Application of nanomaterials for determination and removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in food products: A review

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), toxic persistent pollutants, result in adverse impacts to human being health. Among the variety contaminant remediation approaches, nanotechnology was found promising in terms of its efficiency and exceptional size-dependent properties. Nanomaterials also possess high particular surface area, rapid dissolution characteristics, high sorption, magnetic -properties and quantum confinement. Nanoparticles (NPs) have been employed as sorbents in the assessment of PAHs, including carbon NPs, mesoporous silica NPs, metallic species, metal oxides, as well as magnetic and magnetized NPs. Magnetic nanocomposites have demonstrated high efficiency (>99 %) in removing PAHs from food products. Similarly, a magnetic chitosan/molybdenum disulfide nanocomposite exhibited excellent adsorption capacities for PAHs in milk samples. Present research was conducted on multiple academic platforms, including Google Scholar, Science Direct, Elsevier, Springer, Scopus, and PubMed from 2017 to 2024. Various combinations of keywords, such as “PAHs,” “extraction,” “removal,” and “nanomaterials,” were used in the search. The aim of this manuscript is to reviews the application of nanotechnologies for the elimination and extraction of PAHs from contaminated food products. The findings of this study offer novel insights into efficient and cost-saving approach and suggest the potential of NPs as promising agents for preconcentration and remediation of PAHs from variety food samples. Also, the obtained results will pave the way for future explorations that will lead to the achievement of maximum efficiency for the analysis and extraction of materials in more diverse matrices. Therefore, it is suggested to investigate the potential of various nanomaterials regarding various matrices in future.