Parent and halogenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in farmed cockroaches and implications for human exposure

• PAHs and HPAHs were detected in medicinal cockroaches and feedstuff.
• Children are the most sensitive population to PAHs and HPAHs.
• Females have the slightly higher exposure levels than that of males.
• Estimated excess cancer risk of PAHs and HPAHs were lower than 10-6.

Medicinal insects have been widely used to cure human diseases for ages. Nevertheless, knowledge about the toxic chemicals accumulated in medicinal insects and their effects on human health was insufficient. In the present study, sixteen priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and nine halogenated PAHs (HPAHs) were determined in farmed medicinal cockroaches to address this issue. Total concentrations of PAHs in young nymphs, old nymphs, and adults ranged from 162 to 1025, 252 to 967, and 267 to 1168 ng/g, respectively. Levels of the sum of HPAHs varied from 0.84 to 9.17, 1.86 to 5.21, and 1.01 to 8.60 ng/g for young nymphs, old nymphs, and adults, respectively. The daily intake and excess cancer risk of PAHs and HPAHs were calculated for people who take cockroach-related drugs. Our results indicated that females and children have slightly higher exposure levels from the perspectives of gender and age, respectively. The estimated excess cancer risk of PAHs and HPAHs were both lower than the priority risk level (10-4), indicating a low potential carcinogenic risk with the medicinal cockroach consumption.

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