Recent trends of the emission characteristics from the road construction industry

Abstract

Bitumen is a black, thermoplastic, hydrocarbon material derived from the processing of crude oil. At ambient temperature, bitumen is solid and does not present any health/environmental risks. This is one of the main reasons that bitumen is widely used for road construction all over the world. But during manufacturing/modification according to its application, storage, transportation, and use of bitumen is heated giving off various hydrocarbons emissions. In recent years, there has been increasing interest in investigating the potential of bitumen emissions to cause health effects. This is mainly because of the reason that bitumen has small amount of poly-aromatic hydrocarbons, along with some other volatiles like benzene, toluene, etc., which are known to be carcinogenic in nature. Thus, assessment of the emission characteristics and health hazards of bitumen fumes may have far reaching industrial economic and public health implications. In this review, we will discuss about the emission characteristics from bitumen, asphalts, or road construction, which is mainly contributed by bitumen fumes. Sampling strategies and analytical methods employed are also described briefly.

Assessing the environmental and economic impacts of adopting circular economy for sustainable resource management in the Indian construction sector

“…This is because bitumen used for the construction requires melting for making the asphalt mixture. The bitumen melting process releases numerous toxic fumes, which are hazardous to the health of workers, as well as the local community (Chauhan et al, 2010). It is interesting to note in the case of cast on-site bridge, higher human toxicity is calculated for the CE scenario as compared to the BaU scenario.…”

Atmospheric Pollutant Profile of a Road Asphalt Application: Highly Socioeconomic Development-Related Emission

“…8 Asphalt is used for road construction worldwide because of its viscosity, durability, ductility, noise reduction, and repeatability. 9,10 Nearly all roads in China, the United States, and Canada are surfaced with asphalt. 11,12 While providing convenience, asphalt application has been proven to negatively influence the surrounding environment and residents due to the emission of particulate matter (PM), organic compounds, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).…”

“…Asphalt is used for road construction worldwide because of its viscosity, durability, ductility, noise reduction, and repeatability. , Nearly all roads in China, the United States, and Canada are surfaced with asphalt. , While providing convenience, asphalt application has been proven to negatively influence the surrounding environment and residents due to the emission of particulate matter (PM), organic compounds, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). − The latest research suggests that asphalt-related emissions are an overlooked important source of organic compounds that contribute to increases in regional ozone and secondary organic aerosol pollution. , Exposure studies demonstrate that gas phase pollutants from asphalt application pose an obvious health effect to asphalt workers, and this is primarily manifested during inhalation of air that contains benzene, PAHs, and benzo­[ a ]­pyrene (BaP). ,− …”

A study on the respiratory effects in road construction workers in Mysore, India

“…It begins with laying down large stones, followed by small stones, then pouring molten bitumen (asphalt) over it and finally dusting it with stone dust. 2 Brushing of dust in preparation of the surface, crushing of stones, and mixing of cement for adjacent concrete works expose the workers to air borne particles. Handling of concrete mixture and molten bitumen, coupled with ignorance of protective clothing causes prolonged skin contact with these particles.…”

“…Asphalt fumes are mixtures of various organic compounds including polycyclic aromatic compounds. 2 Chronic exposure to these could possibly lead to respiratory or dermatological adverse health effects. 3,4 There is also a risk posed by exhaust from the passing traffic.…”