Fluoranthene

A tetracyclic aromatic hydrocarbon forming coloured needle-like crystals when pure. It is moderately toxic and carcinogenic, does not dissolve in water but does in organic solvents, and occurs in coal tar and petroleum. Foods can pick it up through contamination, migration from packaging or processing practices such as traditional wood smoking of fish or cheese. As one of the routinely monitored polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, it appears alongside benzo[a]pyrene in smoked, grilled and dried foods; regulators use PAH4 or PAH8 sums as markers of contamination. Good smoking practice — indirect smoke, controlled temperature, filtration — minimises formation, and packaging migration is controlled by material specifications.