Aviation and environmental benzo(a)pyrene pollution.

Spectrofluorescent methods of analysis have shown that soot and exhaust products of aviation engines, both piston and turbine, contain benzo[a]pyrene (BP). A modern aircraft engine releases into the atmosphere from 2-10 mg BP per min. Extracts of aviation engine soot applied to the skin of mice induced malignant tumors in almost all treated animals. The ground within airports is polluted with BP, its level diminishing with distance from the runway. The concentration of carcinogenic hydrocarbons in aircraft exhausts is dependent on the working regime of the engine and on the character of fuel combustion.