Procarcinogens: Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Heavy Metal Content in Some Locally Processed Foods in South Eastern Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals in commonly consumed roasted meats and smoked fish in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria. The processed foods were grouped as; freshly processed- 6 to 12 hours heat/flame/smoke exposure and long processed- 7 days heat/flame/smoke exposure. Freshly processed (FP) and long processed (LP) beef, fatty beef, chicken, fish and pork samples were purchased from road-side food vendors, wrapped in clean labelled paper foil and taken to the laboratory for analysis. Gas chromatography with flame ionization detector (GC-FID) was used for the evaluation of PAH and atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) was used to determine heavy metals. Our result showed that the total concentration of PAHs in LP food samples were higher when compared to FP samples. Benzo(a)pyrene and other PAHs which are probable human carcinogen, were present in varying concentrations in the samples. Toxic heavy metals such as lead and cadmium were present at varying concentrations in the samples, while mercury was not detected in any of the samples. This study have added to the numerous evidences that processing of food by exposure to heat, flame and smoke encourages the generation of toxic compounds and the nature of the food chain and certain environmental activities can impact negatively on their nutritional content. This therefore places consumers at potential health risk.