Assessment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Heavy Metals Contamination in the Egyptian Smoked Herring (Clupea harengus)

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals can influence smoked fish quality and safety. Concentrations of 16 PAHs and heavy metals from smoked herring from three governorates in Egypt [Al-Behera (CF1), Cairo (CF2), and Alexandria (CF3)] were investigated. The mean concentration of individual PAHs ranged from 0.0007 mu g/g of benzo[g,h,i]perylene (BgP) in Cairo to 0.3446 mu g/g of benzo[a]anthracene (BaA) in Alexandria with the highest concentrations of the total PAHs found in Alexandria, followed by Al-Behera and then Cairo. Fluorene at CF3 had the highest mean concentration (0.2856 mu g/g) which comprised 17.86% of total noncarcinogenic PAHs. Among the genotoxic PAHs (PAH8), BgP showed the lowest mean concentration (0.0007 mu g/g) in Alexandria which accounted for 0.2% of sigma PAHs. Benz(a)anthracene had the highest mean values (0.3446 mu g/g, 21.55%), followed by chrysene (0.2644 mu g/g, 16.54%) at CF3. Mean concentrations of benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) were 0.0186, 0.0045, and 0.0254 mu g/g for Al-Behera, Cairo, and Alexandria, respectively. The mean concentrations for BaP were higher than the maximum acceptable levels (5 mu g/kg) established by European Union, which were classified as carcinogen. Among heavy metals, lead had the highest concentration (6.96 mu g/g), which was higher than the maximum permissible levels set by World Health Organization, while nickel and arsenic were not detected.