ABSTRACT

The study was aimed at PAH assessment in firewood smoked fish in Ubani, Isigate and Oriugba markets in Umuahia Abia State. 16 PAHs were assessed and analysed in the smoked fish using standard Biochemical procedures. It was observed from the results that there was a significant (p?0.05) difference in the concentrations of Naphthalene (Ubani: 0.O343±0.O4, Isigate: 0.0438±0.00, Oriugba: 0.0473±0.00), Acenaphthene (Ubani: 0.0206±0.02, Isigate: 0.0258±0.00, Oriugba: 0.0184±0.01), Anthracene (Ubani: 0.0159±0.02, Isigate: 0.0132±0.01, Oriugba: 0.0000±0.00) and phenanthrene (Ubani: 0.0085±0.01, Isigate: 0.0115±0.02, Oriugba: 0.0114±0.02) across the 3 markets while 2-methy naphthalene (Ubani: 0.0028±0.00, Isigate: 0.0047±0.00, Oriugba: 0.0041±0.00), Acenaphthylene (Ubani: 0.003 8±0.00, Isigate: 0.0068±0.00, Oriugba: 0.0045±0,00), fluorene (Ubani: 0.0024±0.00, Isigate: 0.0016±0.00, Oriugba: 0.0008±0.00), fluoranthene (Ubani: 0.0026±0.00, Isigate: 0.0033±0.00, Oriugba: 0.0053±0.00), pyrene (Ubani: 0.0001±0.00, Isigate: 0.0008±0.00, Oriugba: 0.0012±0.00), Benzo(a)anthracene (Ubani: 0.0101±0.00, Isigate: 0.0064±0.00, Oriugba: 0.0056±0.00), chrysene (Ubani: 0.0002±0.00, Isigate:0.000 1±0.00, Oriugba: 0.0002±0.00), Benzo(b)fluoranthene (Ubani: 0.0001±0.00, Isigate: 0.0001±0.00, Oriugba: 0.0002±0.00), Benzo(k)fluoranthene (Ubani: 0.0002±0.00, Isigate: 0.0002±0.00, Oriugba: 0.0001±0.00), Benzo(a)pyrene (Ubani:0.0003±0,00, Isigate:0.0009±0.00, Oriugba: 0.0010±0.00), Indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene (Ubani: 0.0003±0.00, Isigate:0.0002±0.00, Oriugba: 0.0005±0.00) and Dibenz(a,h)anthracene (Ubani: 0.0007±0.00, Isigate: 0.0002±0.00, Oriugba: 0.0004±0.00) had no significant (pO.O5) difference in concentrations across the 3 markets. It was observed that Naphthalene, Acenaphthene, Anthracene, Benz(a)anthracene and phenanthrene were the highest PAH in concentrations in these 3 markets whereas Benzo(b)fluoranthene, pyrene, Indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene, Dibenz(a,h)anthracene were amongst the lowest PAH in concentrations in these 3 markets. The study concluded that the mean total PAH concentrations was highest in Isigate market and lowest in Oriugba market whereas Ubani market had a moderate level of mean total PAH concentrations in Umuahia Abia State.