Global occurrence, food web transfer, and human health risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in biota.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widespread organic pollutants that pose significant health risks due to their bioaccumulation in the biota. This study examines the global distribution of PAHs in biota, identifies key factors influencing using boosted regression tree (BRT) models, analyzes their transfer through trophic magnification factors (TMF), and evaluates health risks using the EPA risk assessment model. Research on PAHs has grown from 1978 to 2023, peaking in 2021, with 171 out of 241 studies (71.1 %) focusing on marine ecosystems. The highest PAH concentrations are observed in the Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, and North American coastal regions, primarily influenced by industrial and human activities, such as factory emissions and ship transport. BRT analysis shows region factors and feeding habitats significantly influence PAH levels. TMF analysis shows that biodilution is the main mechanism for PAH attenuation, with concentrations decreasing as trophic levels increase. Additionally, health risk assessment further illustrate that toxicity equivalent (TEQ) values are highest in Egypt and Turkey. Across all populations in Egypt, the United States, Turkey, Portugal, and China, as well as children in Portugal and Sweden, there are potential risks from aquatic product consumption (10 ^-6  < CRI < 10 ^-4 ), with CRI values positively correlated with liver cancer incidence. While hazard quotients (HQ) < 1 suggest overall safety, higher obesity risks are noted, particularly among women and adolescents.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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