Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon in Fruits and Vegetables Grown in Turkey: Quantitative Analysis, Dietary Exposure, and Health Risk Assessment

Abstract

The quantitative analysis, dietary exposure, and health risks of four European Union (4EU) priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH4) were investigated in different varieties of vegetables in Turkey. PAH congeners were analyzed by an in house validated HPLC method. Low amounts of PAHs were detected in all examined vegetables. The leafy vegetables showed higher contamination among all types of vegetables. The sum of PAH4 (benzo[a]pyrene, benzo[a]anthracene, chrysene, and benzo[b]fluoranthene) levels of leafy vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower were determined as 0.77 and 0.59 μg/kg, respectively. The peels were found to be more contaminated than the cores in root and fruit vegetables. Among the root vegetables, maximum PAH4 concentration was found 0.73 μg/kg in potato peel. The highest level of individual PAH in all vegetables examined was Benz[a]anthracene (BaA), and its value was 0.38 ± 0.16 μg/kg in cauliflower. Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), the most representative of the carcinogenic PAHs, was most commonly detected in all samples. Benzo(b)fluoranthene (BbF) and chrysene (CHR) showed relatively lower levels in all studied samples. Human dietary exposure to PAH by consumption of the fruits and vegetables was determined considering the estimated daily intake. The study revealed that the estimated incremental lifetime cancer risk indicates a low health risk for children and adult consumers. The present paper is the first attempt concerning quantitative analysis and health risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in fruits and vegetables grown in Turkey.