Stability of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons during Heating

Y.C. CHEN AND B.H. CHEN*

Department of Nutrition & Food Science, Fu Jen University, 510 Chung Cheng Rd., Hsin Chung City, Taipei, Taiwan 242 R.O.C.

(Received: August 10, 2000; Accepted: October 19, 2000)

ABSTRACT

   The stability of three polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) standards, benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), benzo[a]anthracene (BaA) and dibenz[a,h]anthracene (DBahA) during heating was studied. The residual amount of each PAH was quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results showed that during heating in a closed system, the levels of BaA, BaP and DBahA in solid form or in hexane decreased both with increasing temperature and time. The degradation of each PAH during heating fits a first-order model, and the degradation rate constant (hr^-1) at 200℃ was higher than at 100℃. Also, the PAHs in solid form possessed higher stability than in hexane. Either in solid form or in solution, BaA showed the highest degradation rate constant, followed by BaP and DBahA at 100℃. Similar result was found at 200℃, with the exception that BaA was more stable than BaP.

Key words: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, heating, HPLC