Abstract
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are majorly a class of hazardous and persistent organic pollutants, consisting of fused benzene rings in linear, angular and cluster arrangements, which are derived mainly from incomplete combustion of organic materials and natural processes. By origin PAHs could be petrogenic, biogenic and pyrogenic. PAHs have been categorized as priority pollutants and probable human carcinogens. This study is undertaken to characterize the sources and levels of PAHs in clam (spisula solidissima), periwinkles (tympanotonus fuscatus) and snail (gastropoda) obtained from a local market in Ibeno, Nigeria. The samples were unshelled, air –dried, grinded and subjected to analyses for PAHs by Gas Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry. Tympanotonus fuscatus indicated the presesnce of fluorene (8.5 ± 0.21 ng/g), anthracene (33.90 ± 1.01 ng/g), phenanthrene (23.9 ± 1.12 ng/g), fluoranthene (27.9 ± 2.01 ng/g), pyrene (25.1 ±1.31 ng/g), benzo[a]anthracene (22.3±1.25 ng/g), chrysene (7.14 ± 0.56 ng/g. Gastropoda indicated the presesnce of fluorene (8.94 ± 0.42 ng/g), anthracene (31.18 ± 3.02 ng/g), phenanthrene (22.44 ± 1.95 ng/g), fluoranthene (27.58 ± 2.58 ng/g), pyrene (24.48 ±1.91 ng/g), benzo[a]anthracene (20.94±2.75 ng/g), chrysene (8.45 ± 0.39 ng/g). Spisula solidissima indicated the presesnce of fluorene (9.82 ± 0.75 ng/g) , anthracene (32.1 ± 4.01 ng/g), phenanthrene (22.98 ± 3.05 ng/g), fluoranthene (28.86 ± 5.03 ng/g), pyrene (25.3 ±2.53ng/g ), benzo[a]anthracene( 19.25±2.45 ng/g), chrysene (9.18 ± 1.03 ng/g). PAH molecular diagnostic ratios used for source identification were less than one, indicating pyrogenic source in the three food items. Toxic equivalent concentrations of PAHs (TEQ) were in the order, tympanotonus fuscatus ( 22.39 ng/g ) > gastropoda (21.35 ng/g) > spisula solidissima (19.68 ng/g), which were lower than the maximum permissible TEQ (33.0 ng/g) as a lethal level to raise a public health concern for the consumption of these food items in the study area.
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