In this study, we have developed a sensitive, rapid and simple procedure for the energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometry measurement of tungsten in tobacco plant parts. Only 0.1 g of dried plant material is needed instead of the usual 1 g. EDXRF spectrometry is used for quantitative measurement, after the foliar application of solutions of tungstophosphoric acid (WPA), its magnesium salt and compounds with glycine (Gly) and alanine (Ala), in exact quantities. After that, the leaves, trunks and summits were collected and prepared separately. Tungsten is determined directly in raw dried material, and the overlap of the tungsten peak with zinc's that is present is avoided by the spectral deconvolution to obtain quantitative results. The prepared dry tablets weighed 100 mg, and measurement time was 2000 s. The radioisotope excitation source used was ¹⁰⁹Cd and tungsten was identified and quantified at the L_α1 and L_α2 lines at the energies of 8397.6 eV and 8335.2 eV, respectively. EDXRF spectrometry was applied in a wide range of concentrations (up to 2000 mg/kg), with an estimated detection concentration limit of 15 mg/kg, calculated on dried material. Quantitative analysis of different parts of the treated plant plus the washings gave 94.47% recovery of the applied tungsten in different compound forms. After the foliar application of investigated WPA compounds, there were noticed both vertical and horizontal distributions of tungsten through out the tobacco plants, according to the EDXRF spectrometry results. This conclusion is also in agreement with the positive effects of WPA on Tobacco mosaic tobamovirus (TMV) infection of Nicotiana tabacum (Solanaceae).     

Selective determination of bisphenol A (BPA) in water by a reversible fluorescence sensor using pyrene/dimethyl β-cyclodextrin complex

A bifurcated optical fiber chemical sensor for continuous monitoring of bisphenol A (BPA) has been proposed based on the fluorescence quenching (λ_ex/λ_em = 286/390 nm) of pyrene/dimethyl β-cyclodextrin (HDM-β-CD) supramolecular complex immobilized in a plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) membrane, in which pyrene served as a sensitive fluorescence indicator probe. The decrease of the fluorescence intensity of pyrene/HDM-β-CD complex upon the addition of BPA was attributed to the displacement of pyrene by BPA, which has been utilized as the basis of the fabrication of a BPA-sensitive fluorescence sensor. The response mechanism of the sensor was discussed in detail. The sensor exhibited a dynamic detection range from 7.90 × 10⁻⁸ to 1.66 × 10⁻⁵ mol L⁻¹ with a detection limit of 7.00 × 10⁻⁸ mol L⁻¹, and showed excellent reproducibility, reversibility, selectivity, and lifetime. The proposed sensor was successfully used for the determination of BPA in water samples and landfill leachate.     

Monofluorinated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as internal standards in Shpol’skii spectroscopy: 1-fluoropyrene as an example

As a sequel to an earlier paper, we have studied the behaviour of 1-fluoropyrene and pyrene in lamp-excited Shpol’skii spectrofluorimetry at 11 K in two different matrices, n-octane and n-hexane, using two different solidification processes. Particular attention is paid to the suitability of 1-fluoropyrene as an internal standard (IS) to correct for different sources of variability. As a demonstration of the applicability of this approach, four polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs; pyrene, chrysene, benzo[a]pyrene and benzo[k]fluoranthene) were determined in a river sediment extract. The results agreed well with those obtained by HPLC with fluorescence detection.     

A new strategy based on cholesterol-functionalized iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles for determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by high-performance liquid chromatography with cholesterol column

This study reported for the first time the use of cholesterol-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@Chol) for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in traditional Chinese medicine samples (TCMs) by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with fluorescence detection. The method was efficient, environmentally friendly, and fast. The solvent consumption of the proposed column is only half of the conventional column but with higher efficiency. Influencing factors, including sorbent amount, desorption solvent, sample volume and extraction time, were investigated in detail. Under the optimum conditions, good linearity (R² > 0.991) was obtained over the range of 5–400 ng g⁻¹, with limits of detection (LOD) 0.75, 0.50, 1.0, 0.56, 0.60, 0.84 and 0.80 ng g⁻¹ for anthracene, fluoranthene, pyrene, chrysene, benzo[a]anthracene, benzo(b)fluoranthene and benzo(k)fluoranthene, respectively.     

