Abstract: A simple and rapid method for the determination of 18 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in 3 traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) herbs has been established using the solid phase extraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPE-GC-MS). Salvia miltiorrhiza, Fritillaria ussuriensis and Magnolia officinalis were selected as the samples. The samples were extracted with n-hexane. The extracts were purified on Florisil cartridges and Proelut-PAH SPE columns. 18 PAHs were separated on DM-PAH columns (30 m×0.25 mm×0.25 μm). Selective ion monitoring (SIM) mode was used for the mass spectrometry, and matrix-matched external standard method was used for the quantification. The results showed that the 18 PAHs had a good linearity over the concentration range of 5~200 μg/L and the correlation coefficients (R²) were all greater than 0.998. The limit of detections (LODs) were 0.6~1.2 μg/kg (S/N=3) and the limit of quantifications (LOQs) were 2.0~4.0 μg/kg(S/N=10). The recoveries (spiked at 4.0, 8.0, 40.0 μg/kg) were 81.5%~106.3% (Salvia miltiorrhiza), 87.1%~108.3% (Fritillaria ussuriensis) and 82.4%~107.9% (Magnolia officinalis), respectively. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) were 1.5%~7.8% (Salvia miltiorrhiza), 2.1%~8.4% (Fritillaria ussuriensis) and 1.8%~6.9% (Magnolia officinalis), respectively. The method has a high purification efficiency, accuracy and sensitivity, and can be used for the detection of 18 PAHs in TCM herbs. Using this method, Salvia miltiorrhiza, Fritillaria ussuriensis and Magnolia officinalis samples were tested and found to have varied levels of PAHs. This method can provide theoretical and practical significance for the detection of PAHs in TCM herbs.