IDENTIFICATION AND QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF CARCINOGENIC PAH COMPONENTS IN FOUR DIFFERENT SPECIES OF TRADITIONALLY SMOKED FISH PURCHASED IN PORT-HARCOURT METROPOLIS, RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA

Four different traditionally smoked species of fish were analyzed to investigate the concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons components. Identification and quantitative analysis of the PAHs components were achieved by gas chromatography. The results obtained showed that the PAHs components present in the samples ranged from 112.340 ± 0.300 – 42.230 ± 0.100 μg/kg, anthracene; 3.500 ± 0.050 – 17.450 ± 0.210 μg/kg, naphthalene; 0.068 ± 0.001 – 1.412 ± 0.007 μg/kg, Fluoranthene; 0.043 ± 0.001 – 0.065 ± 0.002 μg/kg, Fluorene; 0.067 ± 0.001 – 0.094 ± 0.002 μg/kg, Phenanthrene; 4.650 ± 0.002 – 7.890 ± 0.004 μg/kg, Chrysene; 4.250 ± 0.056 – 6.023 ± 0.024 μg/kg, Pyrene(a)pyrene; 1.040 ± 0.001 - 3.400 ± 0.002 μg/kg, benzo(a)fluoranthene; 1.780 ± 0.004 – 3.750 ± 0.023 μg/kg, benzo(k) fluoranthene. And the total PAHs concentration ranged from 25.198 – 82.428 μg/kg. Traditionally smoked fish should be avoided due to it encouraged PAHs formation and causing health hazards.