Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Concentration Levels in the Cephalopod Species along the Moroccan Atlantic Coast

Abstract

The Moroccan coastal is constituted of two contrastive coasts, the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. The purpose of this study is to assess the concentrations of four polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in three cephalopod species landing on the main ports of the Moroccan Kingdom along the Atlantic coast. PAHs are ubiquitous environmental contaminants with multiple sources that present a toxic hazard due to their carcinogenic and genotoxic effects. Dietary intake is one of the most common exposure pathways of PAHs. The analysis of these pollutants is carried out by gas chromatography linked to mass spectrometry. The results obtained in this study show a variation of the levels of PAHs by the sampling sites (significant positive relationships p ?0.05). Within these results, the PAH content in the cephalopod species did not exceed the limit allowed by the European Commission. The health risks by consumption of these species were assessed and revealed no threat to the consumer.