Vulnerability Assessment: A Geospatial Bio-accessibility Approach Using Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Concentration of Soils in Lagos, Nigeria.

Abstract Cancer is on the increase globally. Cancer could be associated with hazards from anthropogenic activities. This study attempted to determine the site-specific potential human risks from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sites of different socioeconomic human activities from soils across Lagos metropolis in Nigeria by including a geographic information system (GIS) approach. A Human Simulation Test method was used to determine bio-accessibility for 16 priority PAHs. This was then spatially modelled using a GIS. The spatial vulnerability index for cancer developed show some variation within the study area from 0.2 – 0.0002 all falling below the normal exposure risk level of 1.0. The vulnerability to cancer based on different anthropogenic activities assessed were within the acceptable risk levels. However, it is important to reduce human exposure to even low concentrations of bio-accessible PAHs due to their tendency to bio-accumulate in plants, humans and other organisms.