Burst of colour that’s our glorious reward for a washout winter
… but don’t stand too near BBQ as fumes could raise cancer risk
STANDING near a barbecue can expose your skin to cancer- causing fumes, research suggests.
Oils carried in the smoke around the meat can make the skin more porous to certain dangerous compounds.
And these fumes are more likely to enter the body via the skin than through the lungs, experts found.
As the British barbecue season gets into full swing this bank holiday weekend, fans of outdoor cooking are being advised to wash their clothes afterwards to get rid of these harmful particles.
The study, by scientists at Jinan University in Guangzhou, China, found people who sat around an outdoor grill were exposed to compounds called PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) through their skin.
These compounds are produced from burning organic substances such as coal, petrol and wood, and they also form when meats are cooked at high temperatures – such as pan-frying or grilling.
Exposure to these chemicals can cause respiratory diseases and DNA mutations and have been linked with an increased risk of certain cancers. But most studies have focused on exposure to PAHs through food or inhalation – rather than through the skin.
The new study published in Environmental Science and Technology looked at data from 20 men attending a barbecue for two-and-a-half hours who were divided into three groups to provide varying degrees of exposure to the food and smoke.
After analysing urine samples from the volunteers the researchers found the amount of barbecued meat they had eaten accounted for the largest amount of PAH exposure. But the skin – rather than inhalation – was the second-highest exposure route.
Study author Professor Eddy Zeng said: ‘Although barbecues may not be a daily activity, it is perhaps one of the most popular outdoor events around the world.
‘Households in the United Kingdom barbecue more than ten times a year with a preference for charcoal as a fuel source.’
The team also found that once clothing was saturated with barbecue smoke the skin could take in considerable amounts of PAHs from the garments. Scientists therefore suggested washing clothes soon after leaving a grilling area to reduce exposure.
Professor Zeng added: ‘Polluted clothes may become a persistent exposure source … and should be treated properly to reduce skin absorption of contaminants.’