Insights into the exposure sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) among the coastal population of the Northern Arabian Sea by using human hairs as a noninvasive biomarker

The present biomonitoring study investigated the epidemiological consequences of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) of global priority in dietary and addiction sources using human hair as a noninvasive biomarker. This research is novel, conducted for the first time in the hair samples of 196 participants from unprivileged coastal communities along the Northern Arabian Sea, and Middle-Eastern countries. These sites are the international hub of marine economic significance. Heavily polluted by large-scale marine traffic, cargo handling at seaports, fishing harbors, and untreated urban outfalls. The analytes were quantified sequentially by alkali digestion, centrifugal fractioning, and partitioned by gas chromatography with[lw1] flame ionization detector (GC-FID). The study showed the highest mean PAHs body burden of 325.027 μg/kg in the hair samples of the middle-aged male population. The BaP toxicity equivalent concentration and incremental lifetime cancer risk also exceeded the maximum permissible limits in both genders of the middle-aged population varying from 130.7 μg/kg (MPL: 65 μg/kg) to 47631 (MPL: 43800) respectively. The overall mean concentration of noncarcinogenic and carcinogenic PAHs was found in the range of Ant > Flu > Acy > Pyr > Phe > Ace > Flt >Nap and, I [1,2,3-c, d] P > B(a)A > B (g, h, i) P > B(a)P > Chr > B(k)F > B(b)F > DB (a, h) A. Multivariate statistics and principle component analysis (PCA) appeared significant (P < 0.001) in addicted middle-aged males than in non-addicted seafood consumers and female treatment groups. Of crucial interest, this study revealed that addiction, environmental pollution, and occupational hazards imposed a combined effect on significant concentrations of carcinogenic PAHs in the hair samples of the coastal middle-aged male population.