Pitch smarts

Coal tar and related products produce a very distinctive photosensitive reaction known as tar smarts or pitch smarts [6, 7]. The patient experiences burning and stinging while in the sun. This occurs with as little as 15 min of exposure. Roofers with exposure to pitch and coal tar are most susceptible and direct skin contact is not necessary, since aerosolized contact is sufficient to produce the reaction. Associated ophthalmologic involvement may occur [8]. Kochevar and colleagues reported that the sensitizers in coal tar included acridine, anthracene, benzopyrene and fiu-orabthene [9]. Reactions to creosote in roof paper and creosote-soaked wood products, including saw dust and boxes, have been reported in over 400 workers [10,... 

Symptoms of pitch exposure range in severity from a burning sensation upon exposure to the sun ( tar smarts Diette et al. 1983) to extensive bullae formation. Symptoms of burning typically start within an hour of exposure to pitch and sunlight, and may continue to worsen as long as exposure continues. Erythema and blistering follow the burning, particularly in fair-skinned individuals. Burns tend to occur... 

---