Highly Polar Organic Compounds Present in Meat Smoke

Fine particulate matter emitted during meat cooking is known to contribute a significant fraction of the total fine aerosol concentration in urban areas. In the present study, polar organic compounds in meat smoke fine particulate matter are converted to their trimethylsilyl derivatives and analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Silylation enables the detection of monoglycerides in the meat smoke extracts and enhances the detection of cholesterol. These compounds are detected in atmospheric fine particle samples collected in Bakersfield, CA, with relative abundances that show substantial agreement between the meat smoke source samples and the atmosphere. The data suggest that the saturated monoglycerides, as well as cholesterol, may be suitable for use as tracers for the atmospheric particles generated by meat cooking operations.