Simultaneous determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their nitrated and oxygenated derivatives in dried tea by GC–MS/MS

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their nitrated and oxygenated derivatives (NPAHs and OPAHs, respectively) are toxic contaminants commonly found in food, including tea. However, existing analytical methods often overlook these derivatives. Herein, a GC–MS/MS method was developed to simultaneously determine 11 PAHs, 13 NPAHs, and 5 OPAHs in dried tea, after acetonitrile extraction and cleanup using C18, Z-Sep⁺, and MgSO₄. The method exhibited excellent linearity (R² > 0.99), low detection (0.10–1.99 ng g⁻¹) and quantification limits (1–10 ng g⁻¹), recoveries of 70.9–103.0 %, and relative standard deviations below 15 %. The concentrations of four PAHs (BaA, Chr, BbF, and BaP) were < LOQ–322.2 ng g⁻¹, whereas those of NPAHs and OPAHs were < LOQ–86.6 and 2.4–116.6 ng g⁻¹, respectively. This validated method for determining the concentrations of PAHs and their derivatives in tea will ultimately support more robust food safety management strategies.