Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39697378›Full record

ArticleEnvironmental health insights2024

Health Risk Assessment of Occupational Exposures of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Phthalates, and Semi-Volatile Chlorinated Organic Compounds in Urine of Commercial Fish Smokers, Ghana.

Charity Owusu, Albert Ofori, Frank Adusei-Mensah, Joseph Kweku Adjei, George Yaw Hadzi, John Kwesi Bentum, Reginald Quansah, David K Essumang

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Environmental health insights, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Charity OwusuDepartment of Chemistry, School of Physical Science, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
Albert OforiDepartment of Chemistry, School of Physical Science, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4521-4681
Frank Adusei-MensahInstitute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
Joseph Kweku AdjeiDepartment of Chemistry, School of Physical Science, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
George Yaw HadziDepartment of Chemistry, School of Physical Science, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
John Kwesi BentumDepartment of Chemistry, School of Physical Science, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
Reginald QuansahDepartment of Biological, Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
David K EssumangDepartment of Chemistry, School of Physical Science, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0589-7895

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Occupational exposure to smoke and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) poses significant health risks, especially for commercial fish smokers who are regularly exposed to high levels of smoke and particulate matter. This study aimed to evaluate the exposure levels and assess the health risks associated with PAHs, phenols, phthalates, and substituted benzenes among 155 fish smokers in Ghana. A total of 155 urine samples from fish smokers across selected coastal regions in Ghana were collected and analyzed. The sample preparation was conducted using the Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe (QuEChERs) method, as standardized by the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (A.O.A.C.). Analysis was performed utilizing the Shimadzu GC-MS QP 2020. The type of firewood used by fish smokers significantly influenced the levels of PAHs detected in the urine samples. Hardwoods such as odum, acacia, and cocoa, with their dense structures and combustion characteristics, were found to produce higher levels of PAHs. In contrast, softer woods like sugar cane and palm kernel released lower PAH levels during combustion. The findings indicate that fish smokers utilizing various wood types and unfiltered ovens, specifically the "Chorkor Oven," are exposed to elevated levels of PAHs, phenols, phthalates, and substituted benzenes through inhalation during work hours. Cancer risk assessments revealed risk levels for PAHs ranging from 6.00E-04 to 4.14E-01, phenols from 0.00E+00 to 3.70E-01, substituted benzenes from 9.04E-08 to 1.99E-01, and phthalates from 3E-04 to 2.09E+04. These values exceed the limits by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S.E.P.A.) of 10E-06. Furthermore, the estimated non-cancer hazard quotient values for hydrocarbons ranged from 8.42E+00 to 1.99E+01, all exceeding the threshold of 1, as outlined by both the U.S.E.P.A. and the World Health Organization (WHO), indicating substantial potential health risks for commercial fish smokers.

Indexed as

coastallinefish smokershazard quotientphthalatesPolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)semi-volatile chlorinated organic compounds

Identifiers

PMID39697378
PMCPMC11653465

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.