[Watersheds] Coal tar based sealcoats

[Panciera, Ernie (DEM)]

Happy Earth Day!



USGS has been researching the impacts of coal tar based pavement sealants for many years now and they have just recently released a new fact sheet "Coal-Tar- Based Pavement Sealcoat -- Potential Concerns for Human Health and Aquatic Life."

Here is the link to the USGS webpage on "USGS Research: PAHs and Coal-Tar-Based Pavement Sealcoat" http://tx.usgs.gov/sealcoat.html

The direct link to the new 6 page fact sheet  is  http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2016/3017/fs20163017.pdf

The Intro and Key Findings from the fact  sheet (Fact Sheet 2016-3017, April 2016) are below.


Introduction

Sealcoat is the black, viscous liquid sprayed or painted on many asphalt parking lots, driveways, and playgrounds to protect and enhance the appearance of the underlying asphalt. Studies by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), academic institutions, and State and local agencies have identified coal-tar-based pavement sealcoat as a major source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination in urban and suburban areas and a potential concern for human health and aquatic life.

Key Findings:

Human Health Concerns—As coal-tar-based sealcoat ages, it wears into small particles with high levels of PAHs that can be tracked into homes and incorporated into house dust. For people who live adjacent to coal-tar-sealcoated pavement, ingestion of PAH-contaminated house dust and soil results in an elevated potential cancer risk, particularly for young children. Exposure to PAHs, especially early in childhood, has been linked by health professionals to an increased risk of lung, skin, bladder, and respiratory cancers.

Aquatic Life Concerns—Runoff from coal-tar-sealcoated pavement, even runoff collected more than 3 months after sealcoat application, is acutely toxic to fathead minnows and water fleas, two species commonly used to assess toxicity to aquatic life. Exposure to even highly diluted runoff from coal-tar-sealcoated pavement can cause DNA damage and impair DNA repair. These findings demonstrate that coal-tar-sealcoat runoff can remain a risk to aquatic life for months after application.




Ernie Panciera
Supervising Environmental Scientist
Groundwater Protection and Nonpoint Source Programs
RI DEM Office of Water Resources
235 Promenade Street, Providence, RI 02908
401-222-4700 x7603
ernie.panciera at dem.ri.gov

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