Rapid and Solvent-Free Method for the Direct Quantification of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Refined Maize and Rapeseed Oils

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are carcinogenic and mutagenic compounds that can be introduced to edible oil via the environment or through solvent extraction processes. In this proof-of-principle study, we report a rapid method to quantify benzo[a]pyrene (B(a)P) in refined rapeseed and maize oil samples obtained directly from the refinery. Oil samples were spiked with different B(a)P concentrations, and their fluorescence excitation and emission matrix (EEM) data were acquired. Principal component analysis (PCA) and prospective prediction of B(a)P concentration in a blind sample, using partial least square regression (PLSR) and support vector regression (SVR) analyses with a single calibration model built using two different types of oils, provided B(a)P detection limits of 1.04 and 0.93 ppb, respectively. Our technique offers a rapid, solvent-free analysis, and we envisage that it can lead to the design and development of miniaturized devices for the direct quantification of PAHs in edible oils.