Users should always refer to the Toxicity Value Database for the currect toxicity values. Managed by Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. It has also been used in the production of smoke screens. Anthracene is ubiquitous in the environment as a product of incomplete combustion of fossil fuels. Although a large body of literature exists on the toxicity and carcinogenicity of a number of PAHs, toxicity data for anthracene are limited.
Evidence indicates that anthracene is absorbed following oral and dermal exposure.
Targets for anthracene toxicity are the skin, hematopoietic system, lymphoid system, and gastrointestinal tract. Adverse dermatologic effects have been observed in humans and animals in conjunction with acute and subchronic exposure to anthracene. In humans, anthracene may cause acute dermatitis with symptoms of burning, itching, and edema. Carcinogenicity bioassays with anthracene generally gave negative results.