Assessing the carcinogenicity of carbon-bearing binders

Methods of determining the carcinogenicity of carbon-bearing binders in terms of their benzo[ a ]pyrene content and the benzo[ a ]pyrene emissions in binder carbonization at temperatures up to 850°C are considered. In the laboratory, CARBORES-T and CARBORES-P binders with reduced benzo[ a ]pyrene content are studied, as well as the industrial carbon pitch from which they are derived. It is found that predicting the carcinogenicity of carbon-bearing binders in terms of their benzo[ a ]pyrene content is unsatisfactory, largely because the formation and emission of benzo[ a ]pyrene on binder heating is ignored. Quantitative determination of the benzo[ a ]pyrene emission in the carbonization of the binders may be regarded as a more reliable and more universal method. It may be used to compare the carcinogenicity of products derived from coal and petroleum, as well as binders that do not contain benzo[ a ]pyrene.