Benzopyrenes

This volume surveys the chemistry and cancer-causing properties of the polycyclic hydrocarbons benzo[a]pyrene and benzo[e]pyrene. Benzo[a]pyrene is a pollutant formed whenever organic matter is burnt: it occurs in soot, tar, cigarette smoke and automobile exhaust, and in small amounts in the atmosphere, in water and in soil. It produces cancer in small mammals and is probably also carcinogenic in humans. It has been widely studied both as a measure of industrial pollution and as a model compound in studies of the mechanism of induction of cancer. Information about the compound is scattered through the scientific literature in various journals, conference proceedings and other publications; this book is the first to gather all this information together for easy reference. It includes chapters on the synthesis, physical and chemical properties of benzopyrene, its metabolism, interaction with DNA and induction of mutation and cancer, and also its environmental occurrence and analysis. There are copious references to the original literature. The volume will provide a valuable source of reference for: cancer reseach scientists; environmental scientists working in the area of pollution monitoring, public health, industrial safety, food and drugs; chemists and biochemists.