In this study the 13 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) identified as being genotoxic and carcinogenic by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) were determined in different brands of soybean oils available on the Brazilian market, totalling 42 samples. A solid-phase extraction (SPE) method for sample clean-up with a C18 cartridge, followed by reversed-phase HPLC with fluorescence detection, was used for determination. The method showed good recoveries for most PAHs studied with values between 74% and 111%. Good intra- and inter-day precisions (0.5 < RSD < 11.9) and high correlation coefficients (r(2)> 0.999) were obtained. The presence of PAHs was detected in all 42 samples with mean summed PAH levels ranging from 10.4 to 112.0 µg kg(-1). The mean and maximum dietary exposures for total PAHs were estimated as 12.4 and 19.1 ng kg bw(-1) day(-1), respectively.
Keywords: PAH; oils and fats; process contaminants – PAHs; processed foods.