Creosote Exposure and Health Effects

Creosote Exposure and Health Effects
Exposure to creosotes, coal tar, coal tar pitch, or coal
tar pitch volatiles may result in minor to serious health
effects. Eating food or drinking water contaminated with a
high level of these compounds may cause a burning in the
mouth and throat as well as stomach pain. Additionally,
taking herbal remedies containing creosote bush leaves may
result in damage to the liver or kidney.

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.

Longer exposure to lower levels of coal tar creosote, coal
tar, coal tar pitch, or coal tar pitch volatiles by direct
contact with the skin or by exposure to the vapors from
these mixtures can also result in increased sensitivity to
sunlight, damage to the cornea, and skin damage such as
reddening, blistering, or peeling. Longer exposures to the
vapors of the creosotes, coal tar, coal tar pitch, or coal
tar pitch volatiles can also cause irritation of the
respiratory tract.

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. Rats
fed a smaller amount of wood creosote for a long period
developed kidney and liver problems and died. Exposure to
coal tar products through the skin has resulted in skin
cancer in animals.

Laboratory animals that ate food containing coal tar
developed cancer of the lungs, liver, and stomach, and
animals exposed to coal tar in the air developed lung and
skin cancer.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has
classified coal tar as carcinogenic to humans and creosote
as probably carcinogenic to humans. 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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