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Creosote and the Cost of its Health Risks

By: Peter Kent Through research, scientists have discovered that creosote and creosote-related items such as coal tar - including pitch and pitch volatiles - are proven carcinogenics. These are often made up from an array of chemicals and used in various manners. Creosote was once used as a cough medicine and consuming foods or water with high levels of creosote can cause serious side effects including kidney or liver damage.

Reports describing poisoning in workers exposed to coal tar creosote, or in people who accidentally or intentionally ate coal tar creosote, indicate that brief exposure to large amounts of coal tar creosote may result in a rash or severe irritation of the skin, chemical burns of the surfaces of the eye, convulsions and mental confusion, kidney or liver problems, unconsciousness, or even death.

However, when an individual is exposed to lower levels of creosote over longer periods of time and direct skin contact occurs, the risk of skin damage similar to a severe sunburn as well as cornea damage are increased. The respiratory tract can become highly irritated with long-term levels of exposure to coal tar, coal tar pitch, coal tar pitch volatiles and creosotes.

Skin cancer and cancer of the scrotum have also resulted from long exposure to low levels of these chemical mixtures, especially through direct contact with the skin during wood treatment or manufacture of coal tar creosote-treated products, or in coke or natural gas factories.

Prolonged skin exposure to soot and coal tar creosote has been associated with cancer of the scrotum in chimney sweepers. In studies, rats and mice fed a large amount of wood creosote at one time had convulsions and died. Laboratory studies on animals, such as rats, found that when fed small amounts of wood creosote over time, usually the rats developed liver and kidney diesease, eventually resulting in death. Exposure to coal tar products through the skin has resulted in skin cancer in animals.

Animals intentionally exposed to coal-tar contaminated food eventually developed lung, liver and stomach cancer, according to studies. Additionally, air exposure to coal tar caused the development of lung and skin cancers.

Coal tar and probably creosote have been classified as a carcinogenics to humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has also identified coal tar creosote as a probable human carcinogen.

Testing for Creosote Exposure

Unfortunately, no medical test can determine if a person has suffered exposure to wood creosote, coal tar creosote, coal tar, coal tar pitch mixtures, or coal tar pitch volatiles. Doctors can detect and measure chemicals contained in creosote (such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or phenols) in body tissues (organs, muscle, or fat), urine, or blood after exposure to creosote. Typically, doctors perform such tests on employees who work with and are exposed to coal tar creosote, coal tar, and coal tar pitch to monitor their exposure.

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