Evaluation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in bottled water samples (non-carbonated, mineral, carbonated and carbonated flavored water) in Tehran with MSPE-GC/MS method: a health risk assessment

Abstract

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are dangerous environmental compounds that are sometimes found in food. The objective of present study was to measure the level of 16 PAHs in bottled water samples (non-carbonated or drinking, mineral, carbonated and carbonated flavored water) in Tehran by using magnetic solid-phase extraction and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (MSPE/GC–MS) method. The limit of detections (LOD), limit of quantifications (LOQ) and recovery of PAH compounds were 0.010–0.210, 0.03–0.700 μg/L and 92.5–103.4%, respectively. The results showed that the mean of total PAHs in samples was 2.98 ± 1.63 µg/L and the mean of Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) was 0.08 ± 0.03 µg/L, which were lower than standard level of the US-EPA (0.2 µg/L, BaP in drinking water). Also, our results showed that carbonated flavored water had maximum mean of total PAHs (4.95 ± 0.8 µg/L) and mineral water had minimum mean of total PAHs (1.24 ± 0.8 µg/L). The Monte Carlo method was applied to calculate the Estimated Daily Intake (EDI) and Incremental Life Cancer Risk (ILCR) indexes. In all samples, the rank order of the estimated CDI values based on the 95 percent percentile was F > B(a)A > Ace > Fl > Na > Ph > B(b)F > B(k)F > B(a)P > P > Ac > A. The cancer risk and uncertainty analysis of 95th Percentile for bottled waters studied gave values lower permissible limit of 10−6, indicating not pose a serious concern to humans.