Metrological traceability of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) measurements in green tea and mate

The development of suitable analytical methods to obtain metrologically traceable results in the determination of toxicants in food matrices is an important issue, as food represents the main way of assumption of many contaminants, among which the Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). The present work deals with the set up and internal validation of an analytical method carried out at INRiM for the quantification by gascromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC–MS) of some priority PAHs in green tea (Camellia sinensis) and yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis), in order to obtain metrologically traceable results. Two approaches for the quantification were applied: an external calibration, for determining the GC–MS calibration curves by means of standard reference solutions and an internal calibration by using perdeuterated standards. For the external calibration, Weighted (WLS) and Weighted Total (WTLS) Least Squares fitting procedures were applied. The measurement uncertainty evaluation was carried out by applying the Law of Propagation of Uncertainty.