A look beyond the priority: A systematic review of the genotoxic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic endpoints of non-priority PAHs

Francisco Carlos da Silva Junior; Maria Beatriz Mesquita Cansanção Felipe; Denis Elvis Farias de Castro; Sinara Carla da Silva Araújo; Herbert Costa Nóbrega Sisenando; Silvia Regina Batistuzzo de Medeiros

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116838

A look beyond the priority: A systematic review of the genotoxic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic endpoints of non-priority PAHs

Environ Pollut. 2021 Jun 1:278:116838. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116838. Epub 2021 Mar 1.

Authors

Francisco Carlos da Silva Junior¹, Maria Beatriz Mesquita Cansanção Felipe², Denis Elvis Farias de Castro¹, Sinara Carla da Silva Araújo¹, Herbert Costa Nóbrega Sisenando³, Silvia Regina Batistuzzo de Medeiros⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil; Graduate Program in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
² Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
³ Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil; Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analysis, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
⁴ Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil; Graduate Program in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil. Electronic address: sbatistu@cb.ufrn.br.

PMID: 33714059
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116838

Abstract

Knowledge of the toxic potential of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) has increased over time. Much of this knowledge is about the 16 United States - Environmental Protection Agency (US - EPA) priority PAHs; however, there are other US - EPA non-priority PAHs in the environment, whose toxic potential is underestimated. We conducted a systematic review of in vitro, in vivo, and in silico studies to assess the genotoxicity, mutagenicity, and carcinogenicity of 13 US - EPA non-priority parental PAHs present in the environment. Electronic databases, such as Science Direct, PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science, were used to search for research with selected terms without time restrictions. After analysis, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol, 249 articles, published between 1946 and 2020, were selected and the quality assessment of these studies was performed. The results showed that 5-methylchrysene (5-MC), 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (7,12-DMBA), cyclopenta[cd]pyrene (CPP), and dibenzo[al]pyrene (Db[al]P) were the most studied PAHs. Moreover, 5-MC, 7,12-DMBA, benz[j]aceanthrylene (B[j]A), CPP, anthanthrene (ANT), dibenzo[ae]pyrene (Db[ae]P), and Db[al]P have been reported to cause mutagenic effects and have been being associated with a risk of carcinogenicity. Retene (RET) and benzo[c]fluorene (B[c]F), the least studied compounds, showed evidence of a strong influence on the mutagenicity and carcinogenicity endpoints. Overall, this systematic review provided evidence of the genotoxic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic endpoints of US - EPA non-priority PAHs. However, further studies are needed to improve the future protocols of environmental analysis and risk assessment in severely exposed populations.

Keywords: Carcinogenicity; EPA’s non-priority; Genotoxicity; Mutagenicity; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Publication types

Review
Systematic Review

MeSH terms

Carcinogens / toxicity
DNA Damage
Mutagens / toxicity
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons* / toxicity
United States
United States Environmental Protection Agency

Substances

Carcinogens
Mutagens
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons