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Evaluation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) mass concentrations in smoke generated during pork belly grilling
Yong-Hyun Kim1,2,3, Sung-Hwan Kim4
1Department of Environment & Energy, Jeonbuk National University, 567 Baekje-daero, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeonbuk State 54896, Republic of Korea.
Abstract:
Charcoal grilling emits substantial polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), yet exposure assessment is complicated by challenging short-duration smoke sampling. We quantified PAHs using thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, achieving a benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) detection limit of 5 pg Sm-3 from a 360 L air sample. Grilling pork belly over charcoal produced a total EPA PAH concentration of 98.4 μg Sm-3, with BaP alone reaching 1431 ng Sm-3-contrasting sharply with 0.26 μg Sm-3 in ambient air. Combustion without meat yielded BaP concentrations from 0.67 ng Sm-3 (hardwood) to 953 ng Sm-3 (chaff), highlighting the decisive influence of fuel type. Compared to the WHO/EU guideline (1 ng Sm-3), these data demonstrate that charcoal grilling generates extreme inhalation risks, exceeding permissible limits by over 1400-fold. The results underscore the urgent need for emission control and safer grilling standards.
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