Aims: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are very toxic and persistent environmental contaminants. The paper is aimed at investigating the cancer risk exposure of PAHs in borehole water collected around five automobile repair workshops within Eket metropolis. Place and Duration of Study: Samples were collected between June - August (2018) in wet season and November (2018) – January (2019) in dry season from boreholes around the vicinity of five automobile repair workshops within Eket metropolis.  Methodology: The water samples were prepared in the laboratory following standard procedures and analysed for 16 United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) priority PAHs using Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometer (GC–MS). A total of fifteen PAH congeners were detected in the samples. Results: Total PAHs concentrations in borehole water from all sampling sites were in the range of 1.71–16.07 mg/L and 1.07–12.97 mg/L for both dry and wet seasons respectively. The low PAHs levels recorded in water for the wet season was linked to dilution effect. Low molecular weight PAHs were more dominant in all samples. The estimated cancer risks of exposure to PAHs by ingestion in the water samples ranged from 7.10 × 10-7 to 1.12 × 10-4 and 6.76 × 10-6 to 3.69 × 10-1 for adults and children respectively in both seasons. The estimated cancer risks due to dermal exposure to PAHs in the water samples ranged from to 7.18 × 10-3 to 1.07 × 10-1 and 5.67 × 10-3 to 1.08 × 10-1 for adults and children respectively in both seasons.  Conclusion: Carcinogenic risks due to dermal exposure calculated for both adults and children were higher than the US EPA acceptable cancer risk and much higher for children, which suggest that children could be prone to cancer and need to be monitored.

Aim: This study evaluates human health risk assessment of trace metals particularly [Chromium(Cr), Copper(Cu), Manganese(Mn), Lead(Pb), and Zinc(Zn)] in water, sediments and edible fish species collected from Idu-Uruan Beach, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Study Design: Sediments, water and fish were collected from Esuk River Idu Uruan. Methodology: The water samples were collected in 1 liter sterile polyethylene plastic container in triplet. Sediments samples were also collected in triplicates from the same site where water samples were sampled and preserved in polyethylene bags. A total of 25 fish samples (5 of each species) were also randomly collected from Esuk River. The total samples collected were 29.The samples were digested with aqua regia (HCl and HNO3; 3:1) and analysed with an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer for Cu, Mn, Cr, Zn and Pb. Results: Results showed that trace metals were accumulated more in the gills than in the muscles as such consumption of the gills is more detrimental to health than the muscle. Trace metals were accumulated more in water collected at the bank of the river (UWB) than in water collected at the middle of the river(UWA) as such UWB was more polluted than UWA. Also trace metals were accumulated more in sediment collected at the bank of the river (USB) than in sediment collected at the middle of the river (USA), implying that USB was more polluted than USA. The estimated daily intake, hazard index and hazard quotient via ingestion pathway for all the investigated metals were less than unity. Conclusion: Water and sediments in Esuk River, Idu Uruan is not highly polluted. Frequent monitoring of the aquatic environment is advocated to detect and prevent cumulative effect of trace metal pollutants in edible fishes, which may result in health risk in humans.