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PITCH BLACK
®
WHY PAHs MATTER
ith the ever-changing trends,
laws and products within our in-
dustry, our Pitch Black® family
has prided itself on balancing in-
novation and consistency for nearly 40
years. But, lately, issues in the industry
are hitting much closer to home. This
year we want to shed some light on a sub-
ject that is rarely talked about until now:
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
(PAHs), and how they affect our furry
family members.
This isn’t just business. When it comes
to health and safety, we think about our
planet, our health and our children. But
what about the others that share our
homes, like our pets? The question here
is, how do PAHs affect our furry friends?
Let’s get real about PAHs. Polycyclic
Aromatic Hydrocarbons are a byprod-
www.callape.com
uct of burning carbon to create coal tar,
a common ingredient in most sealcoat
products. Most people know that ex-
posure to the average product formula,
while it’s being applied, can be extremely
toxic and dangerous. What many people
don’t know is the toxicity levels of PAHs
and coal tar may not diminish after the
product ages. Long-term exposure to
these toxins has been proven to cause
skin, lung and many other types of can-
cers. Now, you may be thinking, I don’t
often come in direct contact with pave-
ment, how is my family at risk?
The risks are higher than you think.
We’ve all seen the warnings for pets:
don’t leave your dog in a hot car, don’t
walk them in the peak heat of the day,
don’t walk them on hot sidewalks, etc.
But what about the otherwise safe streets?
[6]
What about the times the pavement is
cooled off and you and your furry friend
are ready to head out on a walk? Let’s be
honest; the toxins coating the streets are
the last thing on your mind. You may be
all dressed and ready to go, with shoes
protecting you from the elements. How-
ever, your four-legged friend has nothing
to protect it. Most dogs need lots of exer-
cise. The longer the walk, the longer their
paws are exposed to PAHs. What happens
after the walk? Those toxins may be tracked
onto your furniture and, in the cases of ex-
tra-snuggly pups, into your bed. As your
dog licks its paws, it consumes those chem-
icals and may further be exposed to poten-
tially fatal toxins.
PAHs are no small issue. Lab results have
shown that the consumption and exposure of
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