What question did this study set out to answer?

This study aims to assess the impact of cooking-generated PAH exposure on oxidative stress and cardiovascular health among grill restaurant workers.

June 14, 2026Open Access

Occupational Exposure to Cooking-Generated Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Associated Oxidative Stress and DNA Damage Among Grill Restaurant Workers

Key Points

This study aims to assess the impact of cooking-generated PAH exposure on oxidative stress and cardiovascular health among grill restaurant workers.
Cross-sectional design involving grill workers and matched controls
Assessment of urinary 1-hydroxypyrene as a biomarker for PAH exposure
Evaluation of oxidative stress, lung integrity, and cardiovascular parameters through ELISA and physiological monitoring.
Grill workers showed a 3.7-fold higher median urinary 1-OHP (Hodges–Lehmann ratio = 3.66, 95% CI: 1.68–7.12) compared to controls.
Workers had a significantly higher resting heart rate (+12.9%, HL ratio = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.05–1.23) and systolic blood pressure (+8.9%, HL ratio = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.00–1.18).
No significant differences in biomarkers for oxidative stress and genotoxicity, indicating the need for more exposure to detect genomic damage.

Abstract

Street-food grilling is a common occupation in Asia, yet the occupational health risks associated with cooking-generated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) exposure, occurring alongside plausible unmeasured co-exposures such as ambient heat and physical workload, remain under-researched. This study investigated the internal dose of PAH exposure and its association with early biological effects and physiological strain among grill restaurant workers. A cross-sectional study was conducted involving grill workers and 20 age/BMI-matched controls. Urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) was utilized as the primary exposure biomarker. The study assessed early biological effects such as oxidative stress (8-OHdG, F2-isoprostanes), lung epithelial integrity (CC16), and genotoxicity (BPDE-DNA adducts) via ELISA. Physiological parameters, including blood pressure and heart rate, were recorded to evaluate acute cardiovascular strain. Workers had significantly elevated urinary 1-OHP levels compared to controls (Hodges–Lehmann ratio = 3.66, 95% CI: 1.68–7.12, representing a 3.7-fold median increase), with exposure levels increasing proportionally to smoke proximity. Notably, workers demonstrated a significantly higher median resting heart rate (HL ratio = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.05–1.23; +12.9%) and systolic blood pressure (HL ratio = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.00–1.18; +8.9%) compared to their office-based peers. Although strong correlations were observed among biological effect biomarkers (rs = 0.42–0.63), there were no significant differences between groups for 8-OHdG, CC16, or BPDE-DNA adducts, suggesting that cardiovascular parameters reflect acute short-term responses, while genomic damage markers may require higher cumulative exposure thresholds to become detectable. The study revealed that grill restaurant workers face substantial internal PAH exposure and significant cardiovascular strain, occurring alongside plausible unmeasured co-exposures including ambient heat and physical workload. The prevalence of chronic cough and elevated heart rate is a critical early warning sign for occupational health. Our findings indicate that current general ventilation is inadequate, highlighting an urgent need for localized engineering controls and comprehensive health surveillance, including cardiovascular monitoring in the service sector.

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