Comparative Assessment of Polycyclic Aromatic and Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons in Three Species of Stock Fish Sold in Port Harcourt Market of Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated the concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in different species of stockfish. Three species of stockfish (Cod, Apama and Haddock) were purchased from Rumuokoro market, in Obioakpor L.G.A. of Rivers State. They were sundried for seven days and were blended into powder form and stored in an air tight container prior to laboratory analysis. The result shows that 17 PAHs were detected in the stockfish samples. Naphathalene, phenanthrene, anthracene, acenaphthelene, benzo [a]pyrene, chrysene, benzo [e] anthracene, benzo [k] fluoranthene and benzo [a] pyrene were found in highest concentration in Apama while the highest concentration of fluorine (3.50) and pyrene (9.79) were detected in sample (Cod). Haddock had the highest concentration of ancenaphthalene (6.40) and fluoranthene (2.64). The TPH result shows that undecane (4.93), tetradecane(7.71), hexadecane(8.08), octadecane (4.42), heneicosane (3.40) and hexacosane (2.20) were found in highest concentration in Apama. It was also recorded that the highest concentrations of octane (5.96), dodecane (3.29), tridecane (6.16), heptadecane (2.45), pristane and icosane were found in cod while the highest concentration of nonane (3.35), decane (5.90), pentadecane (7.03) and nonadecane (7.26) were present in haddock. It was also recorded that hentriacontane (2.33), dotriacontane (6.42), tritriacontane (3.79), tetratriacontane (5.88), pentatriacontane (8.84), hexatriacontane (2.25), heptatriacontane (2.12), octatriacontane (1.41), nonatriacontane (1.39), tetracontane(1.16) and hentetracontane(1.01) were only present in Apama. The findings of this study suggests that all three species of stock fish analyzed are contaminated with both polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs).