Health risk assessment of exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in bread from Iranian markets: Application of monte carlo simulation approach

Najmeh Khodadadi, Masoumeh Saghi, Sina Mashayekhi, Negin Bashirian, Fateme Asadi Touranlou and Seyedeh Belin Tavakoly Sany

PLOS ONE, 2026, vol. 21, issue 2, 1-18

Abstract: Background: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are persistent environmental contaminants formed during high-temperature processing of food and are associated with both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health effects. Methods: A total of 96 bread samples (Lavash, Sangak, and Barbari) were collected from industrial and traditional bakeries across eight municipal zones of Mashhad, Iran. Sixteen priority PAHs were quantified by GC-MS after microwave-assisted saponification and DLLME clean-up. Toxic equivalent concentrations (BaPeq), daily dietary exposure, incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR), and Monte Carlo probabilistic modelling (100,000 iterations) were used for risk characterisation. Results: Mean Σ₁₆PAHs were significantly higher in traditional breads (68.63 ± 4.57 µg/kg) than industrial breads (39.87 ± 3.68 µg/kg; p

Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pone00:0341584

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0341584

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