POLYCYCLIC-AROMATIC HYDROCARBON (PAHS) IN ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN HEALTH: A REVIEW

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a large group of organic compounds with two or more fused benzene rings, which are ubiquitous in nature. PAHs are generated during incomplete combustion during heating or cooking or pyrolysis of organic material. They have a relatively low solubility in water, but are highly lipid soluble and thus readily absorbed from the gastro-intestinal tract of mammals and have a marked tendency for localization in the body fat. World notable public health protecting organizations like IARC, OSHA, EPA, NIOSH and ACGIH considers many of these PAHs are highly toxic, mutagenic and/or carcinogenic properties. US Environmental Protection Agency has promulgated 16 un-substituted PAHs (EPA-PAHs) as priorities pollutants are found in the environmental media (air, soil, water, food and other). This review article offers an overview of PAH?s properties, environmental fates, transformations, human exposure, metabolism and covers brief description of different types of toxicities and discuss the magnitude of the human health risks posed by such substances. Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) is normally present in the environment and the abundance of information on toxicity could be used as biomarker for PAHs toxicity study. The health risk posed by PAHs exposure could be reducing through better management of industrial air pollution.