Coal tar

This article is about the substance. For the book, see Coal Tar: How Corrupt Politics and Corporate Greed Are Killing America's Children.

Coal tar
Clinical data
Trade namesBalnetar, Cutar, others
Other namesliquor carbonis detergens (LCD)
liquor picis carbonis (LPC)
AHFS/Drugs.comMultum Consumer Information
Routes of
administration		Topical
ATC code
Legal status
Legal status
  • US: OTC / Rx-only
Identifiers
CAS Number
ChemSpider
  • none
UNII
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
ECHA InfoCard100.029.417

Coal tar (also creosote) is a thick dark liquid that is a by-product of deriving coke and coal gas from coal. Coal tar has both medical and industrial uses. Medicinally, it is a topical medication applied to skin to treat psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis (dandruff). It may be used in combination with ultraviolet light therapy in a treatment called Goeckerman therapy, which is rarely used clinically, as of 2024.

Industrially, it is a preservative for railroad ties and used in the surfacing of roads. Coal tar was listed as a known human carcinogen in the first Report on Carcinogens from the U.S. Federal Government, issued in 1980, and remains a cancer concern due to the presence of benzene in coal tar skincare products, such as shampoos.

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