polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a group of compounds formed during the incomplete combustion of coal, oil, gas, wood, garbage or other organic substances. In most cases PAHs occur as a mixture of several compounds, not as a single chemical. Several PAHs are produced commercially to be used in the industrial organic synthesis. Once released into the aquatic environment, degradation by micro-organisms is often slow, leading to their accumulation in exposed sediments, soils, aquatic and terrestrial plants, fish and invertebrates. In terms of human health, prolonged exposure to PAHs can have a deleterious effect, and individuals exposed to mixtures of PAHs,