EU’s Scientific Committee on Food PAH 151 Analysis Using a ZORBAX Eclipse PAH Column

Importance of the Topic

The sixteen EPA priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and related compounds are potent carcinogens that frequently contaminate food through environmental and processing pathways. Reliable, high-throughput analytical methods are critical for ensuring food safety and regulatory compliance.

Study Objectives and Overview

This work aims to develop a fast, robust liquid chromatography method for the separation of:

• The 15 priority PAHs defined by the EU’s Scientific Committee on Food (SCF).
• Benzo[c]fluorene as prioritized by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA).
• Two additional PAHs (benzo[c]phenanthrene and triphenylene) that coelute near benzo[c]fluorene.

Methodology

Individual PAH standards were dissolved in toluene or methylene chloride to prepare a “15+1” mixture, then diluted with ethanol. Gradient elution started at 60% acetonitrile, ramped to 100% over 5.5 minutes, and returned to initial conditions by 10 minutes. The column temperature was held at 25 °C.

Instrumental Setup

• Column: Agilent ZORBAX Eclipse PAH, 2.1×50 mm, 1.8 µm (p/n 959741-918).
• LC System: Agilent 1200 Series Rapid Resolution LC.
• Detector: UV at 300 nm (8 nm bandwidth), data rate 0.1 s.
• Flow rate: 0.6 mL/min; flow cell: 6 mm, 5 µL volume.
• Mobile phases: A – water; B – acetonitrile.
• Maximum system pressure: 422 bar.

Main Findings and Discussion

The short, highly efficient 1.8 µm PAH column achieved baseline resolution for all 18 analytes within 10 minutes, including column re-equilibration. Closely eluting isomeric PAHs were reliably separated, demonstrating excellent selectivity and reproducibility across multiple runs.

Benefits and Practical Applications

• High-throughput analysis suitable for routine food safety screening.
• Scalable to longer columns (4.6×150 mm) for higher sample loads.
• Proven robustness in complex matrices such as air, water, soil, and food extracts.

Future Trends and Opportunities

Potential developments include coupling to mass spectrometry for enhanced sensitivity, further miniaturization of column formats, and extending the analyte panel to emerging PAHs. Advances in stationary phase design may enable even faster separations and longer column lifetimes.

Conclusion

The rapid RRLC method using an Agilent ZORBAX Eclipse PAH column provides a reliable, flexible solution for separating 18 PAHs of regulatory importance in food safety, combining speed, selectivity, and robustness for demanding analytical workflows.

References

1. John Henderson and Cliff Woodward, Robustness of Eclipse PAH Columns for HPLC Analysis of PAHs, 5989-7828EN, January 2008.
2. John Henderson, William Biazzo, and William Long, PAH Separations Using ZORBAX Eclipse PAH Columns: Analysis from Six to 24 PAHs, 5989-7968EN, February 2008.