Environmental Health: Cancer Risk? You’re Standing on It! Health Risks of Coal-Tar Pavement Sealcoat

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Environmental Health: Cancer Risk? You’re Standing on It! Health Risks of Coal-Tar Pavement Sealcoat

Estimated lifetime cancer risk is substantially higher for people that live near coal-tar-sealcoated pavement

Coal-tar-based sealcoat, a potent source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), is used commonly on residential driveways in the central, southeastern, and northeastern U.S. In Lake in the Hills, Ill., about 90% of residential driveways are sealcoated, as shown here.

Coal-tar-based sealcoat—a product marketed to protect and beautify asphalt pavement—is a potent source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to air, soils, streams and lakes, and homes. Does its use present a risk to human health?

Results from a new study by researchers from Baylor University and the USGS indicate that living adjacent to a coal-tar-sealed pavement is associated with significant increases in estimated excess lifetime cancer risk, and that much of the increased risk occurs during early childhood.

What are sealcoat, coal tar, and PAHs?

Pavement sealcoat—also called sealant or driveway sealer—is a black liquid sprayed onto the asphalt pavement of many residential driveways, parking lots, and even some playgrounds. Sealcoat used in the central, southern, and eastern U.S. commonly contains coal-tar pitch, and sealcoat used in the western U.S. commonly contains asphalt. Coal-tar pitch, the residue remaining after distillation of coal tar (a byproduct of the coking of coal), is a known human carcinogen and contains about 200 different PAHs. Coal-tar-based sealcoat typically is 20 to 35 percent coal-tar pitch and contains from 50,000 to 100,000 milligrams per kilogram (or parts per million) PAHs, about 1,000 times higher than PAH concentrations in asphalt-based sealcoat products, and hundreds of times higher than PAH concentrations in tire particles, used motor oil, or other urban sources. At least seven PAHs, including benzo[a]pyrene, are probable human carcinogens.

The pavement of many parking lots is coated with coal-tar-based sealcoat, which is marketed to increase the longevity of the underlying asphalt and improve appearance. Car tires grind the dried sealcoat to a fine powder that is a potent source of polycyclic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The sealcoat particles wash down storm drains, are blown onto adjacent soil and pavement, and are tracked into homes on the soles of shoes.

PAHs from coal-tar sealcoat find their way into soil and house dust

Friction from vehicle tires grinds pavement sealcoat into small particles, which are incorporated into the dust on the pavement surface. Dust on coal-tar-sealed pavement contains PAHs at concentrations that are hundreds of times higher than those in dust on concrete or unsealed asphalt pavement. Some of that contaminated dust is transported by wind, rain, and snowplows to nearby soil, and some is tracked into homes, where it becomes part of the house dust.

People, especially children, are exposed to PAHs in soil and housedust

We all consume soil and dust through what is called incidental (non-dietary) ingestion, which occurs when we put our hands or objects into our mouths. Incidental ingestion is a pathway to exposure to many chemicals, especially for children. The study focuses on incidental ingestion of the seven cancer-causing PAHs. A single number known as the benzo[a]pyrene equivalent (BaPEQ) was determined that represents the cancer-causing concentration of the seven PAHs combined. Using existing data, a representative BaPEQ was determined for soil adjacent to coal-tar-sealcoated pavement and for house dust in nearby residences, and also for soil adjacent to unsealed asphalt pavement and house dust in nearby residences. The average estimated lifetime BaPEQ dose for someone living adjacent to coal-tar-sealcoated pavement was 38 times greater than for someone living adjacent to unsealed asphalt pavement. About one-half of that dose occurs during childhood, that is, 0 to 6 years of age.

Estimated lifetime cancer risk is substantially higher for people that live near coal-tar-sealcoated pavement

USGS researchers collect a sample of dust from a sealed parking lot for analysis of PAHs.

Excess lifetime cancer risk—the probability that an individual will develop cancer by age 70 because of exposure to a contaminant—was determined for individuals who spend their lifetime living adjacent to pavement with coal-tar-sealcoat (for example, a sealcoated driveway or a sealcoated parking lot), those who spend just the first 6 years of their life living adjacent to pavement with coal-tar-sealcoat, and those who spend their lifetime (70 years) living adjacent to unsealed asphalt pavement (urban background exposure).

For someone who spends their entire lifetime living adjacent to coal-tar-sealcoated pavement, the average excess lifetime cancer risk is estimated to be 38 times higher than the urban background exposure. More than one-half of the risk occurs during the first 18 years of life, and most of it (84 percent) is from ingestion of soil. The estimated lifetime cancer risk also is elevated for someone who spends just the first 6 years of their life living adjacent to coal-tar-sealed pavement—about 25 times higher than urban background exposure.

A USGS researcher vacuums up a sample of house dust for analysis of PAHs. Concentrations of PAHs in house dust from residences adjacent to parking lots with coal-tar-based sealcoat were 25 times higher than in housedust from residences adjacent to parking lots with other types of pavement surfaces.

For the average individual who lives adjacent to coal-tar-sealed pavement for either their entire life or just the first 6 years, the excess lifetime cancer risk is estimated to be greater than 1 in 10,000. Estimated cancer risk associated with coal-tar-sealcoat is even higher for children that consume larger-than-average amounts of soil and dust. In general, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers excess cancer risks greater than 1 in 10,000 to be sufficiently large that some sort of remediation is desirable.

Source: USDA - http://www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/usgs_top_story/youre-standing-on-it-health-risks-of-coal-tar-pavement-sealcoat/
BY: SPENCER WILLIAMS (SP_WILLIAMS@BAYLOR.EDU), BARBARA MAHLER (BJMAHLER@USGS.GOV), PETE VAN METRE (PCVANMET@USGS.GOV), JENNIFER LAVISTA (JLAVISTA@USGS.GOV)

CFN - California Fire News 2013

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How fires get their names

Every year in California thousands of wildfires start throughout the state. In most cases, the dispatch center sending the initial resources to a wildland fire will designate a name for the fire, but the first on scene engine or fire official can also name the incident. Fires are usually named for the area in which they start – a geographical location, local landmark, street, lake, mountain, peak, etc. Quickly naming the fire provides responding fire resources with an additional locater, and allows fire officials to track and prioritize incidents by name. For example during the Southern California Fire Siege of 2003, the largest wildland fire in California history, the Cedar Fire in San Diego County, was named after the Cedar Creek Falls area where it started. The destructive Old Fire, which burned during the same time period in San Bernardino County, was named after the road along which it started - Old Waterman Canyon Road.

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Tuesday, April 2, 2013