Letter commenting on “Primary sources and toxicity of PAHs in Milwaukee‐area streambed sediment”—To the editor

Response to comment on “Primary sources and toxicity of PAHs in Milwaukee‐area streambed sediments”—The authors' reply

“…In conclusion, we believe the primary arguments in the letter by O'Reilly and Ahn commenting on the manuscript “Primary sources and toxicity of PAHs in Milwaukee‐area streambed sediments” are incorrect. We have shown that the profiles CTD6 and CTD7 are representative of weathered CTS and that their use is appropriate when making comparisons with weathered stream sediment.…”

“…We appreciate the opportunity to respond to O'Reilly and Ahn's letter to the editor regarding our recent study, “Primary sources and toxicity of PAHs in Milwaukee‐Area streambed sediment” . Using a multiple‐lines‐of‐evidence approach, our study concluded that coal‐tar pavement sealant (CTS), referred to by O'Reilly and Ahn as refined tar pavement sealant (RTS), was the primary source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in a majority of streambed sediment samples.…”

A Review of the Literature on Potential Effects of Runoff from Refined Coal‐Tar–Based Sealant Coating on Aquatic Organisms

“…In Mahler et al suggested that RCTS could be an important source of PAHs to some urban sediments. Although, the relative contribution of PAHs from RTCS to urban sediments has been the subject of debate (DeMott and Gauthier ; Van Metre et al ; DeMott et al ; Van Metre and Mahler ; O'Reilly et al ; Crane ; Gauthier and DeMott ; O'Reilly and Ahn ), concern regarding the potential for exposure of aquatic organisms to PAHs specifically derived from pavement sealers has continued (Mahler et al ; USGS ).…”