Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in beverage and dairy products in South Korea: a risk characterization using the total diet study

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were analyzed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry in 115 dairy products and beverages, including alcoholic, grain, carbonated, and functional drinks; fruit and vegetable juices; coffee; and tea, purchased from 10 local city markets in South Korea. The sample groups were divided into non-fatty and fatty groups, pretreated with the ultrasound-assisted extraction method and saponification method, respectively. The limit of detection, limit of quantification, and accuracy were 0.038–0.185 μg/kg, 0.114–0.560 μg/kg, and 87.64–112.25%, respectively. The measurement uncertainty was ≤ 6.38% for eight PAHs (PAH8). PAH8 was detected in 41 of the 115 samples, ranging from 0.041 to 7.793 µg/kg. The risk assessment revealed that the margin of exposure for PAH8 ranged from 3.60 × 10⁴ to 7.84 × 10¹¹ in the mean intake groups and from 3.60 × 10⁴ to 5.33 × 10¹¹ in the P97.5 intake groups.