Approaches to the Estimation of Cancer Risk From Ingested PAH

Abstract

The sum of eight carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) from food in three total diet studies has ranged from 1.45 to 3.50 μg/person/day. The effect of different approaches to the estimation of possible human cancer risk of food borne sources of PAH was illustrated by combining United Kingdom (UK) intake data with cancer potency information in four different ways. The lifetime cancer risk from this level of exposure, based on the sum of risk from individual PAH was estimated to be 5.1 × 10⁻⁵or 8.2 × 10⁻⁷for cancer potencies based on rodent studies and human inhalation data respectively. When benzo[a]pyrene was used as a surrogate for the cancer risk of a PAH containing mixture, the risk was estimated at 1.3 × 10⁻³or 1.1 × 10⁻⁵. Variation in dietary intake is small compared with the variation in cancer potency data presently available for risk assessment of PAH from dietary sources.

Key Words:

• Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
• diet
• cancer potency
• cancer risk