Source Characterization of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons by Using Their Molecular Indices: An Overview of Possibilities - Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology - page 50

Table 1 PAH (poly aromatic hydrocarbon) abbreviations used in text, figures and tables
PA H RN a Abbreviation PA H RN Abbreviation

Naphthalenes 2 N n b Biphenyl 2 B

Dibenzofuran 3 DF Acenaphthylene 3 AY

Acenaphthene 3 AE Fluorenes 3 F n b

Phenanthrenes 3 P n b Anthracenes 3 A n b

Phenanthrenes + anthracenes 3 PA n b Retene 3 RET

Dimethylphenanthrene 3 DMP Dibenzothiophenes 3 D n b

Naphthodibenzothiophenes 4 NT n b Pyrenes 4 PY n b

Fluoranthenes 4 FL n b Pyrenes + fluoranthenes 4 FP n b

Chrysenes 4 C n b Benz[ a ]anthracene 4 BaA

Chrysenes +
Benz[ a ]anthracenes

4 BC n b Benzo[ b ]luorene 4 BFu

Benzo[ k ]luoranthene 5 BkF Benzo[ a ]luoranthene 5 BaF

Benzo[ b ]luoranthene 5 BbF Benzo[ j ]luoranthene 5 BjF

Benzo[ j + k ]luoranthenes 5 Bjk Benzo[ b + j + k ]

fluoranthenes

5 BF

Benzo[ a ]pyrene 5 BaP Benzo[ e ]pyrene 5 BeP
Cyclopenta[ cd ]pyrene 5 CP Benzo[ b ]chrysene 5 BbC
Perylene 5 PER Benzo[ ghi ]perylene 6 ghi
Indeno[ 1 , 2 , 3 - cd ]pyrene 6 IP Dibenz[ ah ]anthracene 5 DA
Coronene 6 Cor Dibenz[ ac ]anthracene 5 DcA
Parent PAH names written in the plural form denote parent and its alkylated PAHs together. In text,
figures, or tables, when relevant, the position of alkylation is indicated by a number preceding the
abbreviation (e.g., 1-P1 denotes 1-methylphenanthrene)
a Number of rings
b n refers to the alkylation level (e.g., n = 0 for the parent PAH, and so C0 stands for the parent
chrysene, C1 for methylchrysenes, 1-C1 for 1-methylchrysene and so on); in such a case, PAH
names written in the plural form denote all the homologues of that certain alkylation level

fallout (dry or wet deposition), riverine inflows, or discharge from urban runoff
(Compaan and Laane 1992 ; Fabbri et al. 2003 ; Ollivon et al. 1999 ).
PAHs can be of anthropogenic or natural origin (Bertilsson and Widenfalk 2002 ;
Morillo et al. 2008a ). Natural sources include oil seeps from crude oil deposits, for-
est fires, volcanoes and erosion of ancient sediment (e.g., Jiao et al. 2009 ; Zakaria
et al. 2002 ). Some PAHs, such as perylene, are produced naturally in the environ-
ment from chemical or biological transformation of natural organic matter, or from
biological processes (Venkatesan 1988 ).
Anthropogenic PAHs in the environment are formed either by thermal alteration
of organic matter, or its incomplete combustion (e.g., Luo et al. 2008 ; Ou et al.
2004 ). Today, the major sources of PAHs in the biosphere are human utilization of
petroleum products and incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, biofuels or other
forms of organic matter, which far exceed natural sources (Kim et al. 2008 ; Morillo
et al. 2008a ; Yan et al. 2006 ; Zakaria et al. 2002 ). As a result, the PAH concentra-
tions in sediments increase at points that are near emission sources, especially near