Photoactivation of Polynuclear Hydrocarbons

Abstract

This review presents some incomplete studies having three principal objectives: (1) to study photodynamic mechanisms as a parameter of activity of polynuclear carcinogens; (2) to determine the nature of the correlation existing between photodynamic and carcinogenic activities in the class of polynuclear compounds; and (3) to determine whether the degree of photodynamic activity of crude organic mixtures, such as air pollutants, could provide a useful and rapid biological measure of presumptive carcinogenic hazard to man, attributable to polynuclear compounds.