Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon and Metal Concentrations in Imported Canned Maize

• Main Authors: Embbey K Ossai, Chukwujindu Maxwell Iwegbue, Elizabeth E. Ajogungbe, Godswill O Tesi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Turkish Science and Technology Publishing (TURSTEP) 2014-09-01
• Series: Turkish Journal of Agriculture: Food Science and Technology
• Subjects: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Heavy metals; Canned food; Nigeria
• Online Access: http://www.agrifoodscience.com/index.php/TURJAF/article/view/173

Concentrations and profile of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs) and metals (Cd, Pb, Ni, Cr, Fe and Mn) were determined in selected brands of canned maize in the Nigeria market with a view to providing information on the hazards associated with the consumption of these products. The measurement of the concentrations of PAHs was carried out by using a gas chromatography equipped with flame ionization detector (GC-FID) after extraction by ultra-sonication with acetone/dichloromethane and clean-up. The 16 PAH concentrations varied between 45.1 and 335.7 µg/kg. The concentrations of the indicators for occurrence and effects of PAHs in food varied from 3.6 to 114.5 µg/kg for BaP, 6.4 to 168.2 µg/kg for PAH2, 11.8 to 232.7 µg/kg for PAH4 and 19.4 to 327.3 µg/kg for PAH8. The concentrations of metals were determined by using atomic absorption spectrometry after acid digestion. The concentrations of metals in these samples ranged from