BBQ charcoal combustion as an important source of trace metal exposure to humans.
To provide information about charcoal combustion as an important source of atmospheric trace metal pollution, 11 charcoal products were combusted and PM(10) filter samples were collected. The PM-bound metal elements were extracted by microwave acid digestion and analyzed by ICP-AES. The concentrations of trace metal elements ranged from a few to 10(5)ng m(-3) in the following order of magnitude: Zn>Pb>Mg>Ba>Cu>V>Cr>Co>Cd>Ni>Mn>Se>As. Emissions of most elements from charcoal combustion were high compared to other sources. In case of Cd, Co, and Ni, their concentrations exceeded the inhalation minimum risk levels (MRLs) of the United States Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (US-ATSDR) for chronic duration exposure by a factor of 30, 3.9, and 2.2, respectively. Likewise, Cd levels exceeded the US-ATSDR MRLs for acute-duration exposure by a factor of 10, while those of Pb and Cd exceeded air quality guideline (AQG) of the World Health Organization (WHO) by a factor of 29 and 59, respectively. Mn levels also exceeded the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) Reference Air Concentrations (RfCs) by a factor of 2.7. This study shows that barbecue charcoal combustion can be an important source of trace metal emissions to the atmosphere with potential health risks.
Susaya
Janice
J
Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences, Sejong University, 98 Goon Ja Dong, Seoul 143-747, Republic of Korea.
Kim
Ki-Hyun
KH
Ahn
Ji-Won
JW
Jung
Myung-Chae
MC
Kang
Chang-Hee
CH
D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000592:standards; D001151:Arsenic / Q000032:analysis; D002606:Charcoal / Q000633:toxicity*; D003296:Cooking; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006801:Humans; D017745:Incineration; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000032:analysis* / Q000592:standards; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014481:United States; D037041:United States Government Agencies / Q000592:standards
D000393:Air Pollutants; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D002606:Charcoal; D001151:Arsenic