The Journal of Hazardous Materials published an article by a team of Polish scientists from the Warsaw University of Technology, the Warsaw University of Life Sciences, the Warsaw Medical University, the Main School of Fire Service in Warsaw and the Institute of Fundamentals of Environmental Engineering at the Polish Academy of Sciences, in which they presented an innovative and comprehensive approach to quantifying PAH (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and BTEX (a mixture of volatile aromatic hydrocarbons: benzene, toluene and three isomers of xylene) emissions from barbecues.

Polish researchers investigated the health effects of barbecuing with charcoal and charcoal briquettes, electric and liquefied petroleum gas.

In their research, they calculated the so-called Incremental Lifetime Cancer Risk (ILCR) associated with exposure to carcinogenic PAHs and BTEX.

As we read in the abstract of the article by the Polish researchers, the sum of 15 PAH concentrations in grilled food was highest for grilling meat on charcoal briquettes – 382,020.39 ng/m, and lowest for grilling meat on a gas grill – 1,442.16 ng/m.

In contrast, BTEX emissions from a charcoal barbecue were 130 times higher compared to a gas barbecue.

In all scenarios considered, grilling with charcoal briquettes and charcoal brings out an ILCR above 10, indicating the negative impact of traditional barbecues on human health.

The article by the Polish researchers adds insight into the wide-ranging health implications associated with the preparation and handling of food using traditional barbecues. In their view, the risks involved have been marginalized by the scientific community and policymakers for too long.

Adrian Andrzejewski