Thank You for Not Sealing!

We're familiar with "thank you for not smoking" slogan, but what about "Thank You For Not Sealing...with Coal Tar Sealants."  That may be the public service warning in the future.  Why?

Because the risks of getting cancer from coal tar pavement sealants are similar to the risk of getting lung cancer from second hand smoke.  A few weeks ago, we reported that the cancer risk to a child living near a coal tar sealed parking lot would be less than 1 in 10,000, which is deemed "unacceptable" according to the Code of Federal Regulations (http://coaltarfreeamerica.blogspot.com/2011/12/cancer-risks-of-coal-tar-sealants.html ).

How does that risk compare to an exposure to cigarettes?  A study published at the National Institutes for Health states the risk of getting lung cancer for a female non-smoker working or living with a smoker is about the same as the risk of getting cancer from a coal tar sealed parking lot!

The problem is that while most of us would never think of exposing our children to second hand smoke at school, commercial area or home, they can be very much exposed to high-levels of PAH pollution from coal tar pavement sealants at those same locations that creates a similar risk.   Let's work together to eliminate the unnecessary risk to our communities!

Busting Sealant Myths: "Flawed" USGS Studies

That old saying that a lie is halfway around the world before the truth gets its boots on has never been truer than with this myth.  Dozens of times industry representatives and scientists have made this claim.  Some have even begun to add colorful modifiers like "grossly flawed" or "seriously flawed."  Maybe they think the longer and louder it is said will make it come true.

Recently I reread this complaint made by industry against the United States Geological Survey (USGS).  If you're new to this issue, the USGS is an independent research unit of the federal government.  They have led several studies about coal tar pavement sealant pollution.  The complaint was made about a 2004 report by a law firm representing 10 industry-related companies under the Information Quality Act.

The complaint contains about 45 comments or issues made, but none of them are of any real consequence.  Some of them were discussions about rounding numbers and others had to do with terminology.  Most required no revisions; while many included some revisions to clarify certain statements.    One complaint was even against using the term "coal tar" to describe a sealant, which was commonly done by applicators and producers.  The term continues to evolve as the industry looks for a sanitized term for their product.

I would encourage anyone to read it for themselves here.

A news release from the USGS is still on the web that says:

The revisions do not change the scientific results of the study or the data presented.
"No data were changed, and none of the additions or revisions have any effect on the scientific conclusions of the study," explained Dr. Barbara Mahler, lead author of the report

http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=1642&from=rss

Isn't it amazing that the industry continues to describe the reports as "grossly flawed" in light of these statements?

Does Your Driveway Make Your Butt Look Big?

It's the New Year and a time when many of us think about shedding a few pounds.  A new book explores the science of environmental chemical exposures to humans and the possible link to increased weight gain. Author Pat Thomas details 11 chemicals that can increase our waist line in "The 21st Century is Making you Fat" including the potent and plentiful chemical found in coal tar pavement sealant, benzo(a)pyrene, aka BaP.

While BaP can be found in a variety of sources from cooked meat, to air pollution, no common source is more concentrated and available than coal tar pavement sealant. So the next time your jeans are a little tight, you might want to figure out what chemical is on your driveway.

A review of this book can be found at The Ecologist website.