A Study on Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon and Heavy Metal Concentrations of Commercial Grilled Meat (Suya) and Smoked Catfish (<i>Clarias gariepinus</i> Burchell, 1822) Fish from South-West, Nigeria
Samuel Ayofemi Olalekan Adeyeye, Tolulope Joshua Ashaolu
Abstract
This study was undertaken to assess polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and heavy metal concentrations of commercial grilled meat (suya) and smoked catfish (Clarias gariepinus Burchell, 1822) from South-West, Nigeria. A total of 100 samples of grilled meat and 100 samples of smoked catfish were collected purposively from five major cities in South-West, Nigeria between July and October, 2019. The samples were analyzed to determine PAH and heavy metal [Lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), and Arsenic (Ar)] concentrations present in the samples. This study revealed that commercial suya and smoked catfish samples from major cities from South West, Nigeria contained varying concentrations of the following carcinogenic PAHs; Benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), Benzo[a]anthracene (B[a]A), Benzo[b]fluoranthene (B[b]FA), Benzo [ghi] perylene (B[ghi]P), and Dibenzo(a,h)anthracene (DB[a,h]A). The concentrations of the PAHs in the samples were very high and above the European Union maximum permissible level of 2.0 µg/kg (0.002 mg/kg) for BaP and 12 µg/kg (0.012 mg/kg) for the sum of 4PAHs (B[a]P + Chr + B[b]F + B[a]A) approved by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 of 19 December 2006 as amended by Regulation (EU) No 835/2011 of 19 August 2011 for B[a]P allowed in grilled or smoked meat and fish for human consumption. The high concentrations of carcinogenic PAHs in commercial suya and smoked catfish from major cities in South West, Nigeria above the EU maximum permissible level of 2.0 µg kg−1 may be due to poor process control like high grilling temperature above 100 °C and longer grilling time associated with traditional suya processing and fish smoking in Nigeria. This could have resulted in public health concerns for consumers as carcinogenic PAHs have been linked to cancer. Also, the concentrations of Pb, Cd, Hg, Cr, and Ar in the commercial suya and smoked catfish samples studied were very low below the maximum permissible limits approved by World Health Organization, 2006 for grilled and smoked meat and fish which are Pb (0.3 mg/kg); Cd (0.2 mg/kg), Hg (0.2 mg/kg), and Cr (0.3 mg/kg) and therefore the products may not constitute health risks to consumers.