Levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) in fresh water fish dried with different drying regimes

Abstract

This study was aimed at evaluating the levels of Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in freshwater fishes dried with charcoal, firewood, sun-drying, electric oven and polyethylene—augmented drying regimes. The levels of PAHs were determined in fish samples harvested from Otuocha River in Anambra State, Nigeria using Gas Chromatography. The result revealed that the total PAHs level in the fresh fish samples were found to be (11.0 ± 0.1 µg/g), while that of the regimes gave a total PAHs level of 35.7 ± 0.2 µg/g for sun-drying, 47.7 ± 0.2 µg/g for oven dried, 79.5 ± 0.2 µg/g for charcoal dried, and 188.1 ± 0.2 µg/g for firewood dried fish samples. The results also showed that augmentation further increased the total PAH in the fishes. This shows that consumers of fishes dried with the augmented regime could be predisposed to PAHs related conditions.