getpdf NLM PubMed Logo https://doi.org/10.17113/ftb.64.04.26.9712 Article in press

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Environmental Matrices, Milk and Eggs: Occurrence, Legislation and Analytical Challenges§

Marija Denžić Lugomer1*orcid tiny, Damir Pavliček1orcid tiny, Maja Đokić2orcid tiny, Vesna Jaki Tkalec1orcid tiny, Sanja Furmeg1orcid tiny, Nina Bilandžić2orcid tiny, Ana Končurat3orcid tiny, Željko Cvetnić4orcid tiny, Ivka Kvaternjak5orcid tiny, Ivana Kmetič6orcid tiny, Teuta Murati6orcid tiny, Dijana Mijač Dretar7 and Tiana Novosel1orcid tiny

1Laboratory for Microbiology and Analytical Chemistry, Veterinary Institute Križevci, Croatian Veterinary I nstitute, Zakmardijeva 10, 48260 Križevci, Croatia

2Laboratory for Residue Control, Department of Veterinary Public Health, Croatian Veterinary Institute, Savska cesta 143, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia

3Laboratory for Diagnostics, Veterinary Institute Križevci, Croatian Veterinary Institute, Zakmardijeva 10, 48260 Križevci, Croatia

4Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Institute for Scientific Research and Artistic Work in Velika Gorica, Franje Lučića 15, 10410 Velika Gorica, Croatia

5Križevci University of Applied Sciences, Milislava Demerca 1, 48260 Križevci, Croatia

6Laboratory for Toxicology, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, Pierottijeva 6, Zagreb, Croatia

7Križevci Waste Management, Utility Križevačko Komunalno Poduzeće d.o.o., Cubinec, Donji Cubinec 30A, 48260 Križevci, Croatia

cc by Copyright © 2026 This is a Diamond Open Access article published under CC-BY licence. Copyright remains with the authors, who grant third parties the unrestricted right to use, copy, distribute and reproduce the article as long as the original author(s) and source are acknowledged.

Food Technol. Biotechnol. 2026; 64(4).

Article history:

Received: 13 March 2026

Accepted: 27 October 2026

Keywords:

polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; environmental samples; food of animal origin, analytical methods

Summary:

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are organic compounds consisting of carbon and hydrogen atoms, with more than two fused benzene rings. PAHs are associated with risks to human health, particularly carcinogenesis. One exposure route is the ingestion of contaminated food, which can result from high-temperature preparation and processing (such as grilling, smoking, toasting, frying, and deep-frying), as well as from PAHs present in soil, air, and water due to environmental pollution, including incomplete combustion or pyrolysis of organic matter during industrial processing and motor vehicle exhaust. Deposition of PAHs from the air leads to their entry into soil, which is their main route into the environment – sediments and water. Analytical methods for determining PAHs in environmental samples include extraction, purification, and detection techniques. Sample preparation is a crucial step in the analysis of PAHs, especially in complex food matrices that require efficient extraction and clean-up procedures to isolate PAHs from co-extracted matrix components. This review provides an overview of the available literature – from sample preparation procedures, extraction and clean-up methods, to instrumental analytical techniques in various matrices, including soil, water (wastewater, drinking water, surface water), and food of animal origin (egg, milk) – thus offering a comprehensive summary in one place. The paper also reviews the occurrence of PAHs in different types of matrices in the context of legislation.

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§This paper was presented at the 11th International Congress of Food Technologists, Biotechnologists and Nutritionists, 9–12 December 2025, Zagreb, Croatia