ABSTRACT
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) represent a class of man-made environmental pollutants to which man has almost constantly been exposed. The forest fires throughout the ages represented a history of environmental pollution. Any organic compound containing two or more aromatic rings may be considered to be a polycyclic organic matter. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heterocyclic aromatic compounds are usually crystalline solid materials having high melting points and low vapor pressures, low water solubilities, and they are usually exhibiting some color. Although polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons comprise a diverse range of organic compounds, some general trends in physical-chemical properties are apparent. The source of the polynuclear hydrocarbon minerals appears to be the same as that of the man-made pollutants, they are formed by pyrolysis of organic materials at moderate temperatures. The use of mass spectrometry (MS) and HRGC/MS to identify and quantify PAHs in environmental samples is escalating with the number of publications reporting PAH-analysis each year.
