Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons in the water environment

Abstract

Many polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are known to be carcinogenic to animals and probably to man. This review is concerned with carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic PAH in the water environment, with emphasis on 3,4-benzpyrene (BP) because it is ubiquitous, is one of the most potent of the carcinogenic PAH and has been widely studied. Although PAH are formed in combustion and other high-temperature processes, there is also evidence for their endogenous formation in plants, which may explain their ubiquity therein. Although the solubility of these compounds in pure water is very low, they may be solubilized by such materials as detergents, or they may otherwise occur in aqueous solution associated with or adsorbed on to a variety of colloidal materials or biota, and thereby be transported through the water environment. A notable characteristic of PAH is their sensitivity to light.PAH have been found in industrial and municipal waste effluents, and occur in soils, ground waters and surface waters, and their sediments and biota. With the exception of filtration or sorption by activated carbon, conventional water treatment processes do not efficiently remove them, and they have been found in domestic water supplies. Because of the ubiquity of PAH in the environment, it is impossible to prevent completely man's exposure to them; nevertheless their surveillance should be continued and their concentrations in the environment should be reduced where practicable.