AMBIENT POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS AND ITS CARCINOGENIC AND MUTAGENIC RISK – A REVIEW

Abstract: Emission of atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is gaining considerable importance in present-day scenario as they are ubiquitous and some of them are having carcinogenic and mutagenic potency to human's health. Though PAH has few natural sources like forest fires, volcanic eruption etc. but major emission of PAHs are directly linked with urbanization, industrialization and vehicular emission. Both rural and urban environment, PAHs has significant contribution to contaminate the ambient air. Recent interest has centered to identify and quantify of PAHs in soil, water and air environment, identify their emission sources through various approaches and to evaluate their carcinogenicity and mutagenicity to humans health. The approaches distinguish anthropogenic multiple emission sources of PAHs like from petroleum combustion, diesel combustion, coal combustion industrial emission and biomass burning. This paper deals with concentrations of ambient PAHs, their emission sources and total carcinogenic and mutagenic potential risk to human's health.

Keywords: PAHs diagnostic ratios; Carcinogenicity; Mutagenicity; Air toxic.