Example: quiz answers

POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS (PAHs)

SUMMARY: Exposure to POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS usually occurs bybreathing air contaminated by wild fires or coal tar, or by eating foods that havebeen grilled. PAHs have been found in at least 600 of the 1,430 National PrioritiesList sites identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions (FAQs) about POLYCYCLIC aromatichydrocarbons (PAHs). For more information, call the ATSDR Information Center at fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about hazardous substances and their health effects.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a group of over 100 different chemicals that are formed during the incomplete burning of coal, oil and gas, garbage, or other organic substances like tobacco or charbroiled meat. PAHs are usually found as a mixture containing two or more of

Tags:

  Aromatic

Information

Domain:

Source:

Link to this page:

Please notify us if you found a problem with this document:

Other abuse

Transcription of POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS (PAHs)

1 SUMMARY: Exposure to POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS usually occurs bybreathing air contaminated by wild fires or coal tar, or by eating foods that havebeen grilled. PAHs have been found in at least 600 of the 1,430 National PrioritiesList sites identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions (FAQs) about POLYCYCLIC aromatichydrocarbons (PAHs). For more information, call the ATSDR Information Center at fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about hazardous substances and their health effects.

2 Thisinformation is important because this substance may harm you. The effects of exposure to any hazardoussubstance depend on the dose, the duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whetherother chemicals are are POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS ?(Pronounced p l -s kl k r -m t k h dr -kar b nz) POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS (PAHs) are a group ofover 100 different chemicals that are formed during theincomplete burning of coal, oil and gas, garbage, or otherorganic substances like tobacco or charbroiled meat.

3 PAHsare usually found as a mixture containing two or more ofthese compounds, such as PAHs are manufactured. These pure PAHs usuallyexist as colorless, white, or pale yellow-green solids. PAHs arefound in coal tar, crude oil, creosote, and roofing tar, but a feware used in medicines or to make dyes, plastics, and happens to PAHs when they enter theenvironment?qPAHs enter the air mostly as releases from volcanoes,forest fires, burning coal, and automobile can occur in air attached to dust PAH particles can readily evaporate into the airfrom soil or surface can break down by reacting with sunlight and otherchemicals in the air, over a period of days to for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry ToxFAQsSeptember 1996qPAHs enter water through discharges from industrial andwastewater treatment PAHs do not dissolve easily in water.

4 They stick tosolid particles and settle to the bottoms of lakes or can break down PAHs in soil or waterafter a period of weeks to soils, PAHs are most likely to stick tightly to particles;certain PAHs move through soil to contaminate under-ground contents of plants and animals may be much higherthan PAH contents of soil or water in which they might I be exposed to PAHs?qBreathing air containing PAHs in the workplace ofcoking, coal-tar, and asphalt production plants; smoke-houses; and municipal trash incineration air containing PAHs from cigarette smoke,wood smoke, vehicle exhausts, asphalt roads, or agricul-tural burn in contact with air, water, or soil near hazardouswaste grilled or charred meats; contaminated cereals,flour, bread, vegetables, fruits, meats.

5 And processed orpickled contaminated water or cow s AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS (PAHs) DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health ServiceAgency for Toxic Substances and Disease RegistryPage 2 Federal Recycling Program Printed on Recycled PaperWhere can I get more information? For more information, contact the Agency for Toxic Substances and DiseaseRegistry, Division of Toxicology, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-32, Atlanta, GA 30333. Phone: 1-888-422-8737,FAX: 770-488-4178.

6 ToxFAQs Internet address via WWW is ATSDR can tell you whereto find occupational and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize, evaluate, and treat illnesses resultingfrom exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact your community or state health or environmental qualitydepartment if you have any more questions or Internet address via WWW is AROMATICHYDROCARBONS (PAHs)qNursing infants of mothers living near hazardous wastesites may be exposed to PAHs through their mother's can PAHs affect my health?

7 Mice that were fed high levels of one PAH duringpregnancy had difficulty reproducing and so did their off-spring. These offspring also had higher rates of birth defectsand lower body weights. It is not known whether these effectsoccur in studies have also shown that PAHs can causeharmful effects on the skin, body fluids, and ability to fightdisease after both short- and long-term exposure. But theseeffects have not been seen in likely are PAHs to cause cancer?The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)has determined that some PAHs may reasonably be expected tobe people who have breathed or touched mixtures ofPAHs and other chemicals for long periods of time havedeveloped cancer.

8 Some PAHs have caused cancer in labora-tory animals when they breathed air containing them (lungcancer), ingested them in food (stomach cancer), or had themapplied to their skin (skin cancer).Is there a medical test to show whether I vebeen exposed to PAHs?In the body, PAHs are changed into chemicals that canattach to substances within the body. There are special teststhat can detect PAHs attached to these substances in bodytissues or blood. However, these tests cannot tell whether anyhealth effects will occur or find out the extent or source ofyour exposure to the PAHs.

9 The tests aren t usually availablein your doctor s office because special equipment is needed toconduct the federal government maderecommendations to protect human health?The Occupational Safety and Health Administration(OSHA) has set a limit of milligrams of PAHs per cubicmeter of air ( mg/m3). The OSHA Permissible ExposureLimit (PEL) for mineral oil mist that contains PAHs is 5 mg/m3averaged over an 8-hour exposure National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health(NIOSH) recommends that the average workplace air levels forcoal tar products not exceed mg/m3 for a 10-hour workday,within a 40-hour workweek.

10 There are other limits for work-place exposure for things that contain PAHs, such as coal, coaltar, and mineral : A substance that can cause : Take food or drink into your for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).1995. Toxicological profile for POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC hydrocar-bons. Atlanta, GA: Department of Health and HumanServices, Public Health Service.


Related search queries