Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are of great concern for their widespread occurrence and impacts on human health. Large quantity of PAHs can be associated with black carbon (BC) or soot during pyrolysis or combustion of carbonaceous materials. These native soot-PAHs can enter the human digestive tract by direct ingestion of atmospheric particulate matter or /and unintentional ingestion of soil particles through hand-to-mouth activities, especially for small children. The main objective of this research was to assess the release of soot-PAHs in the digestive tract using an in vitro gastrointestinal model. The novel feature of this model is the inclusion of an absorptive sink to simulate the removal of contaminants from the lumen contents by the intestinal epithelium which maintains the desorption gradient for continuous release from soot. The bioaccessibility of the 11 PAHs investigated ranged from 16% to 56% for the two soot samples, and it serves as the worst-case scenario for bioavailability, the fraction reaches the circulation system and causes toxic effects. Bioaccessibility was found to be significantly underestimated without the absorptive sink. In addition, PAHs in the soot particles seemed to be more extractable by solvent using microwave assisted system after digestion, as indicated by significantly higher concentrations of PAHs observed in the digestive residue than those in the raw soot. The aged soot with the addition of agricultural soil also underwent the digestion process to explore bioaccessibility change over time and the impact of soil organic matter.

Bioaccessiblity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) associated with soot, assessed by an in vitro<i> g</i>astrointestinal digestion model with an absorptive sink

248th National Meeting (2014)

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Bioaccessiblity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) associated with soot, assessed by an in vitro gastrointestinal digestion model with an absorptive sink