FT-IR measurement of tagitinin C after solvent extraction from Tithonia diversifolia

Tagitinin C, an antiplasmodial compound, identified as one major compound of the subtropical medicinal plant, Tithonia diversifolia, was determined by FT-IR spectroscopy method. The crude ether extracts from aerial parts of the plant were evaporated to dryness and re-dissolved in tetrachloroethylene (C₂Cl₄) before analysis.The magnitude of the absorbance of the very specific CO stretching vibration (ν_CO) at 1664.8 cm⁻¹ was exploited in order to quantify tagitinin C. The determination coefficient (r²) of the calibration scale was 0.9994, the detection limit was lower than 3 μg ml⁻¹ and the quantification limit was lower than 10 μg ml⁻¹.Recovery values from 100.5 to 101.7% were found for spiked concentration levels from 19.91 to 89.95 μg ml⁻¹. The main characteristics of the curves obtained from the calibration standards and from the standard addition technique were not statistically different (Student t-test) suggesting that matrix effects were negligible.The results obtained for the determination of tagitinin C in the crude ether extract from aerial parts of T. diversifolia by LC and FT-IR spectroscopic method agreed well: 0.76±0.02 and 0.773±0.009, of tagitinin C in dried plant respectively.     

Highly sensitive and selective fluorescence optosensor to detect and quantify benzo[a]pyrene in water samples

We describe here a method for detecting and quantifying the highly carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) in water, based on a flow-trough optical sensor. The technique is fast (response time of 40 s) and simple and at the same time meets the standards of sensitivity and selectivity required by the European Guidelines on Water for Human Consumption. The optosensor is based on the on-line immobilization of BaP on a non-ionic resin (Amberlite XAD-4) solid support in a continuous-flow system. BaP was analyzed in a 15 mM H₂PO₄⁻/HPO₄²⁻ buffer solution with 25% (v/v) 1,4-dioxane at pH 7. Fluorescence intensity was measured at λ_ex/em=392/406 nm. The experimental conditions (reagent phase, pH, type and concentration of buffer solution and organic solvent) and flow-injection values (flow rate and injection volume) were carefully controlled. Under these conditions the optosensor was sensitive to a linear concentration range of between 3.0 and 250.0 ng l⁻¹ with a detection limit of 3.0 ng l⁻¹ and a standard deviation of 1.5% at 150 ng l⁻¹. The optosensor was applied to the quantification of BaP in drinking and waste water samples (95-105% recovery) in presence of the other 15 EPA PAHs at 1000 ng l⁻¹ concentration level. The influence of other fluorescent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and potential interference from ions usually present in water was also evaluated.     

Chemometrics-assisted excitation–emission fluorescence spectroscopy on nylon-attached rotating disks. Simultaneous determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the presence of interferences

This work presents a green and very simple approach which enables the accurate and simultaneous determination of benzo[a]pyrene, dibenz[a,h]anthracene, benz[a]anthracene, and chrysene, concerned and potentially carcinogenic heavy-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in interfering samples. The compounds are extracted from water samples onto a device composed of a small rotating Teflon disk, with a nylon membrane attached to one of its surfaces. After extraction, the nylon membrane containing the concentrated analytes is separated from the Teflon disk, and fluorescence excitation–emission matrices are directly measured on the nylon surface, and processed by applying parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC), without the necessity of a desorption step. Under optimum conditions and for a sample volume of 25 mL, the PAHs extraction was carried out in 20 min. Detection limits based on the IUPAC recommended criterion and relative errors of prediction were in the ranges 20–100 ng L⁻¹ and 5–7%, respectively. Thanks to the combination of the ability of nylon to strongly retain PAHs, the easy rotating disk extraction approach, and the selectivity of second-order calibration, which greatly simplifies sample treatment avoiding the use of toxic solvents, the developed method follows most green analytical chemistry principles.     

Isolation and analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from natural water using accelerated solvent extraction followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

An innovative analytical procedure for the analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from large-volume water samples is presented. It involves sample preparation, sampling and the elution process in an automated continuous procedure involving the ASE technique. Prior to sampling, a XAD-2 resin column is prepared on the basis of a commercial accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) cartridge so that the resin bed is permanently fixed. Then, the XAD column inside the ASE cartridge is cleaned and conditioned. The sampling procedure involves conventional filtration with subsequent isolation of dissolved PAHs on an XAD-2 resin contained in the ASE cartridge. After sampling, the XAD-2 resin content inside the cartridge is eluted by ASE without any further sample preparation and subsequently reused. In order to validate the procedure, the PAHs were isolated from water samples from the Lake Maggiore (North of Italy) using both XAD-2 resin adsorption and hexane liquid-liquid extraction according to the International Standard Methodology ISO 17993. The mean percentages of deviation between concentrations obtained by both methodologies range from 6% for benzo(a)pyrene to 15% for fluoranthene and benzo(b,k)fluoranthene. Compared to the traditional techniques, this procedure offers numerous practical advantages: easy to perform, fast, savings in solvent volume and in time, all steps are fully automated thus avoiding any XAD-2 resin manipulation during and between steps and moreover, low detection limits were provided (0.001 ng l⁻¹ for chrysene, benzo(b,k)fluoranthene, benzo(a)pyrene, dibenz(a,h)anthracene, benzo(g,h,i)perylene and indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene, and 0.01 ng l⁻¹ for acenaphthylene and fluoranthene).This procedure was developed in the frame of a project aimed at evaluating the diffuse input of organic contaminants in the Lake Maggiore.     

