Benzo(k)fluoranthene

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a group of over 100 chemicals formed by incomplete burning of coal, oil, gas, wood, refuse and other organic substances. ATSDR reports that PAHs can be harmful to health under some circumstances, and that studies in animals have shown PAHs can cause harmful effects on skin, body fluids, and the body’s system for fighting disease after both short- and long-term exposure — effects that have not been reported in people. You are typically exposed not to an individual PAH but to a mixture. For Benzo(k)fluoranthene specifically: the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has determined it is a known animal carcinogen; IARC classifies it as possibly carcinogenic to humans; EPA classifies it as a probable human carcinogen.

Source: ATSDR — ToxFAQs / Toxicological Profile (retrieved 2026-07-27)

• Incomplete burning of coal, oil, gas, wood, garbage and other organic substances
• Vehicle exhaust, asphalt roads, coal tar, wildfires, residential wood burning and waste incineration
• Runoff and leaching from hazardous waste sites into surface water and groundwater

Water filters certified under the following NSF standards are effective at removing Benzo(k)fluoranthene:

Filter recommendations for this contaminant are being updated.