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Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are hydrocarbons composed of fused aromatic rings. Many of them are known or suspected carcinogens. They are formed by incomplete combustion of carbon-containing fuels such as wood, coal, or diesel. Because of their long name and environmental significance, they are often referred to by the acronym PAH.PAH composed only of six-membered rings are called benzenoid PAH. The name comes from benzene, an aromatic hydrocarbon with a single, six-membered ring. The set of benzenoid PAH is closely related to a set of mathematical entities called polyhexes, which are planar figures composed by conjoining regular hexagons of identical size.
Carcinogens
