Adsorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by cellulosic aerogels during smoked pork sausage manufacture

Abstract

The present study proposes a natural cellulosic adsorbent for removing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) generated during the manufacture of smoked pork sausage. Cellulose aerogels regenerated from three different solutions (NaOH/urea, LiBr, and LiOH/urea) were prepared and evaluated for adsorption of PAHs (benzo[a]anthracene, chrysene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, and benzo[a]pyrene) under different smoking conditions by high-performance liquid chromatography) with fluorescence detection. The quality properties (moisture content, protein content, pH, peroxide value, microbial and sensory properties) of smoked sausages after adsorbent treatment were also noted. All the adsorbents proved suitable for the removal of PAHs. The adsorption efficacy was strongly dependent on the surface structure and pore size distribution of the cellulosic aerogels. Among the three adsorbents, the LiBr-functionalized absorbent displayed the highest adsorptive efficiency for total PAHs, without causing noticeable quality changes in pork sausages. It was concluded that functionalized cellulosic aerogels have prospects as eco-friendly adsorbents that effectively remove PAHs from smoked meat and meat products.