Atmospheric Chemistry of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Related Compounds

Abstract

Polycyclic aromatic compounds are ubiquitous atmospheric pollutants with toxic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic properties. They are produced from chemical reactions of their parent compounds in the atmosphere as well as from a wide variety of anthropogenic sources such as fuel combustions. The present review is mainly concerned with several reaction pathways regarding secondary formation of atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) derivatives, i.e., formation of mutagenic nitrated PAHs, 1-and 2-nitrotriphenylene, via gas-phase OH or NO 3 radical-initiated reactions of the parent triphenylene, atmospheric formation of hydroxynitropyrenes from a photochemical reaction of 1-nitropyrene, and photochemical degradation of selected nitrated and oxygenated PAHs on airborne particles under simulated solar UV-irradiation.

A review of airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their human health effects

“…), the nature (i.e., origin and properties) of the aerosol, and the properties of the individual PAH (Lima et al, 2005;Ravindra et al, 2008;Wang et al, 2013;Zhang and Tao, 2009). In general, low-weight PAHs (i.e., with two, three, or four rings) are more volatile (with low temperatures of condensation) and exist mainly in the gas phase (Kameda, 2011). Although the lighter PAH compounds are considered to be less toxic, they are able to react with other pollutants (such as ozone, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide) to form diones, nitro-and dinitro-PAHs, and sulfuric acids, respectively of which toxicity may be more significant (Park et al, 2001).…”

“…Although the lighter PAH compounds are considered to be less toxic, they are able to react with other pollutants (such as ozone, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide) to form diones, nitro-and dinitro-PAHs, and sulfuric acids, respectively of which toxicity may be more significant (Park et al, 2001). PAHs with four or more rings show insignificant vaporization under all environmental conditions (Kameda, 2011). Most of the heavier PAHs therefore occur mainly in the particulate phase in the atmosphere due to their low vapor pressure (Kameda et al, 2005).…”

Impact of Dust Storms on NPAHs and OPAHs in PM2.5 in Jinan, China, in Spring 2016: Concentrations, Health Risks, and Sources

“…And in the study of Ringuet et al (2012a) the nighttime concentration of OPAHs were higher than daytime at both traffic site and suburban site. Possibly because that NPAHs and OPAHs can be photolyzed during the day and are easily accumulated at night (Albinet et al, 2007) and the life span of NPAHs is 0.5-22 h (Kameda, 2011). In this study, the nighttime concentrations of 1N-PYR and 7N-BaA were higher than the daytime concentrations (Fig.…”

Investigation of photoreaction for 2-nitrobenzofuran and its 3-methyl derivative

“…The causal relationship between the photoreactivity of flutamide and photodermatosis are still being investigated. In another example, nitro polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAHs) were widely investigated, which were known as harmful air pollutants [31,32]. Several examples of the hydrocarbon structures for NPAHs include pyrene, anthracene, and chrysene.…”