Abstract
Objective: This study evaluated the presence and concentration of PAHs in singed and unsinged hides and skin of slaughter cattle and goats and smoked and non-smoked fish in Awka urban area of Anambra State, Nigeria.
 Methods: Sixty samples of singed and unsinged hides and skin for were collected from Kwata slaughterhouse in Awka town where fish tissues were also collected from fish smoking spots in Awka urban. The samples were examined for the presence PAHs such as: benzo[a]pyrene; benzo[a]anthracene; benzo[k]flouranthene and indeno[1-2-3cd]pyrene using gas chromatography equipped with flame ionization detector.
 Results: The result showed that the mean concentrations (µg/kg) of benzo[a]pyrene and indeno [1-2-3cd]pyrene in unsinged cattle hides were 7.89±7.77 and 2.25±0.97 respectively. The mean concentrations upon singeing were of 15.81±14.93 and 3.55±2.89. The mean concentrations (µg/kg) of benzo[a]pyrene; benzo[k]flouranthene and indeno[1-2-3cd]pyrene in unsigned goat skins were 6.52±10.77; 6.58±5.93 and 3.48±0.00 respectively. When the goatskin was singed, the mean concentrations were 17.50±26.03; 10.84±11.19 and 8.79±11.77. The mean concentrations (µg/kg) of benzo[a]pyrene; benzo[k]flouranthene and indeno[1-2-3cd]pyrene in non-smoked fish were 8.65±9.67; 2.11±2.10 and 54.76±60.35 respectively. When the fish were smoked, the mean concentrations of 26.42±40.21; 6.64±11.11 and 599.36±1395.61 were recorded respectively. In all species of animals sampled, no trace of benzo[a]anthracene was detected.
 Conclusion: The mean concentrations of all carcinogenic PAHs detected in this work were below the maximum permissible level set by World Health Organization (WHO) and European Commission (30µg/kg) with the exception of indeno[1-2-3cd]pyrene in smoked and non-smoked fish, which was far above the permissible level.
Highlights
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are among ubiquitous chemicals that abound in the environment
The results from this study showed that cattle hides and goat skin from Kwata slaughterhouse and fish in Awka area in Awka town accumulated varying levels of PAHs
Among the well-known human carcinogenic PAHs (a) benzo [a] pyrene; (b) benzo [a] fluoranthene; (c)benzo [a] anthracene; (d)indeno[1-2-3cd] pyrene(IARC, 1973 and EPA, 1985), only three components were detected in all the samples submitted
Summary
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are among ubiquitous chemicals that abound in the environment. They constitute a large class of organic compounds, containing 2 or more fused aromatic rings made up of carbon and hydrogen atoms [1]. Meat, meat products and fish are subjected to thermal treatment (singeing, smoking, roasting, grilling or barbecuing), PAHs are formed as a result of incomplete combustion or thermal decomposition of organic materials [2]. The production of PAHs during roasting over charcoal is a function of the fat content of the meat and fish, temperature, duration of treatment, distance from the source of heating, oxygen accessibility and type of combustion used [3]. Very high contamination levels are expected when food is smoked over an open flame, while charcoal grilling usually yields small amounts of PAHs [6]
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