The New Jersey Institute of Technology's
Electronic Theses & Dissertations Project

Title:	Benzo(a)pyrene ingested from composite meals : analysis and method development related to total human exposure
Author:	Hsu, Che-Han
View Online:	njit-etd1990-040 ([vi], 69 pages ~ 1.7 MB pdf)
Department:	Department of Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Environmental Science
Degree:	Master of Science
Program:	Environmental Science
Document Type:	Thesis
Advisory Committee:	Greenberg, Arthur (Committee chair) Trattner, Richard B. (Committee member) Kebbekus, Barbara B. (Committee member)
Date:	1990-01
Keywords:	Benzopyrene Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons Food contamination
Availability:	Unrestricted
Abstract:	Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons including benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) have been known for many years to be environmental carcinogen. Moreover, B(a)P has often been used as an indicator for the carcinogenic potency of environmental matter. One of its exposure pathways, ingestion, may possibly be more important than other routes, conventionally studied such as inhalation. The purposes of this thesis are 1) to analyze the B(a)P concentrations in weekly composite and some daily meals obtained in the Total Human Exposure to Environmental Substances (THEES) study, 2) to develop techniques which can measure the levels of B(a)P in foods accurately and efficiently, 3) to compare exposure to B(a)P by inhalation vs ingestion. The analytical method developed is a hybrid of the previous recommended analytical procedures which involve food digestion with saponification, extraction by liquid-liquid partition steps, column chromatography on Florisil, solvent evaporation and concentration. Final analysis of B(a)P employs TLC separation and fluorescence detection techniques. For the subjects of the THEES Study, the average daily exposure to B(a)P via food is 0.146 ug and it almost 5 times larger than inhalation exposure. Therefore, B(a)P content of foods should be studied and is a significant source of exposure.