Detection of Nitrated, Oxygenated and Hydrogenated Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds in Smoked Fish and Meat Products

Distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in smoked pork tissue of different characteristic

This study investigates the distribution of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in traditionally and industrially smoked pork (loin, neck, bacon), focusing on differences between tissue types. The samples were analyzed using GC-FID after solid-liquid and solid-phase extraction. In traditionally smoked loin (median 9.73 μg/kg), the highest PAH concentration was in the skin (14.95 μg/kg), followed by exterior (6.46 μg/kg), interior (1.72 μg/kg) and center (0.10 μg/kg). In industrially smoked lion, median concentration was 0.61 μg/kg in the skin, no PAH were detected in the interior. For traditionally smoked neck (median 28.38 μg/kg) adipose tissue contained about 20 % less PAH than skin, but about 30 % more than marble and 60 % more than lean tissue. In traditionally smoked bacon (median 52.71 μg/kg), fat tissue contained 10 % less than skin and 20 % more than lean layer. Industrially smoked bacon had PAH levels below 1 μg/kg; light hydrocarbons prevailed. Post-smoking stages (drying, aging, vacuum wrapping) reduced PAH levels by 11-32 % (up to 24 % in exterior and 10 % in interior). Risk assessment indicated that weekly consumption of 50 g of smoked pork posed negligible cancer risk for all meat species, though daily bacon intake may pose a slight risk. The study highlights PAH variability across pork tissues, helping consumers make health-conscious dietary choices while preserving smoked pork consumption traditions.

Exposure to oxygenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and endocrine dysfunction: Multi-level study based on hormone receptor responses

Oxygenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OPAHs) are a class of emerging environmental contaminants that exhibit high toxicity compared to parent PAHs. In addition to carcinogenic, teratogenic and mutagenic effects, recent studies show their potential to cause endocrine disruption, but the reports are controversial. In this study, we employed hormone receptors (ERα/AR/GRα/TRβ)-mediated dual luciferase reporter gene assay and molecular docking, and found that five typical OPAHs exhibited agonistic activity towards hormone receptors, and hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions were the primary binding forces involved in OPAHs-receptor interactions. Then, we developed a weighted scoring system coupled with computerized screening and clarified that 1,2-benzanthraquinone (BAQ) had the strongest hormonal effects, while anthraquinone (AQ) exhibited the weakest effects. Using the in vivo exposure model, we clarified that BAQ induced hormone receptor-coupled developmental toxicity in zebrafish larvae, evidenced by increased expression of androgen receptors and key genes involved in hormone synthesis, pericardial edema and reduced body length. Importantly, we successfully constructed androgen response element-enhanced green fluorescent protein (ARE-EGFP) transient transfection zebrafish embryos, and confirmed the androgenic potency of BAQ, but not AQ. These findings highlight the endocrine-disrupting effects in the risk management of OPAHs.

Formation and Reduction of Toxic Compounds Derived from the Maillard Reaction During the Thermal Processing of Different Food Matrices

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs), heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs), acrylamide (AA), 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are toxic substances that are produced in certain foods during thermal processing by using common high-temperature unit operations such as frying, baking, roasting, grill cooking, extrusion, among others. Understanding the formation pathways of these potential risk factors, which can cause cancer or contribute to the development of many chronic diseases in humans, is crucial for reducing their occurrence in thermally processed foods. During thermal processing, food rich in carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids undergoes a crucial Maillard reaction, leading to the production of highly active carbonyl compounds. These compounds then react with other substances to form harmful substances, which ultimately affect negatively the health of the human body. Although these toxic compounds differ in various forms of formation, they all partake in the common Maillard pathway. This review primarily summarizes the occurrence, formation pathways, and reduction measures of common toxic compounds during the thermal processing of food, based on independent studies for each specific contaminant in its corresponding food matrix. Finally, it provides several approaches for the simultaneous reduction of multiple toxic compounds.

Exposure to 1-nitropyrene after weaning induces anxiety-like behavior partially by inhibiting steroid hormone synthesis in prefrontal cortex

1-Nitropyrene (1-NP) is a neurodevelopmental toxicant. This study was to evaluate the impact of exposure to 1-NP after weaning on anxiety-like behavior. Five-week-old mice were administered with 1-NP (0.1 or 1 mg/kg) daily for 4 weeks. Anxiety-like behaviour was measured using elevated-plus maze (EPM) and open field test (OFT). In EPM test, time spending in open arm and times entering open arm were reduced in 1-NP-treated mice. In OFT test, time spent in the center region and times entering the center region were diminished in 1-NP-treated mice. Prefrontal dendritic length and number of dendrite branches were decreased in 1-NP-treated mice. Prefrontal PSD95, an excitatory postsynaptic membrane protein, and gephyrin, an inhibitory postsynaptic membrane protein, were downregulated in 1-NP-treated mice. Further analysis showed that peripheral steroid hormones, including serum testosterone (T) and estradiol (E2), testicular T, and ovarian E2, were decreased in 1-NP-treated mice. Interestingly, T and E2 were diminished in 1-NP-treated prefrontal cortex. Prefrontal T and E2 synthases were diminished in 1-NP-treated mice. Mechanistically, GCN2-eIF2α, a critical pathway that regulates ribosomal protein translation, was activated in 1-NP-treated prefrontal cortex. These results indicate that exposure to 1-NP after weaning induces anxiety-like behaviour partially by inhibiting steroid hormone synthesis in prefrontal cortex.

