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Contamination and distribution of parent, nitrated, and oxygenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in smoked meat

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Abstract

Smoked meat is widely consumed in many areas, particularly in rural southwest China. High concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in smoked meat could lead to adverse dietary exposure and health risks. In this study, 27 parent PAHs (pPAHs), 12 nitrated PAHs (nPAHs), and 4 oxygenated PAHs (oPAHs) were measured in coal- and wood-smoked meats. The median concentrations of pPAHs, nPAHs, and oPAHs were as high as 1.66 × 103, 4.29, and 20.5 ng/g in the coal-smoked meat and 2.54 × 103, 7.32, and 9.26 ng/g in the wood-smoked meat, respectively. Based on the relative potency factors of individual PAHs, the calculated toxic equivalent (TEQ) values of all pPAHs were 22.1 and 75.1 ng TEQ/g for the wood- and coal-smoked meats, respectively. The highest concentrations of PAHs can be found in the surface layer of skin and decrease exponentially with depth. Surface PAH concentrations correlated with concentrations of PAHs in household air and with the concentration in emission exhaust. Migration of PAHs from surface to interior portions of meat is faster in lean than in fat or skin, and oPAHs and pPAHs can penetrate deeper than pPAHs. The penetration ability of PAHs is negatively correlated with the molecular weight.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41390240, 41130754, and 41390243). The authors thank anonymous reviewers and Raymond Coveney from UMKC for the valuable suggestions and for polishing the manuscript.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no completing financial interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, People’s Republic of China

    Yuanchen Chen, Guofeng Shen, Shu Su, Huizhong Shen, Ye Huang, Tongchao Li, Wei Li, Yanyan Zhang, Yan Lu, Han Chen, Chunli Yang, Nan Lin, Ying Zhu, Xiaofang Fu, Wenxin Liu, Xilong Wang & Shu Tao

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  1. Yuanchen Chen
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  2. Guofeng Shen
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  3. Shu Su
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  4. Huizhong Shen
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  5. Ye Huang
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  6. Tongchao Li
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  7. Wei Li
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  9. Yan Lu
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  10. Han Chen
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  11. Chunli Yang
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  12. Nan Lin
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  13. Ying Zhu
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  14. Xiaofang Fu
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  15. Wenxin Liu
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  16. Xilong Wang
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  17. Shu Tao
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shu Tao.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Ester Heath

Highlights

• High concentrations of PAHs were observed in the coal- and wood-smoked meat.

• PAHs in the coal and smoked meat are derived from the combustion of fuels and air-borne PAHs.

• It is easier for PAHs to transfer in lean than in fat.

• Low molecular weight PAHs can penetrate deeper than high molecular weight PAHs in smoked meat.

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Chen, Y., Shen, G., Su, S. et al. Contamination and distribution of parent, nitrated, and oxygenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in smoked meat. Environ Sci Pollut Res 21, 11521–11530 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-014-3129-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-014-3129-8

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