Risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in smoke-dried European hake fish (Merluccius merluccius linneaus, 1758) from selected markets in Benin City, Nigeria

Abstract

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are recognized in the scientific community for their carcinogenicity, mutagenicity and teratogenicity. The paucity of ecotoxicological data on the PAH content of smoke-dried European Hake fish (Merluccius merluccius) from selected markets in Benin City, Nigeria, warranted this research which was achieved using a gas chromatograph with a mass selective detector. The summary statistics for the mean concentrations of PAH congeners in M. merluccius ranged from 0.005 μg/kg Benzo[b]fluoranthene (BBF) to 2.408 μg/kg Naphthalene, with a total PAH burden of 2.840 μg/kg. The mean concentrations of PAH congeners in M. merluccius by market point ranged from 0.004 ± 0.005 μg/kg for BBF at Oba market to 3.391 ± 0.675 μg/kg for Naphthalene at Oluku market, with no observed significant difference (p>0.05) in the mean concentrations of BBF and Benzo[a]anthracene (BAA) in M. merluccius between markets. The hazard quotient (HQ) for PAHs in M. merluccius ranged from 0.001 for BBF to 0.482 for Naphthalene, while the toxic equivalency (TEQ) for PAH in M. merluccius was 0.030. The cancer risk factor (CRF) for PAHs ranged from 2.55 x 10-8 for BAA to 1.25 x 10-6 for BBF with a risk specific dose ranging from 19.44 mg/kg/day for BAA to 40.23 mg/kg/day for BBF. Overall, M. merluccius was considered safe for human consumption as PAHs levels in the fish species fell below internationally established
acceptable limits.