Higher urinary 1-hydroxypyrene concentration is associated with cooking practice in a Chinese population

Urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) is a biomarker of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) exposure. We examined urinary 1-OHP concentrations in 328 non-occupational exposed health subjects (108 females and 220 males). Each subject was questionnaired for the information of cigarette smoking and the habit of cooking practice including the cooking frequency in the kitchen (times per week), range hood opened for cooking, and fuel used for cooking. Concentrations of urinary 1-OHP (geometric mean, μmol/mol creatinine) were significantly higher in females than in males (0.50 versus 0.34, P < 0.001). Cooking frequency in the kitchen had significant influence on the urinary 1-OHP concentrations in females. In females who did cooking practice in the kitchen, the urinary 1-OHP excretions were significantly higher in those who did not install the range hood compared to those who always opened the hood when cooking (0.75 versus 0.42, P = 0.020). In males, cooking frequency in the kitchen and cigarette smoking were interacted on urinary 1-OHP levels. Those results imply that it is necessary for females with higher frequency of cooking and males with heavy smoking habits to improve their cooking conditions in order to reduce the risks of getting diseases including cancer.