Where It Comes From
vehicle exhaust; residential wood/coal burning and wildfires; coal tar/creosote, asphalt, coke ovens; tobacco smoke; grilled/smoked foods [1][3].
How You Are Exposed
breathing polluted air or smoke; eating charred foods; skin contact with soot, contaminated soil, creosote/asphalt; certain jobs (paving, roofing, coke ovens) [1][3].
Why It Matters
Pyrene itself isn’t classifiable as carcinogenic (IARC Group 3), but PAH mixtures that include it can cause cancer; high exposures can irritate skin and affect the immune and reproductive systems in animals [1][2].
Who Is at Risk
people near busy roads or wood-burning; smokers and those exposed to secondhand smoke; workers with coal tar, creosote, asphalt, or diesel exhaust; firefighters and grill cooks [1][3].
How to Lower Your Exposure
reduce smoke and idle exhaust; ventilate cooking and limit charred foods; maintain stoves; wash off soot; keep kids off contaminated soil; use protective gear and hygiene at work [1][3].
References
- [1]ATSDR. Toxicological Profile for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 2020.
- [2]IARC. Some Non-heterocyclic Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Some Related Exposures. IARC Monographs, Vol. 92, 2010.
- [3]U.S. EPA. Learn about Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). Environmental Protection Agency.