Risk assessment of four polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in South Korean sesame oil products

In this study, the PAH content of sesame oil was analyzed, with particular emphasis on four representative compounds (PAH4): benzo[a]anthracene (BaA), benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), benzo[b]fluoranthene (BbF), and chrysene (CHR). Thirty commercially available sesame oil products were randomly selected and analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD). The detection rates for each PAH were as follows: BaA (93.33%), BaP (66.67%), BbF (60.00%), and CHR (80.00%). The mean concentrations observed were 2.21 μg/kg for BaA, 1.28 μg/kg for BaP, 2.05 μg/kg for BbF, and 3.34 μg/kg for CHR. To evaluate the margin of exposure (MOE), the estimated daily dietary exposure was calculated based on the detected PAH4 compound content and daily consumption. Consequently, all MOE values exceeded the threshold of 10,000, thereby confirming a low health risk. As a result, the representative PAH4 compounds should be considered when managing overall PAH exposure.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-025-02021-8.