Cancer polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons

Cancerous skin lesions of workers exposed to pitch dust undoubtedly support the behef that these lesions are caused by polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, although it had not been possible to demonstrate their carcinogenic action in animals more closely related to humans, such as monkeys. 

Neff, J.M. 1982b. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the aquatic environment and cancer risk to aquatic organisms and man. Pages 385-409 in N.L Richards and B.L. Jackson (eds.). Symposium Carcinogenic Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons in the Marine Environment. U.S. Environ. Protection Agency Rep. 600/9-82-013. 

Stegeman, J. 1981. Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons and their metabolism in the marine environment. Pages 1-60 in H.V. Gelboin and P.O. Ts o (eds.). Polycyclic Hydrocarbons and Cancer. Vol. 3. Academic Press, New York. 

Armstrong B, Tremblay C, Baris D, et al Lung cancer mortality and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons a case cohort study of aluminum production workers in Arvida, Quebec, Canada. Am J Epidemiol 139 250-262, 1994... 

Arcos, J.C. and Argus, M.F. (1974) Chemical Induction of Cancer. Structural Bases and Biologic Mechanism, Vol. IIA, Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Academic Press, New York. 

Akin FJ, Snook ME, Severson RE, et al. 1976. Identification of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons in cigarette smoke and their importance as tumorigens. J Natl Cancer Inst 57 191-195. 

IARC. 1984. lARC monographs on the evaluation of the carcinogenic risk of chemicals to humans Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, part 2. carbon blacks, mineral oils (lubricant base oils and derived products) and some nitroarenes. Volume 33. Lyon. France World Health Organization, International Agency for Research on Cancer. 

LaVoie EJ, Braley J, Rice JE, et al. 1987. Tumorigenic activity of non-alternant polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons in newborn mice. Cancer Let 34 15-20. 

Myers SR, Flesher JW. 1991a. Characterization of hemoglobin (hb) adducts with polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 32 A532. 

Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are formed by pyrosynthesis during the combustion of organic matter and have widespread occurrence in the environment. PAHs are found as trace pollutants in soil, air particulate matter, water, tobacco tar, coal tar, used engine oil, and foodstuffs such as barbequed meat. Many PAHs are carcinogenic in experimental animals (e.g., benzo(a)pyrene) and are implicated as causative agents in human cancers. Analytical techniques include HPLC and GC. Advantages of HPLC are the ability to resolve isomeric PAHs, and the selective and sensitive quantitation by UV and fluorescence detection. U.S. EPA methods for PAH are 550.1,610, and 8310. 

The polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are an important family of aromatic hydrocarbons that generally have toxic effects. They have also been shown to be carcinogenic, that is, they cause cancer. PAH are formed from the joining of the rings so that they share a common bond (edge). Three common examples are shown ... 

Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons are thought to cause cancer by covalently binding to the DNA in cells and interfering with the correct replication of the DNA. Some of the mutations that result may cause a cell to begin to divide in an uncontrolled fashion, giving rise to a cancerous tumor. 

Chaluopka, K., Krishnan, V., and Safe, S., Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons as antiestrogens in MCF-7 human cancer cell role of the Ah receptor. Carcinogenesis, 13(12), 2233-2239, 1992. 

Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons and NNK [4-(A-methyl-nitrosamino)-l-(3-pyridinyl)-l-butanone] are the major carcinogens involved in lung cancer induction by cigarette smoke and that NNK [4-(A-methylnitrosamino)-l-(3-pyridinyl)-l-butanone] is a likely candidate for induction of pancreatic cancer in smokers. 

Van Duuren, B.L. The polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons in cigarette-smoke condensate. II J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 21 (1958) 623-630. 4037. 

A59. Hoffmann, D. and E.L. Wynder A smdy of air pollution carcinogens. 11. The isolation and identification of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons from gasoline engine exhaust condensate Cancer 15 (1962) 93-102. 

Certain chemicals are known to cause skin cancer. Animal studies show that topical applications of substances, such as polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, can induce skin cancer. Coal tar, soots, shale oils, and many arsenical compounds can induce skin tumor. 

Cancer was first identified in the late eighteenth century, after observation of its incidence in patients who were chimney sweepers in the UK, which established the interrelation between chemicals and the disease (exposure to soot, coal tars and benzene). Later, the carcinogenic potency of tar was shown to be related to its polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon structure. 

Larger Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons There is a high level of interest in the larger PAHs because they are formed in most combustion processes and many of them are carcinogenic (capable of causing cancer). The following three compounds, for example, are present in tobacco smoke. These compounds are so hazardous that laboratories must install special containment facilities to work with them, yet smokers expose their lung tissues to them. 

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