Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and Phthalate Esters (PAEs) in the Farmed Fishes from Khanh Hoa, Viet Nam: Level and Health Risk Assessment

Phthalic acid esters (PAEs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are known to potentially impact both marine organisms and human health through the consumption of fish and seafood. In this study, the concentrations of 12 priority PAHs and 6 PAEs were analyzed in the tissues of 76 samples of five farmed fish species, including Litopenaeus vannamei (crustacean), Babylonia areolata, Marcia hiantina (mollusk), Trachinotus blochii, and Epinephelus lanceolatus (fish), collected from four coastal sites in Khanh Hoa province. Freeze-dried tissue was extracted using water bath ultrasonication with an acetone/n-hexane mixture. A triple quadrupole gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS/MS) was used for the analyses. The results showed that the total PAHs had low contamination levels. Among the PAEs, bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) exhibited the highest concentrations. The calculated hazard index (HI) for PAEs suggested no significant health risk. Six PAHs were detected, ranging from 9.14 µg kg-1 in Pacific white shrimp to 47.34 µg kg-1 in cockle. The incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) values for PAHs in some samples exceeded the acceptable safety threshold. In the future, natural fish, environmental samples (seawater and marine sediment), and other information on natural conditions will be collected for analyses. This is the first report on the levels and health risks of PAEs and PAHs in farmed fishes along the Khanh Hoa coast.