Formation, metabolism, and mechanism of action of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Journal Article · Sun May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1983 · Cancer Res.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5974421

Dipple, A

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are generated through inefficient combustion and, while initially released largely into the atmosphere, they are subsequently deposited in soil and water. They contaminate marine sources of food as well as vegetables and plants and can be generated during the smoking or broiling of fish and meat. The metabolic fate of hydrocarbons in mammalian systems has been extensively studied and, while many hydrocarbons are noncarcinogenic and efficiently detoxified, small fractions of some hydrocarbons are converted to electrophilic metabolites which are not effectively further metabolized and which are probably responsible for the carcinogenic properties of these hydrocarbons. These electrophilic metabolites are probably the bay-region dihydrodiol-epoxides, but at present the tumorigenic properties of the bay-region dihydrodiol-epoxides that have been tested are not as great as might be expected.

• Research Organization: Chemical Carcinogenesis Program, NCI-Frederick Cancer Research Facility, Maryland
• OSTI ID: 5974421
• Journal Information: Cancer Res.; (United States), Journal Name: Cancer Res.; (United States) Vol. 43:5 Suppl; ISSN CNREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AIR POLLUTION
AROMATICS
COMBUSTION PRODUCTS
CONTAMINATION
CROPS
EPOXIDES
FOOD
HYDROCARBONS
METABOLISM
METABOLITES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
POLLUTION SOURCES
POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS