Research | Children’s Health

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous air pollutants generated by com-bustion sources that include diesel- and gaso-line-powered motor vehicles, coal-fired power plants, residential heating, cooking, and tobacco smoking (Bostrom et al. 2002). An estimated> 80 % of airborne PAHs results from the combustion of fossil fuels and biomass (Bostrom et al. 2002). There is growing con-cern about the adverse effects of air pollution from fossil fuel combustion on public health (Bostrom et al. 2002; Brunekreef and Holgate 2002) and the global climate (Nationa