Human Health Risk Assessment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHS) In Five Aquatic Biotics from Selected Creeks in Rivers State

Abstract

Pollution of the creeks in Niger Delta, Rivers State in particular, has become a norm, posing significant environmental and public health problems. This study evaluated the human risk index from consumption of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, (PAHs), in five aquatic biotics in two selected creeks in Rivers State. The creeks are Isaka and Marine Base creeks in Okrika and Port Harcourt local government areas respectively. A specimen of each of the biotics was collected from each creek and analyzed using Gas Chromatography for PAHs. Mean values of total PAHs concentration ranged from 0.051 to 2.79mg/kg in fish, 0 to 1.58mg/kg in periwinkle, 0.004 to 2.038mg/kg in crab, 0 to 2.044mg/kg in oyster, and 0 to 1.932mg/kg in prawn, in Isaka creek; and in Marine Base creek, 0 to 8.64mg/kg in fish, 0 to 1.388mg/kg in periwinkle, 0 to 2.55mg/kg in crab, 0 to 2.17mg/kg in oyster, and 0 to 5.97mg/kg in prawn. The estimated hazard quotients (HQs) of PAHs from consumption of fish, periwinkle, crab, oyster, and prawn from Isaka creek were 0.733732, 0.31875, 0.104186, 0.269268, and 0.035475 respectively, which is below the USEPA measurement limit of one. Thus, the possibility of human contacting any non-carcinogenic ailment is very unlikely. However, the cancer risk (CR) values were above the USEPA acceptable range of 10-6-10-4; and as such there is the likelihood of cancer upon continuous exposure. For Marine Base creek, the total Hazard Quotients in fish was estimated above one indicating the tendency of causing non-carcinogenic health issues upon consumption. The rest biotics have estimated HQs of PAHs values of 0.082268, 0.233357, 0.270179, and 0.432536 respectively in periwinkle, crab, oyster, and prawn. The sum of CR values for fish, periwinkle, oyster, and prawn were 0.008971, 0.010393, 0.009378, and 0.007166 correspondingly, which are beyond the acceptable limit depicting the likelihood of cancer upon continuous c

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