Monitoring of environmental exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: a review

Abstract

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a large group of organic compounds with two or more fused aromatic rings. They have a relatively low solubility in water, but are highly lipophilic. Most of the PAHs with low vapour pressure in the air are adsorbed on particles. When dissolved in water or adsorbed on particulate matter, PAHs can undergo photodecomposition when exposed to ultraviolet light from solar radiation. In the atmosphere, PAHs can react with pollutants such as ozone, nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide, yielding diones, nitro- and dinitro-PAHs, and sulfonic acids, respectively. PAHs may also be degraded by some microorganisms in the soil. PAHs are widespread environmental contaminants resulting from incomplete combustion of organic materials. The occurrence is largely a result of anthropogenic emissions such as fossil fuel-burning, motor vehicle, waste incinerator, oil refining, coke and asphalt production, and aluminum production, etc. PAHs have received increased attention in recent years in air pollution studies because some of these compounds are highly carcinogenic or mutagenic. Eight PAHs (Car-PAHs) typically considered as possible carcinogens are: benzo(a)anthracene, chrysene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, benzo(k)fluoranthene, benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P), dibenzo(a,h)anthracene, indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene and benzo(g,h,i)perylene. In particular, benzo(a)pyrene has been identified as being highly carcinogenic. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has promulgated 16 unsubstituted PAHs (EPA-PAH) as priority pollutants. Thus, exposure assessments of PAHs in the developing world are important. The scope of this review will be to give an overview of PAH concentrations in various environmental samples and to discuss the advantages and limitations of applying these parameters in the assessment of environmental risks in ecosystems and human health. As it well known, there is an increasing trend to use the behavior of pollutants (i.e. bioaccumulation) as well as pollution-induced biological and biochemical effects on human organisms to evaluate or predict the impact of chemicals on ecosystems. Emphasis in this review will, therefore, be placed on the use of bioaccumulation and biomarker responses in air, soil, water and food, as monitoring tools for the assessment of the risks and hazards of PAH concentrations for the ecosystem, as well as on its limitations.

Analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in atmospheric particulate samples by microwave‐assisted extraction and liquid chromatography

“…PAHs are produced mainly by high-temperature reactions, such as incomplete combustion and pyrolysis of fossil fuels and biomasses [3,4]. Major sources of PAHs in urban areas include automobile traffic, domestic heating, thermal power stations, and industrial emissions [5]. After formation and emission, partition of these compounds between the gaseous phase and the atmospheric aerosols occurs.…”

A Review on Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons: Their Transport, Fate and Biodegradation in the Environment

“…PAHs are group of chemicals with more than 10,000 compounds that consist of two or more fused benzene rings in different arrangements (Blumer, 1976;Mahyar Sakari, 2012). They are present in high concentrations in coal tar, crude oil and are formed during pyrolysis of organic compounds in various natural and technogenic processes (Srogi, 2007;Baboshin and Golovleva, 2012). Combustion of organic material is the major source of PAHs.…”

Application of Genetically Engineered Dioxygenase Producing Pseudomonas putida on Decomposition of Oil from Spiked Soil

“…Several PAHs in oil and petroleum products are carcinogenic, mutagenic, and teratogenic substances and associated with health hazardous and skin carcinogens (18,23).…”