Mechanism, Formation and Transport of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Fruits, Vegetables and Fresh Fish Species in Africa: A Systematic Review of its Health Risk

Polycyclic Aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous hydrocarbon compounds consisting of more than two benzene rings. Petrogenic, pyrogenic, and biological processes are frequently reported sources of PAHs in the environment. In order to achieve the goal of reviewing the level of PAHs in fruits, vegetables, and fish species, as well as their health implications for humans in Africa, we vigorously searched through various databases, including Scopus, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and PubMed, and identified, collated, and summarized 41 articles published in these subject areas. PAH pollution have been found to possess high levels of toxicity, mutagenicity, carcinogenicity, teratogenicity, and immunotoxicity towards different organisms. Thus, this review succinctly outlined the formation process, distribution, mechanisms of exposure, and health effects of PAHs on human beings. The highest PAHs obtained in Africa in these samples were 510,000 μg/kg, 36,290 μg/kg and 19,003 μg/kg for fish, Pumkin leaf vegetable, and papaya fruit samples, respectively. Health risk assessment reports extracted from the numerous investigations done revealed low to extremely high levels of risks associated with their consumption by children and adults. To enhance public health, it is crucial to minimize the intake of dietary PAH and adopt practical and efficient risk management measures to decrease PAH levels in food. This review was done in an attempt to contribute to achieving good health and a sustainable environment as outlined by the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG). The investigation revealed an urgent need for the regulation of PAHs in Africa and recommended further research on fruits and vegetables from experts from different countries in Africa.