The Environmental Footprint of Sealcoat is Low
S
ometimes it can be difficult to differenti-
ate between journalism and advertising,
especially when content is presented as an
“advertorial.” An advertorial is defined by
the Oxford Dictionary as a newspaper or maga-
zine advertisement giving information about a
product in the style of an editorial or objective
journalistic article.
APE Magazine recently accurately identified
some paid editorial content in its July issue as
“advertorial,” but this designation could be
overlooked by casual readers. Readers may mis-
takenly believe that the advertorial titled Pitch
Black: Why PAHs Matter is objective journal-
ism, rather than a paid advertisement placed by
a product manufacturer. Knowing the source of
the content can explain why it was written in a
way that it was.
We believe that the Why PAHs Matter adver-
torial seeks to mislead by exaggerating claims
about the dangers of products that contain more
PAHs than do Pitch Black Asphalt Pavement
Sealer. In our opinion, the advertorial painted
an overreaching picture of the alleged toxic im-
pact of PAHs on our household pets, dogs.
Writing about scientific findings is never easy,
but it’s important to share the facts. Let’s start
with some basics about those unfamiliar words:
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons – PAHs for
short.
PAHs are naturally occurring, found every-
where in the known universe. Entering “NASA”
and “PAHs” into a search engine will produce
links to several NASA web pages describing
PAHs as the building blocks of life found in me-
teorites and the most distant galaxies.
On Earth, PAHs are found wherever there is
life. PAHs are found in many products used ev-
ery day, including dandruff shampoo and pso-
riasis creams that you can buy without a pre-
scription at the grocery store. No prescription
is required because the Food & Drug Admin-
istration classifies PAH-containing coal tar as
“generally recognized as safe and effective.”
People make PAHs every day by cooking food
and burning wood in their fireplaces. Studies
have shown that by far the greatest source of
exposure to PAHs is food. Dogs haven’t been
studied this way, but probably the same is true
for them. In laboratory studies, scientists treat
PAHs in non-natural ways to make them in-
teract with living organisms. In the real world,
PAHs are not very interactive in human (and
presumably, canine) biological systems.
The advertorial paints a picture of dogs bring-
ing PAHs from pavement dust into the house.
As it happens, Health Canada looked at a worst-
case scenario of children exposed to pavement
PAHs are naturally occurring,
found everywhere
PAHs tracked into homes. They found the risk
to be what the United Nations World Health
Organization calls “of low concern for public
health.”
The Pavement Coatings Technology Council
(PCTC) understands that APE Magazine and
its advertisers contribute greatly to the pave-
ment industry by providing information about
industry trends, products, innovations, and
challenges. PCTC must object, however, when
the contributions cross the line from making
aggressive advertising claims to raising false and
misleading statements about competitors’ prod-
ucts.
PCTC would also be remiss if it did not point
out that (1) many of its members are dog own-
ers/dog lovers and (2) the number of reports
in the scientific literature of dogs made sick
by walking on or playing on sealcoated drive-
ways, parking lots, streets, or other surfaces is
exactly the same as the number of reports about
humans being made sick by the same exposure
– zero. None. There aren’t any. Like their hu-
man companions, our furry friends can walk on
and play on PAH and non-PAH sealcoated sur-
faces without the risk of becoming sick.
The PCTC asks that everyone should be edu-
cated and focused
on the facts.
RAE Products & Chemicals Corporation
1-877-275-7550
[email protected]
~ A reputation for excellence since 1976 ~
AT RAE,
SUPPLY IS
AS OUR EXCELLENT
Certified
WBE/DBE
Certified
WBE/DBE
YELLOW
AMARILLO
4902
Acrylic Latex
YELLOW
AMARILLO
Latex Acrilico
Traffic
Marking
Paint
MADE IN AMERICA
Pintura de la marca del tráfico
For Industrial and Commercial Use
Para el uso industrial y comercial
KEEP FROM
F REEZING
LATEX
HEALTH 1
FLAMMABILITY 0
PHYSICAL HAZARD 0
PERSONAL PROTECTION X
Meets Federal Specification
TT-P-1952B
WARNING!
!
JUST AS
IMPORTANT
ADVERTENCIA!
K EEP F ROM F REEZING . M AY
C AUSE S KIN AND E YE I RRITATIONS .
H ARMFUL IF E ATEN OR S WALLOWED . Subsistencia de la congelación. Mayo
Irritaciones de la piel y de ojo de la causa.
Dañoso si está comido o tragado.
(S EE O THER C AUTIONS ON B ACK P ANEL ) (V EA OTRAS PRECAUCIONES EN PANEL TRASERO )
RAE Products & Chemicals Corporation
5 U.S. Gallon
~ A reputation for excellence since 1976 ~
18.925 Litros
KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN.
QUALITY!
For More Information On This Advertiser Please Visit www.CallAPE.com/e-inquiry
www.callape.com
[42]
1.800.210.5923