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Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management
World Bank assisted National Agricultural Research Project (NARP) - University of Port Harcourt
ISSN: 1119-8362
Vol. 21, No. 6, 2017, pp. 1105-1110
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Bioline Code: ja17134
Full paper language: English
Document type: Research Article
Document available free of charge
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Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management, Vol. 21, No. 6, 2017, pp. 1105-1110
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Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) Content in Cattle Hides and Meat Singed with Scrap Rubber Tyres
NNAJI, JC; MADU, ES & CHUKWUEMEKA-OKORIE, HO
Abstract
Scrap rubber tyre is used as fuel for singeing animal carcasses in third world countries despite the
fact that it can impart hazardous substances like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on meat. The PAH
contents of cattle hide and meat samples singed with flame produced by scrap car tyre in abattoirs located in
Umuahia, Aba, Okigwe and Mbaise, South-Eastern Nigeria, were evaluated with Gas chromatography fitted with
flame ionization detector (GC-FID). The target analytes were the sixteen non-alkylated priority PAHs which were
determined in the samples through ultrasonic extraction, sample clean up and GC-FID analysis. The results revealed
that mean concentrations of the carcinogenic PAH, benzo(a)pyrene in the consumer ready singed and washed
samples from Aba were lower than EU limit of 2 μg/kg. For samples collected from Umuahia, mean benzo(a)pyrene
concentrations were higher in the consumer ready singed washed hide and meat samples compared to the EU limit.
Mean benzo(a)pyrene concentrations in the singed washed samples from Okigwe and Mbaise were also lower than
the EU limits. The results indicate that the use of rubber tyres for singeing cattle hides and meat can deposit
dangerous levels of PAHs which puts consumers of such products at the risk of health hazards like cancer. It is
recommended that government at all levels should enact and strictly enforce laws banning the use of scrap rubber
tyres for processing food.
Keywords
Cattle hide; meat; tyre; singeing; hydrocarbons
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© Copyright 2017 - Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management
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