Krishna Pyare, Ruby Rani, Basant Shubhankar, Suchitra Tyagi, Kavita Kumari and Annapurna Kumari
Abstract
This study investigates the concentration of volatile organic compounds (VOC) in various edible oils and their behaviour when subjected to heat. Building on the limited data available on the effects of heating on these compounds, the research provides a comprehensive analysis of benzene and its derivatives in fresh and heated edible oils. Utilizing High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) with a UV detector at 254 nm wavelength. Our findings demonstrate that fresh mustard, cottonseed, rice bran, and palm oils possess higher initial concentrations of benzene and substituted benzenes. These concentrations decrease significantly upon heating, which is likely due to the volatilization of low-boiling organic compounds. Furthermore, the study explores the emissions of VOC during deep frying with edible oils, which is a significant concern given their mutagenic and carcinogenic potential. The vapours captured 2, 4, 6 hours of heating were analysed, revealing high levels of benzene and its derivatives, particularly from mustard oil. The intense emissions from frying mustard oil suggest potential health risks for individuals exposed to these fumes, especially cooks.