Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 1996 Nov;104(11):1166-70.
doi: 10.1289/ehp.961041166.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and cancer in man

G Mastrangelo  1 , E Fadda, V Marzia
Affiliations
Review

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and cancer in man

G Mastrangelo et al. Environ Health Perspect. 1996 Nov.

Abstract

Various substances and industrial processes, surrogates of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), are currently classified as human carcinogens. This paper reviews recent epidemiological studies reporting direct evidence of the carcinogenic effects of PAHs in occupationally exposed subjects. Risks of lung and bladder cancer were dose dependent when PAHs were measured quantitatively and truly nonexposed groups were chosen for comparison. These new findings suggest that the current threshold limit value of 0.2 mg/m3 of benzene soluble matter (which indicates PAH exposure) is unacceptable because, after 40 years of exposure, it involves a relative risk of 1.2-1.4 for lung cancer and 2.2 for bladder cancer.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Am J Ind Med. 1994 Dec;26(6):721-40 - PubMed
    1. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1995 Mar;112(3):437-40 - PubMed
    1. Am J Ind Med. 1995 Mar;27(3):335-48 - PubMed
    1. J Occup Environ Med. 1995 May;37(5):597-604 - PubMed
    1. Am J Ind Med. 1995 Sep;28(3):303-24 - PubMed

MeSH terms

Substances