MONITORING OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS IN PRUNUS SPINOSA TREE COMPONENTS FROM CLUJ-NAPOCA AREA, ROMANIA

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) occur as contaminants in different types of food mainly as a result of environmental pollution, food packaging and processing. The levels observed in food are determined by the source of the contamination. Food intake is the first route of contamination to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are potentially toxic compounds via ingestion. The current investigation was performed to evaluate the PAH levels in Prunus spinosa compounds. The extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons was performed by ultrasound-assisted and solid-phase methods. PAHs content is usually higher in products grown near roadways or in urban areas than in rural environments. Trace level of compounds such as naphthalene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene and pyrene have been found in almost every analyzed sample.