Falk H L, Jurgelski W
Environ Health Perspect. 1979 Dec;33:203-26. doi: 10.1289/ehp.7933203.
Some polynuclear aromatics (PNA) have been found to be potent carcinogens for all tissues and organs of experimental animals that have been exposed to them, but different dose levels are needed for these effects. They have been known for decades to cause cancer at the site of application but also at certain sites distant from the area of contact. Although some hydrocarbons are potent and complete carcinogens, the majority of related hydrocarbons was originally found to be inactive. Since they generally appear together, it was important to know more about their interaction, particularly whether they would synergize, or antagonize. The polycyclic hydrocarbons have been studied by subcutaneous injection, where they prove very potent carcinogens. They are also very active on the skin of mice where they produce cancer on prolonged application. Inhalation studies, require larger doses yielded negative results until particulate matter was introduced which facilitated the development of lung tumors. Although iron oxide dust was used initially, other dusts were also capable of enhancing the response of the tissue to benzo(a)pyrene carcinogenesis. This point is of importance, particularly since the inhalation of PNA in situations of air pollution or coal mining involves particulates, although of a different type. Soot is not a homogenous substance and several factors determine its properties. Soots will lose some of the absorbed chemicals during their residence in air, but they retain their PNAs for long periods of time when they reach the soil. The carcinogenicity of PNAs in the adsorbed state may be completely absent, depending on particle size of the soot and availability of eluting capability of the tissues or cells in contact with the soot. Whenever the carcinogenic polynuclear aromatics can be eluted they will be active in producing cancer if their residence is adequate. There seems to be no reason to assume that a large increase in coal combustion in the future will by necessity lead to greater risks of cancer to the coal miners or the general urban dweller, because activities to be started now can take into consideration the requirements necessary for control of air pollution in mines as well as in cities. If new uses of coal will be developed, it will be a completely different situation, and statements about the carcinogenic risk from coal utilization do not apply there. Although some of the same carcinogenic PNAs are involved in the health hazards from those processes, other carcinogens and also cocarcinogens will be present, and the exposed workers will not have the apparent benefits of adsorption of PNAs on soot.
已发现某些多核芳烃（PNA）对接触过它们的实验动物的所有组织和器官都是强效致癌物，但产生这些影响所需的剂量水平不同。几十年来人们都知道它们不仅会在应用部位引发癌症，还会在某些远离接触区域的部位致癌。尽管一些碳氢化合物是强效完全致癌物，但最初发现大多数相关碳氢化合物是无活性的。由于它们通常同时出现，因此更深入了解它们之间的相互作用非常重要，特别是它们是会协同作用还是拮抗作用。多环碳氢化合物已通过皮下注射进行研究，结果表明它们是非常强效的致癌物。它们对小鼠皮肤也非常有活性，长时间涂抹会引发癌症。吸入研究中，在引入颗粒物以促进肺部肿瘤发展之前，需要更大剂量，结果一直为阴性。虽然最初使用的是氧化铁粉尘，但其他粉尘也能够增强组织对苯并(a)芘致癌作用的反应。这一点很重要，特别是因为在空气污染或煤矿开采情况下吸入PNA时会涉及颗粒物，尽管其类型不同。煤烟不是一种均质物质，有几个因素决定其性质。煤烟在空气中停留期间会损失一些吸附的化学物质，但当它们到达土壤时会长时间保留其PNA。取决于煤烟的颗粒大小以及与煤烟接触的组织或细胞的洗脱能力，吸附状态下PNA的致癌性可能完全不存在。只要致癌性多核芳烃能够被洗脱，并且它们在体内停留时间足够，就会在引发癌症方面具有活性。似乎没有理由认为未来煤炭燃烧的大幅增加必然会给煤矿工人或一般城市居民带来更大的癌症风险，因为现在就可以开展相关活动，考虑到控制矿井和城市空气污染所需的要求。如果开发出煤炭的新用途，情况将完全不同，关于煤炭利用致癌风险的说法在此并不适用。虽然这些过程中的一些健康危害涉及相同的致癌性PNA，但也会存在其他致癌物和共致癌物，而且接触的工人不会有PNA吸附在煤烟上的明显益处。
