Concentrations, Profiles, Health Risk Assessment, and Source Identification of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Four Species of Fishes from Oil Impacted Communities in Ogbia LGA, Bayelsa, Nigeria

Abstract

Concentrations and profiles of poly-aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in four species of fishes viz; Hairtail (Trichiurus lepturus); Silver catfish (Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus); Bonga (Ethmasola fimbriata); and Clam (Galatea paradoxa)] from oil impacted communities in Ogbia LGA were determined. PAHs source identifications and assessment of health risks associated with the consumptions of these species were investigated. Varying concentrations of PAH congeners were observed in the fish species with T. lepturus having the highest total PAHs concentrations. PAHs profiles shows that two and three rings PAHs (low molecular weight PAHs) were more predominant in the fish species tending to suggest petroleum inputs. However, the other diagnostic indices clearly confirm pyrolytic sources of PAHs. The order of mean total PAHs concentrations (∑16PAHs) in µg/kg in the fish species was: T. lepturus (3,272.4 ± 457) >   C. nigrodigitatus (2,810.8 ± 434) > E. Fimbriata (2,200.0 ± 395) > G. paradoxa (1,890.8 ± 372). Health risks assessment through the indices of dietary daily intakes (DDI), hazard quotients (HQ), and the margin of exposures (MOE) reveals T. lepturus has the highest DDI value suggesting that T. lepturus has the highest potential to cause harm. However, the hazard index [HI (∑HQs)] values for all the species were less than one (< 1) indicating no potential threat of non-carcinogenic risks at the specified consumption rate (20.8g/day). Indications of carcinogenic risks to consumers of these fish species were however implicated by MOEs values that were all less than 10,000.