Where It Comes From
Vehicle exhaust; residential wood/coal burning; industrial combustion (coke ovens, aluminum smelting, asphalt); wildfires; tobacco smoke; grilling and smoking foods [1].
How You Are Exposed
Breathing particle-bound PAHs outdoors or indoors; secondhand smoke; eating charred or smoked foods; touching contaminated soil or dust [1].
Why It Matters
Can damage DNA and caused tumors in animal studies; PAH mixtures are linked to respiratory, immune, and developmental effects; cancer risk increases with long-term exposure [1][2].
Who Is at Risk
Smokers and people around smoke; children and pregnant people; workers near combustion sources (coke ovens, asphalt, firefighters); communities near heavy traffic or industry [1].
How to Lower Your Exposure
Don’t smoke; improve kitchen ventilation and avoid charring food; limit time near smoke and idling traffic; heed air alerts; wet-wipe dust and use HEPA vacuums; follow workplace protections and PPE [1].
References
- [1]ATSDR. Toxicological Profile for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 2020.
- [2]IARC. Monographs on the Identification of Carcinogenic Hazards to Humans, Vol. 92: Some Non-heterocyclic PAHs, 2010. Classification of benzo[j]fluoranthene (Group 2B).