A detailed analysis on sixteen soil samples was carried out to detect PAH content in soils with high (eight samples) and low (eight samples) degree of atmospheric pollution. The quantitation of PAHs was carried out by HPLC-UV. Thirteen representative PAHs were analyzed. The results showed substantial differences in the chromatographic pattern between polluted and natural areas. Environmental pollution led to an increase in the amounts of only selected PAHs, therefore changing significantly the relative distribution found in samples originating from the unpolluted areas. The results obtained might allow distinction among the various possible mechanisms of formation of PAHs in the ground. We also measured the organic carbon content in each sample, with the aim to develop a correlation between the contents of humic substances and some PAHs.