Carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) determined in Nigerian kundi (smoke‐dried meat)

Chemical analyses of kundi show that, apart from a high level of carcinogenic benzo (a)pyrene (10·5–66·9 ng g−1), eight other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are present at various concentrations. The high levels of PAH in kundi are due to the high glow and smoking temperatures averaging 926°C and 191·5°C, respectively. Column chromatography was used for PAH extraction with propylene carbonate as the eluting chemical; thin layer chromatography (TLC) on acetylated cellulose layer plates was used for separation, and the determination was performed using spectrophotofluorimetry. The public health implications of PAH as one of the possible carcinogenic factors in the high incidence of primary liver and stomach cancer reported in Nigeria are highlighted.