Benzo 'ghi''erylene is a

polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon A polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) is a class of organic compounds that is composed of multiple aromatic rings. The simplest representative is naphthalene, having two aromatic rings and the three-ring compounds anthracene and phenanthrene. ...

with the

chemical formula In chemistry, a chemical formula is a way of presenting information about the chemical proportions of atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound or molecule, using chemical element symbols, numbers, and sometimes also other symbol ...

C₂₂H₁₂.

Occurrence and safety

Benzo 'ghi''erylene occurs naturally in crude oil and coal tar. It is a product of incomplete combustion and is found in tobacco smoke, automobile exhausts, industrial emissions, grilled meat products and edible oils. In the atmosphere, it is

adsorbed Adsorption is the adhesion of atoms, ions or molecules from a gas, liquid or dissolved solid to a surface. This process creates a film of the ''adsorbate'' on the surface of the ''adsorbent''. This process differs from absorption, in which a ...

to particles and is deposited into the soil and water. The compound accumulates strongly in organisms and the environment, and is suspected to be

mutagenic In genetics, a mutagen is a physical or chemical agent that permanently changes genetic material, usually DNA, in an organism and thus increases the frequency of mutations above the natural background level. As many mutations can cause cancer i ...

and

carcinogenic A carcinogen is any substance, radionuclide, or radiation that promotes carcinogenesis (the formation of cancer). This may be due to the ability to damage the genome or to the disruption of cellular metabolic processes. Several radioactive subs ...

. It is one of 16

PAHs A polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) is a class of organic compounds that is composed of multiple aromatic rings. The simplest representative is naphthalene, having two aromatic rings and the three-ring compounds anthracene and phenanthrene. ...

included in the EPA list of priority pollutants.

References

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons PBT substances {{hydrocarbon-stub