Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Sediment and Health Risk of Fish, Crab and Shrimp Around Atlas Cove, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are toxic contaminants and pose health risks to humans and the ecosystem due to their persistence in the environment. OBJECTIVES: This study determined the concentrations of PAHs in sediment, two species of fish (Drepane africana and Pomadasys jubelini), crabs (Callinectes amnicola) and shrimps (Penaeus notialis) around the Atlas Cove jetty, Lagos, Nigeria. METHODS: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were extracted from fish, shrimp, and crabs that were purchased from local fishermen. Sediments were collected at five locations impacted by ship movement and cargo offloading around the Atlas Cove jetty during the period of June to August 2016, using standard methods. Potential toxicity of PAHs in the sediments on the surrounding aquatic organisms was assessed. The PAHs were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Human health risk assessment was calculated from biota using dietary daily intake and carcinogenic potencies of individual PAH concentrations. RESULTS: A total of 17 PAH congeners were detected in sediment samples and ten were detected in biota samples. Concentrations of total PAHs obtained in sediment and fish samples ranged from 2.15 - 36.46 mg/kg and 11.89 - 71.06 mg/kg, respectively. The total PAHs concentration pattern follow the order of P. notialis > C. amnicola > P. jubelini (whole) > D. africana (whole) > D. africana (fillet) > P. jubelini (fillet) > sediment. Concentrations of total PAHs were higher in whole fish than in fillet samples (muscle) in both fish species. High values of PAHs were recorded in the dietary intake (0.10 - 2.33 mg/kg body weight/day) of the organisms. Toxic equivalent quotient values (0.01 to 0.10 mg/kg) were observed to be higher than the screening values (0.0014 to 0.0599 mg/kg). In the muscle of Drepane africana and Pomadasys jubelini, splitting and atrophy of the muscle bundles were observed. CONCLUSIONS: The concentrations of PAHs in analyzed sediment and organisms were higher than the maximum permissible limit of the United State Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). Most of the detected PAHs were of petrogenic origin, which is an indication that anthropogenic activities were influencing PAH concentrations. COMPETING INTERESTS: The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Assessment of PAHs levels in some fish and seafood from different coastal waters in the Niger Delta.

Levels of sixteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in 30 edible tissues of selected frequently-consumed fish and seafood collected from three coastal waters of Niger Delta, namely, Sime, Kporghor and Iko were investigated in 2014. Gas chromatographic analysis were employed for PAHs determination. Observed mean PAHs levels in the samples ranged from below detection limit (BD) of analytical instrument to 22.400 ± 0.050 µg kg-1 wet wt. in Littorina littorea, BD to 87.400 ± 0.030 µg kg-1 wet wt. in Crassostrea virginica and from BD to 171.000 ± 0.430 µg kg-1 wet wt. in Periophthalmus koeleuteri. The highest average concentration of 171.000 ± 0.430 µg kg-1 wet wt. was recorded for Indeno [1,2,3-cd]pyrene from Sime water. High molecular weight PAHs (HMW-PAHs) were generally predominant compared to low molecular weight PAHs (LMW-PAHs). The LMW- PAH/HMW-PAH ratio was <1 for all species, indicating anthropogenic origin of PAHs in the coastal waters of Niger Delta environment. Moreover, the study of the PAHs fingerprints, using specific ratios, suggests the predominance of a pyrolytic origin for observed PAHs.

Pyrosequencing reveals the effect of mobilizing agents and lignocellulosic substrate amendment on microbial community composition in a real industrial PAH-polluted soil.

Bacterial and fungal biodiversity throughout different biostimulation and bioaugmentation treatments applied to an industrial creosote-polluted soil were analyzed by means of polyphasic approach in order to gain insight into the microbial community structure and dynamics. Pyrosequencing data obtained from initial creosote polluted soil (after a biopiling step) revealed that Alpha and Gammaproteobacteria were the most abundant bacterial groups, whereas Fusarium and Scedosporium were the main fungal genera in the contaminated soil. At the end of 60-days laboratory scale bioremediation assays, pyrosequencing and DGGE data showed that (i) major bacterial community shifts were caused by the type of mobilizing agent added to the soil and, to a lesser extent, by the addition of lignocellulosic substrate; and (ii) the presence of the non-ionic surfactant (Brij 30) hampered the proliferation of Actinobacteria (Mycobacteriaceae) and Bacteroidetes (Chitinophagaceae) and, in the absence of lignocellulosic substrate, also impeded polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) degradation. The results show the importance of implementing bioremediation experiments combined with microbiome assessment to gain insight on the effect of crucial parameters (e.g. use of additives) over the potential functions of complex microbial communities harbored in polluted soils, essential for bioremediation success.

Hazardous waste characterization among various thermal processes in South Korea: a comparative analysis.

Ministry of Environment, Republic of Korea (South Korea) is in progress of converting its current hazardous waste classification system to harmonize it with the international standard and to set-up the regulatory standards for toxic substances present in the hazardous waste. In the present work, the concentrations along with the trend of 13 heavy metals, F(-), CN(-) and 19 PAH present in the hazardous waste generated among various thermal processes (11 processes) in South Korea were analyzed along with their leaching characteristics. In all thermal processes, the median concentrations of Cu (3.58-209,000 mg/kg), Ni (BDL-1560 mg/kg), Pb (7.22-5132.25mg/kg) and Zn (83.02-31419 mg/kg) were comparatively higher than the other heavy metals. Iron & Steel thermal process showed the highest median value of the heavy metals Cd (14.76 mg/kg), Cr (166.15 mg/kg) and Hg (2.38 mg/kg). Low molecular weight PAH (BDL-37.59 mg/kg) was predominant in sludge & filter cake samples present in most of the thermal processes. Comparatively flue gas dust present in most of the thermal processing units resulted in the higher leaching of the heavy metals.