Dietary Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Exposure Research Articles

Inhalation and dietary exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and urinary 1-hydroxypyrene in non-smoking university students

To examine which exposure pathway, dietary or inhalation, contribute more to the exposure to, and/or internal dose of, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) of non-smoking Japanese. Duplicated diet, personal air samples and 24-h urine were collected from 14 non-smoking male university students without occupational exposure and the concentrations of PAHs in diet and air and that of 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) in urine were measured with HPLC-fluorescence detector. Daily dietary exposure contributed more than 90% of the total (diet + inhalation) daily exposure level for pyrene (diet/inhalation: 757/1.2 ng/day), benzo[k]fluoranthene (25/1.7 ng/day) and benzo[a]pyrene (91/2.1 ng/day). Urinary excretion of 1-OHP (median: 37 ng/day) was statistically significantly correlated only with dietary PAHs exposure level but not with inhalation. Countermeasures to lower PAHs levels in atmosphere has been successful in Japan and more attention should be directed to dietary exposure to PAHs for reducing cancer risk in general population.