Benzo[a]pyrene and Other Aromatic Hydrocarbons Extractable from Bituminous Coal

Abstract
Benzo [a] pyrene, benz [a] anthracene, and other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons have been shown to be present in bituminous coal. Extraction with toluene, chromatography on alumina, the Diels-Alder reaction, solubility in concentrated sulfuric acid, and catalytic iodination on alumina were coupled with ultraviolet spectrophotometry and mass spectrometry to obtain quantitative estimates of these compounds in the extracts.