Chrysene

Chrysene is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) with the chemical formula C18H12. It consists of four fused benzene rings arranged in a linear fashion and is a nonpolar, planar aromatic compound. At room temperature it appears as a yellow-brown solid and has very low water solubility, but dissolves in organic solvents.

It occurs naturally in coal tar and is produced during incomplete combustion of organic matter, such as tobacco smoke, vehicle exhaust, charred foods, and industrial processes. It is one of the 16 priority PAHs identified for environmental monitoring due to its persistence and potential health effects.

Chrysene is hydrophobic and bioaccumulative; it adsorbs to soil, sediment, and organic matter and tends to persist in the environment, with slow degradation by photolysis and microbial action in aerobic conditions. It can be transported in air attached to particulate matter and in water sediments.

Chrysene is used as a marker compound for PAH exposure and is frequently included in environmental analysis by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) or high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection. It is also used as a reference standard in analytical chemistry.

In laboratory studies, chrysene can be mutagenic in bacterial assays and is considered to have carcinogenic potential in animals; the evidence in humans is limited. The IARC classifies chrysene as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B). Human exposure may occur through contaminated food, air pollution, and occupational settings. No established beneficial role is known.