Reference summary — not medical advice or a personal risk estimate.
Coal-tar and coal-tar pitch
Quick answer
Classified as Group 1 — carcinogenic to humans, based on sufficient evidence in humans. Breathed and on skin. Occupational — workers in road paving, roofing, and aluminium smelting.
Summary
By-products of coal processing used in roofing and pavement. Associated with skin and lung cancer.
Detail
Coal-tar pitch and coal-tar distillation are Group 1 with sufficient evidence for lung and non-melanoma skin cancers. Exposure is occupational (paving, roofing, aluminium smelting).
What's not established
This classification is based on sufficient evidence in humans that this factor can cause cancer. It does not establish a safe exposure threshold, your personal risk, or how this factor's risk compares in size to other Group 1 agents — hazard classifications are not ranked by magnitude.
Regional relevance
global
Documented in these products
Presence in a product category doesn't imply the product causes cancer. Click each to see the source and context.
Evidence sources
Every claim on this page traces back to one of these. Click through to read the primary document yourself.
Primary sources
NCI
NCI — Cancer-Causing Substances in the Environment
IARC
IARC Monographs — Classifications by Cancer Site, Vols 1–140
Supporting sources
ACS
ACS — Known and Probable Human Carcinogens
NTP
NTP — Report on Carcinogens (US National Toxicology Program)
Last reviewed: November 2026
Official reference list
A government list some readers use alongside the primary evidence. Meyron is not affiliated with it. A chemical being listed does not by itself describe a risk from any particular product.
- California Prop 65 list
State of California's list of chemicals known to cause cancer or reproductive harm.