Dados do Trabalho

Título

EVALUATION OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS IN COFFEE USING DIFFERENT BREWING METHODS

Introdução

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are carcinogenic and potentially carcinogenic substances found in various foods and the environment, mainly originating from incomplete combustion processes. Coffee is a daily staple in many countries and contains significant amounts of PAHs. Although there are no regulations for PAH levels in coffee, these contaminants are present in roasted beans and also in the brewed beverage. The quantity generally decreases during brewing due to the low water solubility of these compounds. This study aimed to evaluate different coffee brewing methods and their influence on PAH concentrations.

Material e Métodos

To analyze PAHs, coffee prepared using common home methods was tested. Two types of coffee were used: lightly roasted and dark roasted. Various preparation methods were evaluated, including French press, Italian coffee maker, drip coffee with a paper filter, boiled and filtered coffee with a paper filter, Aeropress®, and espresso machine. All samples were analyzed using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry in tandem mode (GC-MS/MS).

For sample preparation, 10 ml of coffee was mixed with 2 ml of ethanol and 10 ml of hexane. After mixing and centrifuging, the top organic layer was extracted using Silica SPE cartridges preconditioned with hexane. The sample was washed with an additional aliquot of hexane, then evaporated to dryness using a water bath at 40°C with the aid of nitrogen flow. The extracts were redissolved in 0.5 ml of ethyl acetate and injected into the GC-MS/MS under conditions previously reported in our previous published studies.

Resultados e Discussão

The results indicated that both samples contained traces of benzo[a]anthracene and pyrene, and the brewing method influenced the concentrations of these compounds.

Conclusão

The lowest concentration of benzo[a]anthracene was observed in the French press method, regardless of roast level, while the lowest concentration of pyrene was found in Aeropress® with lightly roasted coffee. In contrast, the highest concentration of benzo[a]anthracene was detected in the espresso machine with dark roasted coffee, while the highest concentration of pyrene was found in dark roasted coffee prepared by boiling and filtering with a paper filter.