Journal of Agriculture
and Environmental Sciences

Human Health Risk Assessment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) in Smoked Fishes in Togo
Ekpetsi Chantal Bouka, Povi Lawson-Evi, Essodolom Paka, Kokou Idoh, Kwashie Eklu-Gadegbeku

Abstract
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are organic compounds that can contaminate food through cooking methods. Traditional smoked food is contaminated by PAHs that are formed during the incomplete combustion of organic material like wood. This study was conducted to determine the level of 4PAHs in smoked fishes in Togo and assess human health risk related to their consumption. Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), benz[a]anthracene, (BaA), benzo[b]fluoranthene (BbF) and chrysene (CHR) are determined by high performance liquid chromatography (1200 HPLC) with QuEChERS method. High concentrations of the 4PAHs was observed in all samples with values above the Maximum Limit (30,0 μg/kg). The daily dose intake (DDI) varies from 23.22 to 130.09ng/kg bw/day for the 4PAHs and from 1.4 to 31.64ng/kg bw/day for BaP.DDI of BaP (1.4ng/kg bw/day) is lower than the median dietary exposure in European countries for industrial fish traditionally smoked. The assessment of lifetime excess cancer risk is estimated to 6.78 x 10-6greater than the threshold value (1x 10-6).The carcinogenic risk is high for the consumption of small smoked fish by the Togolese population.

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/jaes.v9n2a2