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

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. • 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.