AbstractA study has been made of the effect of additives to the fuel of a turbulent diffusion flame on the formation of soot and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Fuels containing a polystyrene thickener doped with benzene proved to have many advantages over unthickened fuels. Most significant were an increase in the burning time and the flash point. Nevertheless, polystyrene and benzene additives to a considerable extent increased the formation of soot and PAHs. The analysis of PAHs in this study was made by capillary gas chromatography (GC) and capillary gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). A total of 42 individual compounds were characterized by their retention indices and mass spectra.