DETERMINATION OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC-HYDROCARBONS IN THE LUNG

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) accumulated in human lung samp les from men (n = 236) and women (n = 128) were determined by high-per formance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to examine their association wit h lung cancer. The mean values for benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), benzo[k]fluor anthene (BkF), and benzo[g,h,i]perylene (BghiP) in lungs (ng/g dry lun g) of Japanese autopsied patients were 0.54, 0.44, and 0.87, respectiv ely. The modal values were 0.3, 0.3 and 0.5, respectively. Each of the PAH concentrations was highly correlated with the others (r > 0.83). PAH concentrations in the lungs showed age-related increases with low correlation-coefficient values. BaP, BkF and BghiP concentrations in l ungs of various subgroups were in the following order: male > female; and lung cancer > all cancers > non-cancer among male not female group . Only BghiP concentration in the lungs of the male smoker group is si gnificantly higher (P < 0.10) than that of the male non-smoker group. Even among non-smoker groups, PAH concentrations in the lungs of male group were significantly higher than those of female group. In the mal e population, excess exposure to PAHs together with fine carbon partic les, such as tobacco smoke or diesel exhaust, correlated with increase d prevalence of lung cancer.