Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon levels and risk assessment for food from service facilities in Korea

ABSTRACT

In this study, levels of benzoa]anthracene, chrysene, benzob]fluoranthene, benzok]fluoranthene, benzoa]pyrene (BaP), dibenzoa,h]anthracene, benzog,h,i]perylene and indeno1,2,3-c,d]pyrene in 412 food items collected from food service facilities in Korea were analysed. The concentrations of the eight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) ranged 0.13–0.48 μg/kg. The concentrations of benzoa]pyrene in all food samples were <1 μg/kg, which is the lowest maximum limit in foods regulated by European Union legislation. PAH contents were employed to conduct exposure and risk assessment. The chronic daily intake of PAHs from 412 food samples was 5.48 × 10^–6-4.70 ×x 10^–4 µg-TEQ_BaP/kg/day with margins of exposure of 1.04 × 10⁹-1.16 × 10¹¹.