3-Nitrobenzanthrone (3-nitro-7''H''-benz
enthracen-7-one) is a
chemical compound
A chemical compound is a chemical substance composed of many identical molecules (or molecular entities) containing atoms from more than one chemical element held together by chemical bonds. A molecule consisting of atoms of only one element ...
emitted in
diesel exhaust
Diesel exhaust is the exhaust gas produced by a diesel engine, plus any contained particulates. Its composition may vary with the fuel type, rate of consumption or speed of engine operation (e.g., idling or at speed or under load), and whether ...
; it is a potent
carcinogen
A carcinogen () is any agent that promotes the development of cancer. Carcinogens can include synthetic chemicals, naturally occurring substances, physical agents such as ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, and biologic agents such as viruse ...
. It produced the highest score ever reported in the
Ames test
The Ames test is a widely employed method that uses bacteria to test whether a given chemical can cause mutations in the DNA of the test organism. More formally, it is a bioassay, biological assay to assess the mutagenic potential of chemical com ...
, a standard measure of the cancer-causing potential of toxic chemicals, far greater than the previous known strongest (1,8-dinitropyrene, which is also found in diesel exhaust).
See also
*
Benzanthrone
Benzanthrone (BZA) is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon. It is a yellow solid. Its derivatives are used as a dyestuff intermediate for anthraquinone-based dyes. Dehydrogenative coupling gives violanthrone. It is prepared by reduction of anthroqu ...
References
Carcinogens
Nitroarenes
Ketones
Polycyclic aromatic compounds
IARC Group 2B carcinogens
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