Screening of Carcinogenic and Non-carcinogenic Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon in a Typical Urban City Center, Owerri, Nigeria

The study screened the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic PAH in urban city center Owerri, Imo State. Soxhlet extraction-gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (SE-GC-FID) method was used to analyze PAH concentrations in the different environmental component to determine its impact. Result of the physicochemical properties of the spent engine oil polluted soil sample showed that exchangeable base (4.67g/kg), exchangeable acidity (1.25g/kg), organic carbon (6.32g/kg), organic matter (6.45g/kg), percentage nitrogen (0.46%), were higher in the polluted soil when compared to soil collected from a non-polluted agricultural farm. However, the effective cation exchange capacity (9.27g/kg), was lower in the polluted soil sample although, the pH value of the polluted soil was acidic. Result of the water sample collected from urban city center, showed that water sample properties of turbidity and magnesium, had mean values of 9.6±1.10mg/l and 26.7±0.08mg/l, respectively. Five carcinogenic PAH were detected in soil, water and sediment of the study area. The concentration of PAHs detected were within the range of 0.55±0.1 and 0.87±0.11 for sediment and water samples while, spent engine oil polluted sample and Abattoir soil sample were found in the range of 2.25±0.11 and 0.50±0.01 respectively. However, the detection of these carcinogenic PAH obtained from the different sampling point suggest the toxicity propensity of these pollutant.