Abstract

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a group of persistent organic pollutants, some of which are mutagenic and carcinogenic so PAH concentrations in fish used for human consumption are crucial to assess impact to human health. Total PAH concentrations in muscle and liver of mullets Chelon bispinosus from the Bay of Porto Grande (Cape Verde) (four sites in the bay and a control) ranged from 112.7 to 779.5 and 291.5 to 7548.7 ng/g d. w., respectively. Two and three ring PAHs were the most frequent (72.8 to 90.8% in the muscle and 75.9 to 98.3% in the liver), but levels of carcinogenic PAHs (mainly Dibenzo (a,h) antracene) in certain sites (CN and PG) are of concern. Results reflect a chronic PAH pollution in the bay and sources are a mixture of anthropogenic (petrogenic and pyrolytic) and natural sources, making their identification extremely complex. Although, BaP levels were below the threshold established by Cape Verde and the European Union, BaPEs levels in muscle ranged from 0.28 to 3.66 ng/g w. w. and BAPEs and TPAHs exposure for the average adult was 0.02 to 0.26 and 1.6 to 11.2 µg/day, respectively. Further knowledge of PAH concentrations in other species are necessary for a proper environmental risk assessment policy.

Key words: Bay of Porto Grande, Cape Verde, Chelon bispinosus, mullets, PAHs, BaPEs, daily intake