NEWSLETTER-WEBSITE ARTICLE #2
COAL TAR SEALANTS
Coal tar is often a component of sealants sprayed or painted on asphalt pavements such as driveways,
parking lots, playgrounds and tennis courts. Sealants give the surfaces a glossy, black appearance. Coal
tar contains high amounts of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are toxic and known
carcinogens. The communities of the Barrington Area Council of Governments (BACOG) wish to alert
residents to the facts about coal tar sealants.
Coal Tar Facts
 Coal tar is known to cause cancer in humans and is made up of more than 50 percent PAHs.
 Prolonged exposure to the PAHs in coal tar is harmful to human health, animal health and
aquatic health due to the fact that PAHs are known human carcinogens1 – EPA








1.
2.
3.
4.
Possible types of cancer that can be attributed to coal tar and PAHs include blood, kidney, liver,
lung, scrotal, skin, and stomach cancers2 – SHWEC
Connections to cancer risk from coal tar and PAHs were established in past studies done on
laborers in the roofing industry who also work with coal tar sealants on a daily basis - IARC
In 2010, an International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) study found there was a higher
risk for lung cancer reported from members of the roofer’s union in the United States3
Studies in France, Norway, and Sweden showed that lung cancer rates were higher in workers
using asphalt mixes that still contained coal tar - IARC
A 1985 study showed that when different types of coal tar pitches were applied to the skin of
mice, six different types of coal tar produced a type of tumor - IARC
Coal tar-based sealants typically contain 1,000 or more times more PAHs than asphalt-based
sealants (50,000-100,000 mg/kg compared to 50 mg/kg)4 – USGS
Asphalt-based sealants are less harmful and less of an irritant (coal-tar burns skin on contact)
Home Depot and Lowe’s have discontinued the sale of coal tar sealants throughout the US,
considering it a good business practice to protect the consumer.
United States Environmental Protection Agency (2012).
Solid & Hazardous Waste Education Center (2012). Coal Tar-Based Asphalt Sealcoats - A Health and Environmental
Hazard.
International Agency for Research on Cancer (2010). Coal Tar Pitch.
United States Geological Survey (2011). Coal-Tar-Based Pavement Sealcoat, Polycyclic Aromatic
Hydrocarbons, and Environmental Health.