Field Measurement of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in wheat grain grown in Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys, California

Wheat grain samples from five different counties in California were analyzed for 2- to 6-ring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAH profiles were similar for all the samples, but concentrations differed by location. Major PAHs present in the California grain were mainly gas-phase PAHs. Diesel-fueled harvesting operations did not appear to contribute to observed PAH concentration in grain. PAHs in grain most likely came from atmospheric deposition.