Levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in smoked and sun-dried fish samples from areas in Lake Victoria in Mwanza, Tanzania

This study investigated the concentrations of 13 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in smoked and sun-dried fish samples of three species (Synodontis victoriae, Haplochromis spp and Lates niloticus) from areas in Lake Victoria in Mwanza region, Tanzania. The PAHs in cleaned extracts were determined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The concentrations of total PAHs in sun-dried fish samples were up to 0.13 mg/kg in S. victoria and Haplochromis spp and ranged from 0.08 to 0.3 mg/kg in L. niloticus. The concentrations of total PAHs in smoked fish samples ranged from 12.1 to 31.4, 21.8 to 27.4 and 19.5 to 33.9 mg/kg in S. victoriae, Haplochromis spp and L. niloticus, respectively. The concentrations of benzo[a]pyrene in all the smoked fish samples exceeded the European Union (EU) maximum permissible level (0.002 mg/kg) and the sum of the concentrations of benzo[a]pyrene, benz[a]anthracene, benzo[b]fluoranthene and chrysene in all the smoked fish samples exceeded the EU maximum permissible level (0.012 mg/kg), but were generally below these limits in the sun-dried fish samples. The concentrations of the PAHs in smoked fish samples were significantly greater than in the sun-dried samples.