{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,22]],"date-time":"2026-10-22T12:40:56Z","timestamp":1792672856871,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":0,"publisher":"Koozakar LLC","issue":"1","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["AJSPIM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Oil extraction activities, particularly gas flaring and artisanal refining, have contributed to the contamination of rainwater in the Niger Delta, potentially increasing human exposure to toxic chemicals. Given the limited information on the occurrence, distribution, and sources of PAHs in rainwater across multiple emission pathways, this study investigated sixteen USEPA priority PAHs in rainwater samples from seven oil-producing communities in Ogbia Local Government Area (LGA), Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Eleven PAH congeners were detected, with total PAH concentrations ranging from 0.22 to 1.27 \u00b5g\/L and an overall mean of 0.519 \u00b1 0.360 \u00b5g\/L. Mean environmental concentrations (MEC) ranged from 0.0300 \u00b5g\/L for acenaphthene to 0.3860 \u00b5g\/L for phenanthrene, while RWIM1 was identified as a spatial hotspot. Phenanthrene exceeded the USEPA chronic water quality criterion (0.2 \u00b5g\/L) and its ERL (0.240 \u00b5g\/L), while acenaphthene exceeded its ERL (0.016 \u00b5g\/L). Diagnostic molecular ratios indicated mixed petrogenic and pyrogenic inputs, while PCA identified petroleum- and combustion-related influences, with the first two components explaining 88.13% of the total variance. Carcinogenic risk assessment showed elevated cumulative Risk Index (RI) values, with the highest value of 7.47 \u00d7 10\u207b\u00b9 observed in children through dermal exposure, while Hazard Index values remained below the USEPA threshold. The findings highlight rainwater as an important pathway for PAH exposure and support stronger enforcement of emission standards for gas flaring and artisanal refining, alongside household-level measures to reduce exposure from untreated rainwater, particularly among children.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.69798\/43842574","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,22]],"date-time":"2026-10-22T11:40:51Z","timestamp":1792669251000},"page":"54-65","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Occurrence, Source Apportionment and Health Risk Assessment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Rainwater from Niger Delta Oil-Producing Communities: Policy and Management Implications"],"prefix":"10.69798","volume":"7","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2032-8172","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Chinwe","family":"Onwudiegwu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"African Institute for Science Policy and Innovation, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife Nigeria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-1742-0955","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ridwan","family":"Abdulsalam","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Federal University Otuoke, Nigeria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-1489-0503","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Stephen","family":"Uzoekwe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Federal University Otuoke, Nigeria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"50185","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]]},"container-title":["African Journal of Science Policy and Innovation Management"],"original-title":[],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,22]],"date-time":"2026-10-22T11:40:54Z","timestamp":1792669254000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/koozakar.com\/journals\/article\/KJ-94715888"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]]},"references-count":0,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.69798\/43842574","relation":{},"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]]}}}