Mutagenic and carcinogenic properties of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

The rapid development of the chemical industry, combustion of fossil fuels, and smoking of tobacco have resulted in contact of the general population with benzo(a)pyrene and other carcinogenic aromatic hydrocarbons. Persons especially at risk occupationally are those engaged in thermal processing of oil shale, coal, and heavy residual petroleum. It has been shown that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons require metabolic activation before they can act as mutagens or carcinogens. This metabolic activation results from interaction with microsomal enzymes present in many body cells, yielding reactive epoxides which react with DNA and produce mutations in the count frame shift or participate in covalent bounding. While opinions differ regarding the relative role of these processes in mutagenesis, considerable evidence exists which links mutagenesis and carcinogenesis. Metabolites of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons which are carcinogenic are usually mutagenic, which supports the hypothesis that damage to chromosomes plays an important role in carcinogenesis. These facts open the possibility to monitoring the spread of carcinogenic substances in the biosphere by relatively simple tests whose endpoint is mutagenesis.