Isolating and identifying microbiological contamination and evaluating the quantity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in dried figs

Human, industrial, and agricultural activities pollute foods, including dried fruits in local markets, with many chemical pollutants, including PAHs, and microorganisms. This study measured polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in dried fruits and isolated and identified bacteria and fungi from dried figs. Samples of dried figs, each weighing 100 grammes, were collected from local markets in Tikrit and dispatched to the laboratory for the assessment of chemical and microbiological contamination in dried fruits. Upon the emergence of fungal colonies, fungi were isolated by culturing on SDA medium with a sterile loop to obtain pure fungal isolates from the colony's periphery. Bacterial isolation was determined through cultural, microscopic, and biochemical identification methods. Subsequently, the analysis and quantification of PAHs and HPLC. The current study found that Escherichia coli bacteria constituted the largest percentage of bacterial contaminants (37%), followed by Staphylococcus (33%), while Aspergillus nigar mold constituted the largest percentage of fungal contaminants (23%), and Candida constituted 7% of the total microbial isolates in Dried fig samples, represent the chromatograms of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in random samples of the studied dried figs. The average Phenanthrene compound in dried figs was (11.57ppb), but the average Naphthalene (0.03ppb), Benzo[b]fluoranthene (10.57ppb), Chrysene (13.66ppb), and Benzo[ghi]perylene recorded an average of 0.39ppb.Conclusion: In this study, 12 Priority PAHs were studied in dried fruits obtained from local markets, and certain PAHs were found at significant levels in dried figs.