Assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in honey and propolis produced from various flowering trees and plants in Romania

Honey and propolis samples from different flowering plants in 15 regions of Romania, collected from beekeepers and the local market during the period 2002–2005, were analyzed to detect 15 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). An analytical procedure based on previous liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) with hexane, after which the extract was cleaned up in a mixture of silica gel, aluminum oxide and anhydrous sodium sulfate column, has been developed. The fractions eluted from the columns were further analyzed by gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection (GC–MS). The limits of detection ranged from 0.03 to 0.12 μg/kg. Some PAHs were detected in honey and propolis samples within the range 0.6–665.0 ng/g, and some PAHs were not detected or were under the detection limit of the method. Thus, consumers should not be concerned about PAHs in Romanian honey and propolis.