Preface

This book is titled "Hydrocarbon Pollution and its Effect on the Environment". The book provides an overview on hydrocarbon identification, contamination, and measurement techniques. "Hydrocarbon Pollution and its Effect on the Environment" takes a broad view of the subject and integrates a wide variety of approaches. This book attempts to address the needs of graduate and postgraduate students, as well as chemists and other professionals or readers interested in food, soil, water, and air pollution. The aim of this book is to explain important studies, and compare and develop the new and groundbreaking measurement techniques. Written by leading experts in their respective areas, the book is recommended to professionals interested in environmental and human health because it provides specific and comprehensive examples.

> **Dr. Muharrem Ince and Dr. Olcay Kaplan Ince**  Munzur University Rare Earth Elements Research and Application Center, Turkey

**1**

**Chapter 1**

**1. Introduction**

Introductory Chapter: Sources,

Effect of Hydrocarbons

*Muharrem Ince and Olcay Kaplan Ince*

Health Impact, and Environment

Pollution control and environmental protection have become a worldwide issue of concern. The aliphatic hydrocarbons (AHs), aromatic hydrocarbons (ArHs) such as benzene and toluene, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), including benzo[*a*]anthracene, benzo[ghi]pyrilene, and benzo[*a*]pyrene, are persistent organic pollutants (POPs) for ecosystem. These hazardous pollutants are risky because of mutagenic, carcinogenic, immunotoxic, and teratogenic effects. These components threaten all life forms ranging from microorganisms to humans when they are released into the environment especially via human activities. The aim of this study is to provide up-to-date information on the various hydrocarbons present in the environment, routes of exposure, and their adverse impact on environment and human health. There are two major categories that contain hydrocarbons; these are aliphatic and aromatic compounds (**Figure 1**). While aromatic hydrocarbons contain at least one benzene ring, the other group called as nonaromatic or aliphatic does not contain it. The basic structure that forms aromatic hydrocarbons is the benzene ring. On the other hand, petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs) comprised of carbon and hydrogen atoms which are organic compounds. They have varying structural configurations with physical and chemical characteristics. They can be broadly classified as gasoline range organics (GROs) and diesel range organics (DROs). The first group that is called GROs comprises monoaromatic hydrocarbons including toluene, benzene, and ethylbenzene. This category has short-chain alkanes ranging from 6 to 10 C. The second group that is called DROs has longer C-chain alkanes from 10 to 40 C, and this category contains hydrophobic chemicals including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) [1, 2]. These compounds, in contaminated ecosystem, are considered to be one of the most stable hydrocarbon forms. The PAH molecular weight is the main factor to determine their origin's level in earth. There are two PAH sources: natural and anthropogenic. Both sources are important and remarkable. Because of natural and anthropogenic activities, these pollutants are irregularly distributed throughout various levels and locations to all over the world. Various studies have revealed that PAHs have carcinogenic, teratogenic, and mutagenic effect on human health [3, 4]. The main skeleton of these compounds, classified as organic pollutants, consists of two or more benzene rings. The extensive nonpolar contaminants are detected in petrochemical products including coal, oil, and tar. Another significant source of hydrocarbons is also incomplete combustion [5–8]. According to researchers, because of ecotoxicological risks and potential sources, 26 AHs and 16 PAHs causing concerns for ecosystem are categorized as carcinogen or mutagen by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). These ecotoxicological compounds include benzo[*a*]pyrene, benz[*a*]anthracene, etc.

### **Chapter 1**
