Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon

Anthracene in the bedroom

By — 19-year firefighter and entrepreneur. Published July 2026.

Anthracene is a three-ring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) found in coal tar, combustion products, and household dust. IARC classifies it as Group 3 (not classifiable as to carcinogenicity). Unlike the higher-molecular-weight PAHs such as benzo[a]pyrene, anthracene itself is not considered carcinogenic — but it is a reliable marker of PAH contamination from sources that also carry more hazardous PAHs. In the bedroom, anthracene appears in dust from fireplace emissions, tobacco smoke, and outdoor combustion that infiltrates indoors.

Anthracene — Embr Bedroom Chemistry Atlas

At a glance

Chemical familyPolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) — three-ring structure
CAS number120-12-7
ClassificationIARC Group 3 (not classifiable as to carcinogenicity to humans); EU SVHC candidate (PBT/vPvB concerns)
Where you encounter itCoal tar, creosote-treated wood, combustion products (wood smoke, tobacco smoke, vehicle exhaust), household dust
Sleep micro-environment relevanceFound in household dust as a marker of combustion-source PAH contamination. Not hazardous on its own but co-occurs with carcinogenic PAHs from the same sources

Regulatory & certification status

European UnionSVHC candidate (PBT/vPvB concerns). REACH Annex XVII Entry 50 restricts PAHs in consumer articles (rubber, plastics) to 1 mg/kg for 8 priority PAHs. Anthracene is not among the 8 restricted but is on the SVHC candidate list. Regulatory
United StatesEPA Priority Pollutant. Listed under the Clean Water Act. Not specifically restricted in consumer products. California: listed under Proposition 65 as a carcinogen (effective 2023). Regulatory
CanadaCEPA Schedule 1 (toxic substance) as part of the PAH group. Regulatory
InternationalIARC Group 3 (not classifiable). OSPAR priority substance for marine protection. WHO indoor air quality guidelines do not set a specific limit. Regulatory

What it is

Anthracene is a three-ring PAH consisting of three linearly fused benzene rings. It is one of the lighter PAHs and is abundant in coal tar, creosote, and combustion products. IARC classified anthracene as Group 3 (not classifiable) in 2010, meaning there is inadequate evidence of carcinogenicity in both humans and animals. Anthracene is not considered genotoxic and does not have the bay-region structural feature associated with carcinogenic activity in PAHs. However, it is of regulatory interest for environmental persistence — the EU identified it as a SVHC candidate due to PBT/vPvB properties.

Where it shows up in bedding

Anthracene is not used in bedding products. It enters the bedroom as a component of combustion-derived dust: fireplace or wood stove emissions, tobacco smoke residue (thirdhand smoke), and outdoor vehicle exhaust that infiltrates indoors. Creosote-treated wood structures near bedrooms can also contribute. While anthracene itself is not hazardous at the trace levels found in household dust, its presence is a marker of broader PAH contamination from sources that also deposit carcinogenic PAHs like benzo[a]pyrene.

The Embr Exposure Ledger: Anthracene

One chemical, several public questions, answered from independent datasets and joined here — the environment it shows up in, the body burden it carries, how it is regulated, and what actually reduces it.

This compound appears in 6 of the Embr Exposure Ledger’s 10 exposure datasets.
Is it in smoke?
Measured in the emissions of cigarette smoke, residential wood smoke and wildfire. This is what the source gives off, not a level in anyone's home: it says the compound is present in that smoke, not how much of it reaches a person. What smoke leaves behind indoors.Source: US EPA, SPECIATE 5.4 — the EPA repository of source-emission composition profiles (air toxics, criteria and greenhouse pollutants)
At what level would it matter?
EPA’s table carries this compound but publishes no inhalation reference value for it. What is above says it is present somewhere, not that any particular amount is harmful. Presence is not dose, and for this compound the inhalation side is not established in the sources this ledger draws on.Source: US EPA, Regional Screening Levels (RSL) Summary Table — consolidated toxicity values from IRIS, PPRTV, ATSDR, Cal EPA and OPP
Who releases it?
89 US facilities reported releasing it in 2024 across 29 states and territories; 197 Canadian facilities have reported it (1993-2024). These are self-reported quantities leaving a facility, not levels anyone encountered, and the two national programs are not added together — they use different reporting thresholds.Source: US EPA, Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Basic Data File, 2024 reporting year; Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI), releases 1993-present
Does the law flag it?
Listed under California Proposition 65 for cancer since 2023. On the EU REACH Candidate List as a substance of very high concern for persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) since 28-Oct-2008. That is a formal identification, not a ban: it triggers supply-chain disclosure above 0.1% by weight.Source: California OEHHA Proposition 65 List (Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986)Source: ECHA Candidate List
Has a regulator acted?
Regulators have acted on products over this compound: 30 EU safety alerts. 4 involved bedding, furniture or textiles. These are actions against specific products, not a measure of the substance in general — and counts follow enforcement attention as much as they follow prevalence.Source: EU Safety Gate (RAPEX), European Commission rapid alert system for dangerous non-food products

Detection and body-burden figures are occurrence data, not a personal measurement or a health diagnosis. Part of the Embr Exposure Ledger — an open, cross-dataset chemical join (download the data), reusable with attribution.

Citations

  1. IARC (2010). Some Non-Heterocyclic Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Some Related Exposures. IARC Monographs Vol. 92. Source Regulatory
  2. ATSDR (1995). Toxicological Profile for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Source Regulatory
  3. ECHA. Anthracene — Substance Information. European Chemicals Agency. Source Regulatory

Frequently asked questions

  • Is anthracene carcinogenic?

    No. IARC classifies anthracene as Group 3 (not classifiable as to carcinogenicity). It lacks the bay-region structural feature that makes some PAHs carcinogenic. However, anthracene is almost always found alongside more hazardous PAHs from the same combustion sources — so its detection in household dust indicates broader PAH contamination that may include carcinogenic compounds like benzo[a]pyrene.

  • Where does anthracene come from indoors?

    The main indoor sources of anthracene are combustion products: fireplace and wood stove emissions, tobacco smoke, candle soot, and outdoor vehicle exhaust that infiltrates through ventilation. Creosote-treated wood near the home can also contribute. Reducing combustion sources and improving ventilation are the most effective ways to reduce indoor anthracene.

Related compounds

  • Benzo[a]pyrene — the most studied carcinogenic PAH
  • Naphthalene — the smallest PAH, also found in moth products
  • Phenanthrene — a three-ring PAH isomer of anthracene
  • Pyrene — a four-ring PAH found in the same combustion sources

Embr is a sleep environment company researching and addressing the chemistry of the bedroom. Research and product development in progress.

Last reviewed 2026-07-07. If you find a factual error, contact us.