USE OF SUPERCRITICAL-FLUID EXTRACTION-HIGH PERFORMANCE LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY IN THE DETERMINATION OF POLYNUCLEAR AROMATIC-HYDROCARBONS FROMSMOKED AND BROILED FISH

Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from smoked and broiled fish were isolated by supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), and quantitativ ely determined by reversed phase liquid chromatographic (RP-HPLC) meth ods. The SEE-method was tested first with inert matrix. As expected, t he extraction of PAHs from quartz and gave good recoveries ranging fro m 80 to 100 % with R.S.D. of 3-11 %. The extraction of fish material s howed that methanol had to be used as a modifier, because larger PAH m olecules were weakly extracted with pure CO2. The use of methanol resu lted in, however, that lipophilic compounds were co-eluting in greater amounts, interfering the analysis of PAHs by HPLC - UV. That is why t he extracts purified using solid phase extraction (SPE) prior to chrom atographic determination. The extraction of one sample was completed i n 20 minutes, while several hours are consumed in the conventional sol vent extraction methods. The sensitivity of the method used is in ppb- range, which corresponds well with the concentration of PAHs in smoked fish products.