Efficient PAH Analysis (EU 15+1) using an Ascentis^® Express PAH HPLC Column

Petra Lewits, Global Product Manager HPLC Columns

Merck

Article from Analytix Reporter - Issue 14

In 2005, the European Commission (EU) recommended the monitoring of 15 priority PAHs along with an additional PAH highlighted by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) which are considered toxic in food products.¹ The list contains eight of the EPA’s priority PAHs along with eight other compounds that are known carcinogens.

In this application, we demonstrate a PAH analysis method for the separation of EU 15 + 1 PAH compounds on a 50 x 4.6 mm, 2.7 μm Ascentis^® Express PAH column. The analysis was completed under the given conditions (Table 1) in less than ten minutes with an excellent resolution between the critical pair, peaks 4 and 5 (chrysene and 5-methylchrysene), that only differ by the presence of a methyl group (Figure 1).

Table 1. Experimental conditions for EU 15 + 1 PAH analysis

Column:	Ascentis® Express 90 Å PAH, 2.7 µm, 5 cm x 4.6 mm I.D. (53539-U)
Mobile phase:	[A] Water; [B] acetonitrile
Gradient:	Time	%B
	0.0	50
	4.0	100
	15.0	100
	15.1	50
Flow rate:	1.8 mL/min
Column Temperature:	30 °C
Detection:	UV @ 292 nm; data rate:  100 Hz
Injection volume:	10 µL

Figure 1. Separation of EU 15 + 1 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons using an Ascentis^® Express PAH HPLC Column (Peak IDs Table 2).

Table 2. Peak Identity of the 16 PAHs analyzed

Peak Number	Compound
1	Benzo[c]fluorene
2	Cyclopenta[cd]pyrene
3	Benzo[a]anthracene
4	Chrysene
5	5-Methylchrysene
6	Benzo[j]fluoranthene
7	Benzo[b]fluoranthene
8	Benzo[k]fluoranthene
9	Benzo[a]pyrene
10	Dibenzo[a,l]pyrene
11	Dibenz[a,h]anthracene
12	Benzo[ghi]perylene
13	Indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene
14	Dibenzo[a,e]pyrene
15	Dibenzo[a,i]pyrene
16	Dibenzo[a,h]pyrene

Conclusion

The new Ascentis^® Express PAH HPLC column allows a highly efficient separation of 16 PAHs in 10 minutes. The Fused-Core^® technology of Ascentis^® Express PAH HPLC columns enables fast, efficient, and rugged separations, which are paramount to environmental and food analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

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References

1. European Union, Commission Recommendation 2005/108/EC, Off. J.Eur.Comm. L34 (2005) 43. [Internet]. Available from: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reco/2005/108/oj