Where It Comes From
Incomplete burning of coal, oil, gasoline, wood, and tobacco; present in vehicle exhaust, residential wood smoke, and coal tar/creosote [1].
How You Are Exposed
Breathing polluted air or smoke; skin contact with soot, creosote-treated wood, or contaminated soil; eating heavily smoked or charred foods; occasionally via contaminated water [1].
Why It Matters
High levels can irritate eyes, skin, and airways; PAH mixtures have been linked to cancer and developmental effects. Acenaphthylene itself is not classifiable for cancer by IARC (Group 3) [1][2].
Who Is at Risk
Workers around coal tar/creosote, coke ovens, roofing/paving with coal-tar pitch; people who smoke or breathe wood/coal smoke; residents near heavy traffic or industrial sites; infants, children, and pregnant people are more sensitive to PAHs [1].
How to Lower Your Exposure
Avoid smoke and exhaust; vent stoves/heaters; don’t idle cars; cook with less charring and trim burnt parts; wash hands after soot/treated wood; reduce indoor dust (HEPA vacuum, damp-mop); use workplace PPE and hygiene [1].
References
- [1]ATSDR. ToxFAQs for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
- [2]IARC. Monographs Volume 92: Some Non-heterocyclic Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Some Related Exposures. International Agency for Research on Cancer.