Peat samples were collected from four sites: Tatra Mountains, Orawa Basin, Sudety Mountains and Silesian Lowland, which are situated in southern and south – western Poland. Samples were collected at points selected on the basis of geological documentation and from different depths in the stratigraphic profile of each peat deposit. PAH content was determined using gas chromatography. The total concentration of 16 anthropogenic PAHs was between 39 and 384 ng/g in all the samples. An extremely high PAH concentration (3746 ng/g) was recorded in only one peatland Lasówka. In some samples the perylene concentration largely exceeds the total concentration of anthropogenic PAHs. The high content of perylene in bottom layers could result from processes of perylene sorption from water during peat-bog formation or from the biogenic formation of perylene.