Nworu Jerome Sunday*, Ikelle Issie Ikelle, Okpoebi Kenneth Berezi, Peter CC Wang, Arisabor Lucky and Odiyirin Paul Boyitie
In this study, the total concentration of n-alkanes is reported as Æ©Aliphatics, total concentration of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon as Æ©PAH and Æ©TPH for the total petroleum hydrocarbon. The values reported followed different trends. For the Æ©Aliphatics, the gills had the highest average concentration while the kidney had the lowest average concentration. For Æ©PAH, the muscle had the highest average concentration while the gills had the lowest average concentration. In summation Æ©TPH, the gill had the highest average concentration while the kidney had the lowest average concentration. The results showed that the organs studied are good bio-accumulators. This study therefore revealed that, there are substantial exposure and bioaccumulation in the commonly consumed tilapia fish species in Kurutie/Okerenkoko from Escravos River and there could be possible human risk to cancer and other related health challenges.
Christopher Unyime Ebong*
Vegetable oils are triglycerides extract from plants and made of up of fatty acid chains. The fatty acids can be saturated or unsaturated depending on the number of carbon-carbon double bonds. The degree of saturation/unsaturation is indicated by the iodine value of the oil. Hence this research work was aimed at comparing the iodine values of five different vegetable oil (groundnut oil, palm oil, olive oil, palm kernel oil and coconut oil) samples bought from Swali market, Yenagoa, Bayelsa state in Nigeria. The vegetable oils were analyzed for their iodine values and the following results were obtained: For groundnut oil, the iodine values were found to be 86.00 g I2/100 g, olive oil 81.01 g I2/100 g, palm oil 53.91 g I2/100 g, palm kernel oil 36.74 g I2/100 g and coconut oil 10 g I2/100 g. The iodine values of the five vegetable oil samples analyzed follows the order: Groundnut oil > Olive oil > Palm oil > Palm kernel oil > Coconut oil. Since their iodine values are lower than 100, these oils are considered to be a non-drying oil which does not harden when it is exposed to air and therefore can be used industrially for the production of hard soaps and are of good nutritional value, hence the oils pose no significant health risks to consumers. Thus, the result of these findings shows that the iodine values obtained were within the regulatory standard and did not exceed the permissible level.