Question

Benzopyrene is an ingredient of which of the following items?
A. Wood smoke and tobacco smoke
B. Automobile exhaust
C. Coal tar
D. All of the above

Answer 1

Benzopyrene is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon compound, which is released after the incomplete combustion of the organic materials like trees, industrial combustion, petrol and diesel combustion.

Complete answer:
Benzopyrene is an organic compound which is polycyclic and has a chemical formula that is, ${C_{20}}{H_{12}}$. It has two isomers and these two isomers are colourless isomers which are benzo[a]pyrene, benzo[e]pyrene.
Benzopyrene naturally can be emitted by the forest fires and volcano eruptions and due to human activities. Its concentration can be increased by so many activities like coal tar used for road constructions, cigarette smoke, burning of some food products like coffee, wood smoke, etc.
All these are organic compounds thus, we can say that, from the incomplete burning of organic matter there are chances of emission of Benzopyrene. This compound is harmful for human and many animal health because it shows carcinogenic and mutagenic characters which means Benzopyrene can interfere in normal functioning of central dogma of life, that is, transcription and translation. Its effects are generally seen in development of lung cancer, interference in blood and circulatory system.

Thus, we can conclude that, Benzopyrene is an ingredient of Wood smoke and tobacco smoke, Automobile exhaust, Coal tar and our answer will be option ‘D’.

Note:
Benzopyrene is considered a pollutant. And the concentration of this compound is increasing in the atmosphere due to increasing human activities and according to some scientific communities, almost 20% of the carbon is being occupied by these polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons including Benzopyrene.