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Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

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Handbook of Air Quality and Climate Change

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Abstract

Air pollution contributes to several million deaths each year. This chapter focuses on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their derivatives, such as nitropolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAHs) and oxygenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (Oxy-PAHs), which are important air pollutants emitted from fossil fuel and biomass combustion and are found in the air in both gas and particle phases. Many epidemiological and animal studies have reported on the relationship between air pollutant exposure and respiratory/circulatory diseases, such as lung cancer and asthma. However, detailed mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of these diseases have not been fully elucidated. Improvement of air pollution caused by PAHs and their derivatives is a global issue. This chapter provides an overview of sources of these air pollutants, methods for their analysis, and their biological activities, adverse health effects, and environmental standards/guidelines relating to PHAs and their derivatives, as well as the current state of global air pollution.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Nature and Environmental Technology, Kanazawa University, Nomi, Ishikawa, Japan

    Kazuichi Hayakawa

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  1. Kazuichi Hayakawa
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Correspondence to Kazuichi Hayakawa .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Nat'l Inst for Env Studies, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan

    Hajime Akimoto

  2. National Institute for Environ Studies, Tsukuba,Ibaraki, Japan

    Hiroshi Tanimoto

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Hayakawa, K. (2022). Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons. In: Akimoto, H., Tanimoto, H. (eds) Handbook of Air Quality and Climate Change. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-2527-8_22-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-2527-8_22-1

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  • Print ISBN: 978-981-15-2527-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-15-2527-8

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