A review of food contamination with nitrated and oxygenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: toxicity, analysis, occurrence, and risk assessment

Prolonged exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their derivatives, particularly nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAHs) and oxygenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OPAHs), can result in adverse health effects and may carry higher toxicity risks compared to PAHs alone. Various extraction methods have been utilized for PAHs derivatives from food samples. The analytes are then analyzed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography techniques. PAHs derivatives are increasingly being detected in the environment, prompting scrutiny from numerous researchers. Similarly, their presence in food is becoming a significant concern. The elevated levels of PAH derivatives found in smoked food may result in detrimental dietary exposure and pose potential health hazards. Furthermore, investigating the level of exposure to these contaminants in food is imperative, as their consumption by humans carries inherent risks. Consequently, this review concentrates on the toxicity, analysis, occurrence, and risk evaluation of NPAHs and OPAHs present in food sources.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Grilled Marshmallows

The aim of this study was to assess potential health risks among children and adolescents consuming various grilled marshmallows using a survey and to determine polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in these food products. PAH analysis in grilled marshmallows included a dilution stage with deionized water and liquid-liquid extraction with cyclohexane and solid-phase extraction (SPE). PAH fractions were initially analyzed via high-performance thin-layer chromatography, and PAH concentrations were determined via gas chromatography with a tandem mass detector using the selective reaction monitoring (SRM) mode. This study on the consumption of grilled marshmallows was conducted among approximately 300 children and adolescents. The preliminary results indicated that "raw" marshmallows did not contain PAHs. However, the obtained data suggested the exposure of young people to carcinogenic PAHs from grilled marshmallows (63.5% of them consumed marshmallows). Carcinogenic benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) was determined in all samples. The profile of PAH concentrations in the extracts isolated from various grilled types of marshmallows was similar (r2 > 0.8000), regardless of the grilling method. Compared to the white sugar confection, higher concentrations of PAHs were determined in multicolored marshmallows. The lack of social awareness about exposure to carcinogenic substances is alarming.

Long-Term Atmosphere Surveillance (2016-2021) of PM2.5-bound Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Health Risk Assessment in Yangtze River Delta, China

Long-term atmospheric quality monitoring of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and PM2.5-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was performed in Wuxi from 2016 to 2021. In total, 504 atmospheric PM2.5 samples were collected, and PM2.5-bound 16 PAHs were detected. The PM2.5 and ∑PAHs level decreased annually from 2016 to 2021, from 64.3 to 34.0 μg/m3 and 5.27 to 4.22 ng/m3, respectively. The benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) levels of 42% of the monitoring days in 2017 exceeded the recommended European Union (EU) health-based standard of 1 ng/m3. Five- and six-ring PAHs were found, including benz[a]anthracene, benzo[k]fluoranthene (Bkf), BaP, and benzo[g,h,i]perylene, which were the dominant components (indicating a prominent petroleum, biomass, and coal combustion contribution) using molecular diagnostic ratios and positive matrix factorization analysis. Moreover, PM2.5 and PAHs were significantly negatively associated with local precipitation over a period of six years. Statistically significant temporal and spatial distribution differences of PM2.5, and ∑PAHs were also found. The toxicity equivalent quotient (TEQ) of total PAHs was 0.70, and the TEQ of BaP (0.178) was the highest, followed by that of Bkf (0.090), dibenz[a,h]anthracene (Dah) (0.048), and indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene (0.034). The medians of the incremental lifetime cancer risk for long-term exposure to PAHs were 2.74E-8, 1.98E-8, and 1.71E-7 for children, teenagers, and adults, respectively, indicating that the carcinogenic risk of PAHs pollution in air was acceptable to local residents in this area. Sensitivity analysis revealed that BaP, Bkf, and Dah significantly contributed to carcinogenic toxicity. This research provides comprehensive statistics on the local air persistent organic pollutants profile, helps to identify the principal pollution source and compounds, and contributes to the prevention of regional air pollution.

Graphical Abstract

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12403-023-00572-x.

Rapid Determination of Oxygenated and Parent Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Milk Using Supercritical Fluid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

Liquid milks are consumed worldwide in large amounts, especially by adolescents and infants. Thus, their health quality linked with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination has attracted great concern. This study developed a rapid and sensitive supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC)-MS method to determine two typical oxygenated PAHs (OPAHs) and EU 15+1PAHs except for benzo[k]fluoranthene (BkF) in three types of liquid milks: 10 ultra heat treated (UHT) milks, 8 pasteurized milks, and 4 extended-shelf-life pasteurized milks. The instrumental analysis was 15 min with a recovery of 67.66-118.46%, a precision of 1.45-14.68%, detection limits of 0.04-0.24 μg/kg, and quantification limits of 0.13-0.78 μg/kg. We found 9-fluorenone, anthraquinone, 15 EU priority PAHs, and benzo[a]pyrene toxic equivalent quantity (BaPeq) in the 22 milk samples, which were 0.32-1.56 μg/kg, 0.40-1.74 μg/kg, 0.57-8.48 μg/kg, and 0.01-17.42 μg/kg, respectively. The UHT milks and whole fat milks showed higher PAH concentrations than other investigated samples, where the maximum levels of BaP and PAH4 were 0.77 and 3.61 μg/kg, respectively. PAH4 dominantly contributed to the PAH8 concentration and was detected in 73% and 32% of samples at more than 1.0 and 2.0 μg/kg, respectively. The results suggest that raw milks should be strictly monitored and extensively investigated for PAH4 and BaP concentrations for future risk assessment, limitations, and dietary guidance.