Decreasing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons emission from bitumen using alternative bitumen production process

Bitumen fumes and PAHs in asphalt road paving: Emission characteristics, determinants of exposure and environmental impact

BACKGROUND

Asphalt road paving and its subsequent complex airborne emissions have raised concerns about occupational exposures and environmental impacts. Although several studies described bitumen fumes or Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) emissions at specific worksites, no comprehensive studies have characterised road paving emissions and identified the main determinants of exposure.

METHODS

A 10-year study from 2012 to 2022 was performed to examine the pollutants resulting from bitumen fume emissions and covering the main processes used in road paving (asphalt production, mechanical rolled asphalt paving, manual paving, mastic asphalt paving, emulsion paving, and coal-tar asphalt milling). A total of 623 air samples were collected at 63 worksites (on 290 workers, in the environment and near emission sources), and bitumen fumes, PAHs, aldehydes and volatile organic compounds were analysed. Biomonitoring campaigns were performed on 130 workers to assess internal exposure to PAHs.

RESULTS

Fume emissions revealed complex mixtures of C₁₀-C₃₀ compounds, including linear saturated hydrocarbons (C₆-C₁₂), alicyclic hydrocarbons and aliphatic ketones. PAHs were dominated by 2-3 aromatic ring compounds (naphthalene, fluorene, and phenanthrene), and C₁-C₁₃ aldehydes were identified. Binder proportion, paving temperature, outdoor temperature, workload and job category influenced airborne concentrations. A significant temporal trend was observed over the time period of the study, with decreasing BF and PAH exposures. PAH biomonitoring was consistent with air samples, and urinary metabolites of 2-3 ring PAHs dominated over 4-5 ring PAHs. Occupational exposures were generally far lower than exposure limits, except coal-tar asphalt milling activities. Very low environmental concentrations were measured, which highlights a negligible contribution of paving emissions to global environmental pollution.

CONCLUSION

The present study confirmed the complex nature of bitumen fumes and characterised the main determinants of exposure. The results highlight the need to reduce the paving temperature and binder proportion. Recycled asphalt pavement use was not associated with higher emissions. The impact of paving activities on environmental airborne pollution was deemed negligible.

Recycled plastic modified bitumen: Evaluation of VOCs and PAHs from laboratory generated fumes

A key aspect when investigating the use of recycled plastics in bitumen relates considerably to the issues relating to occupational, health and safety for humans and the environment from a fuming and emissions perspective. This research investigates laboratory-generated fumes in the forms of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) generated from producing polymer modified bitumen using five different types of recycled plastics. A comparative analysis of recycled plastic modified bitumen fumes was conducted based on a series of optimized parameters, including working temperatures (160 °C, 180 °C and 200 °C) and polymer contents (1%, 2%, 4% and 6% by weight of bitumen) against neat bitumen and polymer-modified bitumen. Forty-eight volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and sixteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were quantified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results from the comparative analysis revealed that the incorporation of recycled plastics could reduce overall emissions from both VOCs and PAHs perspectives. The reduction in emissions can be attributed to the enhancement in thermal stability of the bitumen blend when recycled plastics are added. The reduction rate is heavily dependent on the type and source of recycled plastics used in the blending process. Furthermore, a specific compound concentration analysis of the top-four weighted compounds emitted reveals that the total concentration of emissions can be deceiving as specific compounds can spike when adding recycled plastics in bitumen despite a reduction trend for the overall concentration.

Effects of asphalt source and mixing temperature on the generated asphalt fumes

Asphalt fumes generated in pavement construction have been extensively studied from the perspective of occupational health. In this paper, they are examined from the perspective of material and construction. Asphalt binders from different sources were used to create standard mixtures. An asphalt fume generation and collection system was designed and built for generating fumes at simulated construction conditions and collecting fumes similar to the procedure used in field exposure studies. Total particulates (TP) in the fume samples were analyzed gravimetrically, and the chemical components of the samples were identified by using GC/MS. Results indicate that the TP concentration and chemical component of asphalt fumes are dependent on asphalt source and temperature. The concentration from one asphalt can be several times higher than that from another. With a temperature rise in 20 °C, the concentration increases about 3-7 times. At 140 °C, the total number of detected PAHs ranges from 4 to 9; at 160 °C, the number ranges from 4 to 12. The hazardous potentials of asphalt fumes vary with asphalt source and mixing temperature. Therefore, standardized laboratory test procedures are needed for risk assessment, based on which proper material selection and construction strategies may be chosen for hazard mitigation.

PAL SPME Arrow--evaluation of a novel solid-phase microextraction device for freely dissolved PAHs in water

After more than 25 years, solid-phase microextraction (SPME) has gained widespread acceptance as a well-automatable and flexible microextraction technique, while its instrumental basis remained mostly unchanged. The novel PAL (Prep And Load solution) SPME Arrow combines the advantages of SPME with the benefits of extraction techniques providing larger sorption phase volumes such as stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE). It thereby avoids the inherent drawbacks of both techniques such as limitations in method automation in the case of SBSE, as well as the small sorption phase volumes and the lacking fiber robustness of classical SPME fibers. This new design is based on a robust stainless steel backbone, carrying, the screw connection to the PAL sampler, the enlarged sorption phase, and an arrow-shaped tip for conservative penetration of septa (hence the name). An outer capillary encloses this phase apart from enrichment and desorption processes and rests against the tip during transfer and penetrations, resulting in a homogeneously closed device. Here, we present an evaluation and a comparison of the novel PAL SPME Arrow with classical SPME fibers, extracting polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as model analytes, from the freely dissolved fraction in lab water and groundwater via direct immersion using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as common sorption phase material. Limits of detection, repeatabilities, and extraction yields were determined for the PAL SPME Arrow and compared to data of classical SPME fibers and SBSE bars. Results indicate a significant benefit in extraction efficiency due to the larger sorption phase volume. It is accompanied by faultless mechanical robustness and thus better reliability, especially in case of prolonged, unattended, and automated operation. As an exemplary application, the water-soluble fraction of PAHs and derivatives in a roofing felt sample was quantified.

Graphical Abstract

Characteristics of volatile organic compounds emission profiles from hot road bitumens

A procedure for the investigation and comparison of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emission profiles to the atmosphere from road bitumens with various degrees of oxidation is proposed. The procedure makes use of headspace analysis and gas chromatography with universal as well as selective detection, including gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The studies revealed that so-called vacuum residue, which is the main component of the charge, contains variable VOC concentrations, from trace to relatively high ones, depending on the extent of thermal cracking in the boiler of the vacuum distillation column. The VOC content in the oxidation product, so-called oxidized paving bitumen, is similarly varied. There are major differences in VOC emission profiles between vacuum residue and oxidized bitumens undergoing thermal cracking. The VOC content in oxidized bitumens, which did not undergo thermal cracking, increases with the degree of oxidation of bitumens. The studies revealed that the total VOC content increases from about 120 ppm for the raw vacuum residue to about 1900 ppm for so-called bitumen 35/50. The amount of volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) in the volatile fraction of fumes of oxidized bitumens increases with the degree of oxidation of bitumen and constitutes from 0.34% to 3.66% (w/w). The contribution of volatile nitrogen compounds (VNCs) to total VOC content remains constant for the investigated types of bitumens (from 0.16 to 0.28% (w/w) of total VOCs). The results of these studies can also find use during the selection of appropriate bitumen additives to minimize their malodorousness. The obtained data append the existing knowledge on VOC emission from oxidized bitumens. They should be included in reports on the environmental impact of facilities in which hot bitumen binders are used.