7/24/2016

CoalTarsandtheirDistillates

Home>ThePetroleumSectorStreamApproach>Stream0

CoalTarsandtheirDistillates
Whatarethey?
Coaltarsaresubstancesderivedfromtheheatingofcoalintheabsenceofoxygenthatoccursat
integratedsteelmills.Coaltardistillatesarederivedfromthedistillationofcoaltarsatcoaltarrefinery
facilities.
Theyaremadeofcomplexcombinationsofcompounds,mainlyaromatichydrocarbons.
Theircompositionvariesbasedontheirsource,theheatingtemperature,andthedistillation
temperatureforthedistillates.

Howaretheyused?
Coaltarisusedintheproductionofsubstancessuchascreosote,crudenaphthalene,andcarbonblack
feedstock.
Coaltarisusedasanactiveingredientinhumanandveterinarydrugs,primarilyintheformof
shampoosusedtotreatskinconditions.Thisuseisconsideredsafe.
Coaltardistillatesareusedbyaluminumsmeltersasabinderforaluminumsmeltinganodes,asa
binderingraphiteelectrodes,asanadhesive/binderinclaypigeonsandbriquettes,inlinersfor
industrialfurnaces,insomepavementsealants,andinepoxycoatingsusedinindustrialapplications.

WhydidtheGovernmentofCanadaassessthem?
CoaltarsandtheirdistillateswereincludedinthePetroleumSectorStreamApproach(Stream0)under
theChemicalsManagementPlanforthescreeningassessmentofpotentialriskstotheenvironmentand
tohumanhealth.
PriortotheirassessmentbytheGovernmentofCanada,coaltarsandtheirdistillateswereidentifiedas
apotentialconcernforhumanandecologicalhealth.Furthermore,theyareclassifiedbyinternational
organizationsassubstancesthatmaycausecancer.

HowareCanadiansexposedtothem?
Thegeneralpopulationmaybeexposeddermallytocoaltarsandtheirdistillatesthroughtheuseof
productsavailabletoconsumers(forexample,pavementsealants),andorallyfromhousedust
containinglowlevelsofcomponentsofcoaltarbasedpavementsealants.
Althoughlimited,itisrecognizedthatasmallportionofthegeneralpopulationmaybeexposedtocoal
tarsandtheirdistillatesinthevicinityofcoaltarproduction(forexample,integratedsteelmills)and
refiningfacilities,andthroughtheuseofcoaltarsealants.

Howaretheyreleasedintotheenvironment?
Coaltarsandtheirdistillatesarereleasedtoairanddepositedtosoilfromactivitiesassociatedwith
theirproduction,transportationandstorage,aswellastowater,soil,andhousedustfromtheuseand
disposalofproductsthatcontainthem.

Whataretheresultsoftheassessment?
TheGovernmentofCanadahasconductedasciencebasedevaluationofcoaltarsandtheirdistillates,
calledascreeningassessment.
ScreeningassessmentsaddresspotentialforharmtothegeneralpopulationofCanadaandtothe
environment.
Resultsofthedraftscreeningassessmentindicatethatthereispotentialforexposuretohumansfrom
http://www.chemicalsubstanceschimiques.gc.ca/petrole/group0/coalhouilleeng.php

1/3

7/24/2016

CoalTarsandtheirDistillates

theproductionandprocessingofcoaltarsandtheirdistillatesaswellasthepavementsealantproduct
containingthesesubstancesusedbyconsumers.
Resultsofthedraftscreeningassessmentindicatethatthereispotentialforexposuretothe
environmentfromtheproductionandprocessingofcoaltarsandtheirdistillatesaswellaspavement
sealantproductscontainingthesesubstances.
TheGovernmentofCanadaisthereforeproposingthatcoaltarsandtheirdistillatesareenteringthe
environmentinaquantityorunderconditionsthatconstituteadangertotheenvironment.
TheGovernmentofCanadaisalsoproposingthatcoaltarsandtheirdistillatesmaybeconsidered
harmfultohumanhealth.
Hazardsrelatedtochemicalsusedintheworkplaceshouldbeclassifiedaccordinglyunderthe
WorkplaceHazardousMaterialsInformationSystem(WHMIS).

WhatistheGovernmentofCanadadoing?
TheGovernmentofCanadapublishedtheDraftScreeningAssessmentofCoalTarsandtheirDistillates
andtheRiskManagementScopeforCoalTarsandtheirDistillatesonJune11,2016,followedbya60
daypubliccommentperiodendingonAugust10,2016.
Iftheproposedconclusionisconfirmedinthefinalscreeningassessment,theGovernmentofCanada
proposesthatfurtheractionbetakenoncoaltarsandtheirdistillatestoreducetheirrisktohuman
healthandtheenvironment.

WhatcanCanadiansdo?
Thehealthrisksassociatedwithasubstancedependonthehazard(itspotentialtocausehealth
effects)andthedose(theamountofsubstancetowhich
youareexposed).
Useofcoaltarbasedhealthcareproductsisrecognizedassafeandeffectiveforuseinthetreatment
ofvariousskinconditionsanddiffersfromthecoaltarsinthisassessment.
Alternativeproductstocoaltarbasedpavementssealantsareavailabletothegeneralpublicat
retailers.
Canadiansareinvitedtocommentonthepublisheddocumentsand/orontheconclusionsreached.
Canadianswhomaybeexposedtothesecoaltarsandtheirdistillatesintheworkplaceshouldconsult
withtheiremployerandoccupationalhealthandsafety(OHS)representativeaboutsafehandling
practices,applicablelawsandrequirementsundertheOHSlegislationandtheWorkplaceHazardous
MaterialsInformationSystem(WHMIS).
Asageneralprecaution,Canadiansareremindedwhenusinganyproducttocarefullyfollowanysafety
warningsanddirections,andtodisposeoftheproductsappropriately.

CoalTarsandtheirDistillatesassessedbytheGovernmentofCanada
CASRN

DSLName

8007452

Tar,coal

65996829

Taroils,coal

65996910

Distillates(coaltar),upper

65996909

Tar,coal,lowtemperature

65996896

Tar,coal,hightemperature

65996932

Pitch,coaltar,hightemperature

DateModified:20160610

http://www.chemicalsubstanceschimiques.gc.ca/petrole/group0/coalhouilleeng.php

2/3

7/24/2016

CoalTarsandtheirDistillates

http://www.chemicalsubstanceschimiques.gc.ca/petrole/group0/coalhouilleeng.php

3/3