Determination of aromatic hydrocarbons in the gill extract of five different fish species along the Red Sea Coast of Jeddah and Gizan

الملخص EN

The contamination of fishes by Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) is posing a great threat to public health and marine life, wherever there is oil pollution.

Five different species of fishes were studied from Gizan and two species from Jeddah area.

The extract of gills of these fishes were examined for the content of eleven different hydrocarbons.

They were estimated by HPLC and quantification was achieved by individual standard hydrocarbons.

It was observed that gills extract contained all the aromatic hydrocarbons.

In the fishes from Jeddah region the range of these hydrocarbons was found to be from 0.001 ppm (for biphenyl) to 1.7 ppm (for o-xylene).

While in the fishes from Gizan this range was 0.001 ppm (for biphenyl) upto 2.0 ppm for p- and m-xylene.

All these fishes were found to be contaminated and it is urgently needed to control the source of contamination.