Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sugarcane juice

Sugarcane juice is a common beverage in many Brazilian cities. At harvesting season most sugarcane plantation is burnt and this procedure has been shown as an important source of PAHs emission. In the present study 80 samples of sugarcane juice collected from two Brazilian cities, in two different periods, were analysed for the presence of four PAHs: benz(a)anthracene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, benzo(k)fluoranthene and benzo(a)pyrene. PAHs were detected in 50% of the samples. The samples collected between harvests presented mean sums of PAHs of 0.013 μg/kg and 0.012 μg/kg, while the samples collected during harvest presented mean sums of 0.053 μg/kg and 0.055 μg/kg. A higher concentration and incidence of PAHs in the juices collected in the harvest period was verified, corroborating the burning of the crops as a source of sugarcane juice contamination.