Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon carcinogens are usually activated for DNA binding by the metabolic formation of bay region dihydrodiol epoxides with R,S,S,R stereochemistry. Such metabolites from planar hydrocarbons reacted preferentially with the amino groups of deoxyguanosine residues, whereas those from nonplanar hydrocarbons were more efficiently trapped by DNA and reacted preferentially with the amino groups of deoxyadenosine residues, in some cases. Molecular modeling and NMR measurements indicated that the conformations of DNA adducts depend upon the hydrocarbon involved and the cis or trans opening of the epoxide ring during adduct formation. The structural characterization of carcinogen-DNA adducts and investigations of relationships between specific adducts and biological effects represent an important background that can be valuable in molecular epidemiological approaches.