Health risk assessment for inhalation exposure to particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from household cooking in northern Taiwan

Abstract

Background: Food cooking generates lots of harmful fine and ultrafine particles.Many occupational studies have shown that the incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) caused by exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in cooking fume was much higher than the suggested acceptable limit of 10-6. However, the higher exposure level of occupational studies cannot represent the exposure of the general population. Aim: To assess the health risk for the exposure to cooking fume of daily household cooking, since these data may be more representative and is currently limited in Taiwan Method: We took particle and gaseous PAHs samples using a Micro-Orifice Uniform-Deposit Impactors and glass cartridge packed with Amberlite XAD-16 polymeric adsorbent, respectively, during cooking periods from five families without smoker in northern Taiwan. These samples were extracted and then analyzed by theGC/MS. The ILCR caused by exposure tocooking fumewas evaluated based on PAHs analysis result.We also monitored the 24-hour particle concentrations profile by using a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer and a 6-channel optical particle counter. Result: Although gaseous PAHs contributed more than 85% of the total PAHs, particulate PAHs percentage increased with ring number of PAHs and contributed the most of banzo[a]pyrene equivalent concentration (B[a]Peq). The B[a]Peq is significantly positive correlated with the mass of larger particles (>3.2 ?m) but negative correlated with that of particles smaller than 0.056?m, indicating that most toxic PAHs deposited on larger particles. The ILCR caused by household cooking fume is lower than those reported in occupational studies. However, the ILCR is higher than10-5, implying that even the exposure to PAHs from daily household cooking could result in a significant cancer risk. Conclusion: Most toxic PAHs of household cooking fume deposited on large particles and caused a considerable cancer risk in northern Taiwan.