Source apportionment and health risk assessment of PAHs in commercial fish from Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

This study measured polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination in ten commercially important fish species from the Al-Jubail industrial coastline, Arabian Gulf, Saudi Arabia. Muscle tissue concentrations were quantified by GC-MS. Source apportionment used diagnostic molecular ratios, positive matrix factorization (PMF), and hierarchical clustering, and health risk was assessed separately for adults and children. Total Σ16PAH concentrations ranged from 481.99 to 758.82 ng/g wet weight, with Scomberomorus commerson carrying the highest burden. Pelagic species accumulated consistently more PAHs than demersal fish, suggesting atmospheric deposition and surface microlayer enrichment are the dominant exposure routes here. Low-molecular-weight compounds made up 55.16% of the total profile. PMF modeling traced most of the contamination to pyrogenic combustion (53–67%), with petrogenic inputs making up the rest (28–42%). Cluster analysis grouped the species by trophic level, matching the bioaccumulation patterns already observed. Benzo[a]pyrene concentrations exceeded EU regulatory limits for thermally processed seafood. The non-carcinogenic hazard index came in above the acceptable threshold for adults (2.07–3.18) and, more sharply, for children (4.52–6.95). Incremental lifetime cancer risk for benzo[a]pyrene ranged from 7.73 × 10⁻⁵ to 1.52 × 10⁻⁴ with values exceeding the 10⁻⁴ acceptable threshold for several species, indicating a potential carcinogenic concern that warrants proactive management consideration. Taken together, this points to meaningful dietary exposure risk in this population, particularly for children, and supports calls for stricter industrial emission controls and routine seafood monitoring along heavily industrialized coasts.