Where It Comes From
Vehicle/diesel exhaust; residential wood/coal stoves and wildfires; industrial processes (coke ovens, aluminum smelting); coal tar/asphalt; tobacco smoke; byproducts on grilled or smoked foods.[1][3]
How You Are Exposed
Breathing smoky or traffic-related air indoors/outdoors; eating charred/smoked foods; skin contact with contaminated soil, soot, or coal‑tar products; workplace exposure in paving, roofing, metallurgy, and combustion jobs.[1][3]
Why It Matters
PAHs, including BaFA, can damage DNA; long-term exposure increases cancer risk and may harm lungs, immunity, and development in animals.[1][2][3]
Who Is at Risk
People near heavy traffic/industry or wildfire smoke, smokers, workers handling coal tar/asphalt, and infants, children, and pregnant people.[1][3]
How to Lower Your Exposure
Avoid smoke; use ventilation and don’t char food; limit time near heavy traffic; wash hands/produce; clean indoor dust; follow air-quality alerts; use protective gear and hygiene at work.[1][3]
References
- [1]ATSDR. ToxFAQs for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs).
- [2]IARC Monographs, Volume 92: Some Non-heterocyclic PAHs and Related Exposures (evaluation of benzo[a]fluoranthene, Group 2B).
- [3]U.S. EPA. Learn about Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs): sources, exposure, and health effects.