Health risk assessment of dietary exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Taiyuan, China

Sixteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined in 24 duplicate-diet samples from people in Taiyuan during summer and winter in 2009. Dietary intake of PAHs for 2862 participants was subsequently estimated by a survey in Taiyuan. Results from these 24 samples were compared with a raw food study in Taiyuan in 2008. Three main sources of dietary PAHs are vegetables, wheat flour and fruits, the sum of which contributes 75.95% of PAHs in dietary food. Compared to the estimated value in raw food, much more B[a]P-eq (benzo[a]pyrene equivalents) were detected in food samples collected in the duplicate-diet study in Taiyuan (60.75 ng/day). The cooking process may introduce more B[a]P-eq into food, and the relative contribution of 16 PAHs in the diet would be changed during the cooking procedure.