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Letter to the editor.
1Exponent, Inc., 15375 S.E. 30th Place, Suite 250, Bellevue, WA, 98007, USA, koreilly@exponent.com.
Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology
|October 31, 2014
Summary
Refined tar sealers (RTS) are not a significant source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in urban sediments. Further analysis suggests other factors explain sediment chemistry, not RTS.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Chemistry
- Toxicology
- Urban Ecology
Background:
- A previous study hypothesized that refined tar sealers (RTS) are a significant source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in urban sediments.
- This letter re-evaluates the data presented in Crane (Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 66:176-200, Crane 2014).
Discussion:
- The re-analysis indicates that the data from Crane (2014) does not support the hypothesis linking RTS to elevated PAH levels in urban sediments.
- Alternative explanations for the observed sediment chemistry are presented, independent of RTS contributions.
Key Insights:
- Refined tar sealers (RTS) are unlikely to be a primary source of PAHs in urban sediment.
- Sediment PAH concentrations can be adequately explained by factors other than RTS.
Outlook:
- Further research should focus on identifying and quantifying other significant sources of PAHs in urban environments.
- This re-evaluation calls for a critical assessment of the role of sealants in urban environmental contamination.
