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Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) Pollution and its Associated Human Health Risks in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria: a Systematic Review

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Abstract

The frequent incidents of oil spills and other forms of pollution arising from crude oil exploration and exploitation (OEE) in the Niger Delta have caused several investigations on Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) pollution. This study aimed at developing a comprehensive report on PAH pollution and its human health risks recorded in the Niger Delta. Studies were extracted from Google Scholar, PubMed, and ResearchGate using a defined selection criterion. The quality of each study was assessed using the Newcastle – Ottawa Scale. Thirty-eight studies were selected with the majority reporting on PAH pollution in aquatic environments. Across all the selected studies, the total number of PAHs recorded ranged from 7 to 28 PAH congeners. Also, PAH potential sources reported in the studies were of pyrogenic and petrogenic sources. PAH concentrations recorded in water, sediment, aquatic organisms (fish and shrimp), soil, dust, and crop samples ranged from below detection limit (BDL) to 450 ± 117.9 mg/L, BDL to 1821.5 mg/kg, 0.005 to 1.098 mg/kg, ND to 4154 ± 3461 mg/kg, 165.1 to 1012 mg/kg, and 0.020 to 3.37 mg/kg, respectively. The majority of the selected studies reported PAH levels which were higher than the permissible limits. Incremental Lifetime Cancer Risk (ILCR) assessment of PAHs in samples ranged from low to high via ingestion and dermal routes of exposure to humans. It is recommended that the Federal Government of Nigeria promotes environmentally friendly operations of OEE. Future studies should focus on PAH pollution in farmlands, ambient air, and the associated human and ecological health risks.

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Acknowledgements

Authors extend their gratitude to David Appiah Boateng for his review and comments which were useful in finalising the writing of the manuscript. The authors are also thankful to the anonymous reviewers whose comments were essential in making this research a better one, ready for public use.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Département de Biologie des Organismes, Faculté des Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium

    Samuel Appiah Ofori

  2. Department of Environment and Sustainability Studies, Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana

    Samuel Appiah Ofori, Samuel Jerry Cobbina, Abubakari Zarouk Imoro & Dzigbodi Adzo Doke

  3. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium

    Samuel Appiah Ofori

  4. Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Firenze, Italy

    Samuel Appiah Ofori

  5. Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany

    Thomas Gaiser

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Contributions

Samuel Appiah Ofori: Conceptualisation, writing, search and selection of studies, analysis and review. Samuel Jerry Cobbina: Conceptualisation, search and selection of studies, review and editing. Abubakari Zarouk Imoro: Quality assessment of selected studies, review and editing. Dzigbodi Adzo Doke: Quality assessment of selected studies and review. Thomas Gaiser: Conceptualisation, quality assessment of selected studies and review.

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Highlights

• The Niger Delta is one of the most polluted regions on earth with high international recognition.

• Most PAH records in its aquatic and terrestrial environments are higher than permissible limits.

• PAH pollution poses low to high cancer risks to humans via ingestion and dermal exposure routes.

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Ofori, S.A., Cobbina, S.J., Imoro, A.Z. et al. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) Pollution and its Associated Human Health Risks in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria: a Systematic Review. Environ. Process. 8, 455–482 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40710-021-00507-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40710-021-00507-1

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