Benzo[a]pyrene and Benzo[k]fluoranthene in some processed fish and fish products

Olatunde S Olatunji; Olalekan S Fatoki; Beatrice O Opeolu; Bhekumusa J Ximba

doi:10.3390/ijerph120100940

Benzo[a]pyrene and Benzo[k]fluoranthene in some processed fish and fish products

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2015 Jan 19;12(1):940-51. doi: 10.3390/ijerph120100940.

Authors

Olatunde S Olatunji¹, Olalekan S Fatoki², Beatrice O Opeolu³, Bhekumusa J Ximba⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa. snf_olatunji@ymail.com.
² Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa. FatokiO@cput.ac.za.
³ Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa. opeplub@cput.ac.za.
⁴ Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa. Ximbab@cput.ac.za.

Abstract

In this study, the concentration levels of the probable carcinogenic PAH fractions, benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) and benzo[k]fluoranthrene (BkF) in fillets of some processed fish species were investigated. Fish species comprising Merluccius poli (hake), Tyrsites atun (snoek), Seriola lalandi (yellow-tail) and Brama brama (angel fish) were bought in fish shops at Gordon's Bay, Western Cape, South Africa. The fish were gutted, filleted and prepared for edibility by frying, grilling and boiling. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were extracted from each homogenized fish sample, cleaned-up using solid phase extraction (SPE), and analysed for the PAH fractions, BaP and BkF using a Gas Chromatograph coupled with a Flame Ionization Detector (GC-FID). The sum of the two PAHs (∑2PAH) i.e., BaP and BkF ranged between 0.56 and 1.46 µg/kg, in all boiled, grilled and fried fish species. The fried fish extracts showed significantly higher (p < 0.05) abundance of ∑2PAH, than grilled and boiled fish. Dietary safety and PAHs toxicity was also discussed.

MeSH terms

Animals
Benzo(a)pyrene / analysis*
Carcinogens / analysis
Fish Products / analysis
Fishes / metabolism
Flame Ionization
Fluorenes / analysis*
Food Contamination / analysis*
Seafood / analysis*
Solid Phase Extraction
South Africa
Water Pollutants, Chemical / analysis*

Substances

Carcinogens
Fluorenes
Water Pollutants, Chemical
Benzo(a)pyrene
benzo(k)fluoranthene