This study investigated the potential health risk due to dietary exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) for the populace living around selected industrial areas in the south eastern states of Nigeria. The concentrations of PAHs were measured in edible food crops using Gas Chromatography - Flame Ionization Detection (GC-FID). The mean concentration of PAHs in food crops collected ranged from < 0.01 to 2.64 ± 0.02, 5.27 ± 0.04, 0.96 ± 0.02, 8.94 ± 0.01 and 1.95 ± 0.06 in mg/kg for Osisioma, Ishiagu, Irete, Akwuuru, and Ngwo respectively. PAHs distributions in food samples analyzed in this study showed vegetables to be significant higher (p ≤ 0.05) in the order vegetables > fruits > nuts > tubers. Total PAHs (ΣPAHs) concentrations in most crop samples had highest values 14.49, 36.29, 4.59, 23.36 and 21.8 mg/kg for Chyrysophyllum albidum, Telferia occidentalis, Vernonia amygdalina, Talinum triangulare and Elaies guinnensis for Osisioma, Akwuuru, Irete, Ishiagu and Ngwo respectively. The low molecular weight-PAHS/high molecular weight-PAHS were < 1 with values 0.76, 0.18, 0.28, 0.91 and 0.12 for Osisioma, Irete, Akwuuru, Ishiagu and Ngwo respectively. 58.3% and 71.7% of ΣB(a)P and ΣPAHs in food samples in the study areas exceeded the permissible limits set by DPR and EU. The estimated daily intake of PAHs via the ingestion of food crops were within the tolerable range. The carcinogenic risk values for the food crops were within the predicted permissible lifetime risks of carcinogen (10−6-10−4) for adults and children in Osisioma, Akwuuru, Ishiagu and Enugu respectively. Therefore, this study suggests that the populace around industrialized areas in South Eastern Nigeria, may be at risk due to PAHs exposure through food consumption.
Aim: This study investigated the health risk associated with chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn) and arsenic (As) through consumption of some food crops in selected industrialized areas located in the south eastern states of Nigeria using the estimated daily intake(EDI), bioaccumulation factor(BCF), target hazard quotient(THQ) and incremental lifetime cancer risk(ILCR). Study Design: Atomic absorption spectrophotometer was used to assess the concentrations of Cr, Mn and As in the different food crops and soils at the industrialized areas. Place and Duration: Samples were collected around industrial layouts in south east states of Nigeria. Duration was between February 2018 to September 2018. Methodology: Twelve (12) different food crops which included 3 each of vegetables, tubers fruits and nuts and their rhizophere soils were collected from farmlands close to the industries at Osisioma, Akwuuru, Ishiagu, Ngwo, Irete while Umudike was the control site for this study. Results: Mean concentrations of Cr and Mn ranged from 0.01 ± 0.01c to 26.32 ± 0.02 dmg/kg and 0.01 ± 0.00 to 5.53 ± 0.00 mg/kg while As which was Below Detection Limit (< 0.01) mg/kg. 60 and 11 0ut of 72 samples exceeded the WHO permissible limits of 0.2 and 2 mg/kg for Cr and Mn respectively. The BAF of >1 was recorded in 26 Samples out of 108 with its highest values in Pumpkin and Waterleaf suggesting it could be tried as bioindicators .THQ > 1 was recorded in all samples for different locations except for Star apple and Kolanut. ILCR values for Cr in all the samples ranged 10-2 to 10-5 exceeding the permissible range of 10-4 to 10-6. Conclusion: The exposed population has the probability of contracting cancer and other ailments due to exposure to the heavy metals in this study. Therefore, this study suggests further consideration of the metals as chemicals of concern with respect to industrial locations in South Eastern, Nigeria.
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