Benzo(a)pyrene

Common card · No. 478199

Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP or B[a]P) is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and the result of incomplete combustion of organic matter at temperatures between 300 and 600 °C (572 and 1,112 °F). The ubiquitous compound can be found in coal tar, tobacco smoke and many foods, especially grilled meats. The substance with the formula C20H12 is one of the benzopyrenes, formed by a benzene ring fused to pyrene. Its diol epoxide metabolites, more commonly known as BPDE, react with and bind to DNA, resulting in mutations and eventually cancer. It is listed as a Group 1 carcinogen by the IARC. In the 18th century a scrotal cancer of chimney sweepers, the chimney sweeps' carcinoma, was already known to be connected to soot.

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