APE APE October 2019 | Page 42

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