A novel application of nylon membranes to the luminescent determination of benzo[a]pyrene at ultra trace levels in water samples

Very simple and highly sensitive methods are presented for the determination of benzo[a]pyrene, one of the most carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The approaches are based on solid-phase extraction of the analyte on a nylon membrane via a syringe procedure, and its fluorescent or phosphorescent determination on the solid surface. While the native fluorescence of benzo[a]pyrene retained on a nylon surface is measured directly, room-temperature phosphorescence is induced by spotting a few microlitres of thallium(I) nitrate solution on the surface (heavy-atom effect). An enhancement of the phosphorescence signal was corroborated when the measurements were carried under a nitrogen atmosphere. The analytical figures of merit obtained under the best experimental conditions demonstrate the capability of detecting benzo[a]pyrene at a sub-parts-per-trillion (sub-ng L⁻¹) level. The potential interference from other common PAHs and also from different metal ions was studied. The feasibility of determining benzo[a]pyrene in real samples was successfully evaluated through the analysis of spiked tap, underground and mineral water samples of different origins. Recoveries obtained from spiked river waters were successfully compared with those provided by a reference method, through rigorous statistical analysis.     

A novel TiO2 nanotube array/Ti wire incorporated solid-phase microextraction fiber with high strength,efficiency and selectivity

A novel solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber is fabricated through the anodization of Ti wire substrates in an electrolyte containing ethylene glycol and NH₄F. By a combination of field emission scanning electron microscope and X-ray photoelectron spectroscope studies, it is shown that perpendicularly orientated and well-aligned TiO₂ nanotubes are grown in situ on the Ti wire substrate. The SPME fiber coupled with gas chromatograph (GC) is then used to extract polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), anilines, phenols, and alkanes from standard and real water samples, and exhibits high selectivity for PAHs. After the optimization of adsorption factors (pH, ionic strength, time and temperature) and desorption factors (time and temperature) of the SPME fiber for PAHs, the limit of detection (LOD) of less than 0.1 μg L⁻¹ is achieved, and the calibration curves are all linear (R² ≥ 0.9898) in the range from 0.1 to 1000 μg L⁻¹. Beyond that, the SPME fiber has high strength, large surface area, good stability at high temperature and in acid and alkali solutions, and long service life, making it have strong application potentials in the selective extraction of PAHs from complex samples at trace levels.     

Rapid surface plasmon resonance immunobiosensor assay for microcystin toxins in blue-green algae food supplements

A surface plasmon resonance (SPR) immunobiosensor assay was developed and validated to detect microcystin toxins in Spirulina and Aphanizomenon flos-aquae blue-green algae (BGA) food supplements. A competitive inhibition SPR-biosensor was developed using a monoclonal antibody to detect microcystin (MC) toxins. Powdered BGA samples were extracted with an aqueous methanolic solution, centrifuged and diluted in HBS-EP buffer prior to analysis. The assay was validated in accordance with the performance criteria outlined in EU legislation 2002/657/EC. The limit of detection (LOD) of the assay was calculated from the analysis of 20 known negative BGA samples to be 0.561 mg kg⁻¹. The detection capability (CCβ) of the assay was determined to be ≤0.85 mg kg⁻¹ for MC-LR. The biosensor assay was successfully applied to detect MC-LR toxins in BGA samples purchased on the Irish retail market. MC-LR was detected in samples at levels ranging from <0.5 to 2.21 mg kg⁻¹. The biosensor results were in good agreement with an established LC-MS/MS assay. The assay is advantageous because it employs a simple clean-up procedure compared to chemical assays and allows automated unattended analysis of samples unlike ELISA.     

Determination of heavy polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons of concern in edible oils via excitation–emission fluorescence spectroscopy on nylon membranes coupled to unfolded partial least-squares/residual bilinearization

Seven heavy polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) of concern on the US Environmental Protection Agency priority pollutant list (benzo[a]anthracene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene, dibenz[a,h]anthracene, benzo[g,h,i]perylene, and indeno[1,2,3-c,d]-pyrene) were simultaneously analyzed in extra virgin olive oil. The analysis is based on the measurement of excitation–emission matrices on nylon membrane and processing of data using unfolded partial least-squares regression with residual bilinearization (U-PLS/RBL). The conditions needed to retain the PAHs present in the oil matrix on the nylon membrane were evaluated. The limit of detection for the proposed method ranged from 0.29 to 1.0 μg kg^?1, with recoveries between 64 and 78 %. The predicted U-PLS/RBL concentrations compared favorably with those measured using high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. The proposed method was applied to ten samples of edible oil, two of which presented PAHs ranging from 0.35 to 0.63 μg kg^?1. The principal advantages of the proposed analytical method are that it provides a significant reduction in time and solvent consumption with a similar limit of detection as compared with chromatography.