POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS IN THE ORGANIC PHASE EXTRACTED FROM CHARCOAL FOR BARBECUE

ABSTRACT Charcoal is a widely used product for barbecue, however, its quality for said use has not been well studied. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a class of carcinogenic compounds that can be present in charcoal. Thus, the objective of this study was to analyze the organic phase extracted from charcoal by organic solvents, regarding the presence of PAHs. For this, a commercial charcoal brand was acquired, collected in establishments in the city of Piracicaba, São Paulo. Complementary tests were carried out to identify the wood used in the production of charcoal, such as determination of humidity, apparent density, immediate composition, calorific value, and combustion index. The organic phase extracted from the charcoal using cyclohexane was analyzed in a gas chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrometer (GC/MS) for identification of a class of sixteen PAHs. In general, charcoal presented regular characteristics for barbecue. All PAHs analyzed were detected in the organic phase extracted from the charcoal, but the observed values were below the quantified limit determined