Are there hazards with skin contact with coal combustion products?
Most people never touch coal ash. Skin contact is generally limited to power plant workers and those who produce cement, concrete, autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) or some other ash-based product. However, some highway departments use bottom ash for snow and ice control, leaving deposits on roads and in gutters where people or their pets might touch it or track it into their houses. Based on the experience of those who work closely with it, adverse health effects from skin contact with coal ash appear to be extremely unlikely.
