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WHAT IS IT?

  • Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are hydrocarbons, chemically defined by the presence of several carbon rings. In general, PAHs give off a characteristic smell.
     
  • PAHs are mainly present in coal tar and bitumen, both by-products of coal and crude oil.
     
  • Nowadays, they are also omnipresent in the environment (air, water, soil), in food and in many other products, in particular building materials.
     
  • Although restrictions on the content of certain PAHs have been adopted since 2006, concerning particularly benzo[a]pyrene, there is no general ban on PAHs contained in construction products and materials.