# Evaluation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) mass concentrations in smoke generated during pork belly grilling over charcoal

## TL;DR

Charcoal grilling of pork belly releases high levels of harmful PAHs, with BaP concentrations far exceeding safety guidelines.

## Contribution

A novel thermal desorption-GC-MS method enabled precise PAH detection in short-duration smoke samples.

## Key findings

- Grilling pork belly over charcoal produced 98.4 μg Sm−3 of EPA-regulated PAHs.
- Benzo[a]pyrene levels reached 1431 ng Sm−3 during grilling, exceeding WHO/EU guidelines by over 1400-fold.
- Charcoal type significantly influenced BaP emissions, with chaff combustion reaching 953 ng Sm−3.

## 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.

Unlabelled Image

•PAH emissions were evaluated during charcoal combustion and pork belly grilling.•TD-GC-MS detected benzo[a]pyrene at 4.65 pg Sm−3 in 360 L air samples.•Benzo[a]pyrene ranged from 0.67 to 953 ng Sm−3 by charcoal type and origin.•Grilling pork belly over charcoal yielded 98.4 μg Sm−3 of 16 EPA-regulated PAHs.•PAH emissions varied with charcoal type and increased during grilling.

PAH emissions were evaluated during charcoal combustion and pork belly grilling.

TD-GC-MS detected benzo[a]pyrene at 4.65 pg Sm−3 in 360 L air samples.

Benzo[a]pyrene ranged from 0.67 to 953 ng Sm−3 by charcoal type and origin.

Grilling pork belly over charcoal yielded 98.4 μg Sm−3 of 16 EPA-regulated PAHs.

PAH emissions varied with charcoal type and increased during grilling.