Main origin

PAHs are created when products like coal, oil, gas, and waste are burned but the combustion process is not complete. Examples are fumes from vehicle exhaust, coal production plants or other facilities burning coal, petroleum, oil or wood. Most PAHs are used to conduct research. However, some PAHs are used to make dyes, plastics, and pesticides. Some are used in medicines (14). BTEX are made up of naturally-occurring chemicals that are found mainly in petroleum products such as gasolines or naphtha. BTEX can enter the environment from leaking underground storage tanks (UST's), overfills of storage tanks, fuel spills from auto accidents and from landfills. Benzene can be found in gasoline and in products such as synthetic rubber, plastics, nylon, insecticides, paints, dyes, resins-glues, furniture wax, detergents and cosmetics. Other sources are auto exhaust, industrial emissions and cigarette smoke. Toluene occurs naturally as a component of many petroleum products. Toluene is used as a solvent for paints, coatings, gums, oils and resins. Xylenes are used in gasoline and as a solvent in printing, rubber and leather industries (15). Origins of waste containing hydrocarbons are industrial sites and combustion plants, motor vehicles and other gasoline-powered equipment, e.g. aircrafts or construction equipment (16).

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-09-07