Oxidants, such as those generated by metabolically activated phagocytes in inflammation, have been implicated in the metabolic activation of carcinogens, and in this study we demonstrate that the interaction of (+/-)-trans-7,8-dihydroxy-7,8-dihydrobenzo[a]pyrene (BP 7,8-dihydrodiol) with phorbol ester-stimulated polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) results in the generation of both a chemiluminescent intermediate and one that covalently binds to DNA. Cu(II)(3,5-diisopropylsalicylic acid)2 (CuDIPS), a biomimetic superoxide dismutase, and azide, a myeloperoxidase inhibitor, inhibited both of these reactions, indicating a dependency on oxygen-derived oxidants in these hydrocarbon-activation processes. Concordant with the formation of a carcinogen-DNA adduct, the admixture of BP 7,8-dihydrodiol and phorbol ester-stimulated PMNs elicited mutagenesis in Salmonella typhimurium strain TA100. 7,8-Dihydro-BP and BP cis-7,8-dihydrodiol were also mutagenic, whereas derivatives lacking a double bond at the 9,10 position were not. These results demonstrate that oxidants generated by metabolically stimulated PMNs can activate penultimate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to a genotoxic metabolite and further defines a role for inflammation in carcinogenesis.