Air sampling and determination of vapours and aerosols of bitumen and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the Human Bitumen Study.

The chemical complexity of emissions from bitumen applications is a challenge in the assessment of exposure. Personal sampling of vapours and aerosols of bitumen was organized in 320 bitumen-exposed workers and 69 non-exposed construction workers during 2001-2008. Area sampling was conducted at 44 construction sites.

Levels and determinants of exposure to vapours and aerosols of bitumen.

Bitumen (referred to as asphalt in the United States) is a widely used construction material, and emissions from hot bitumen applications have been a long-standing health concern. One objective of the Human Bitumen Study was to identify potential determinants of the exposure to bitumen. The study population analysed comprised 259 male mastic asphalt workers recruited between 2003 and 2008.

Vapours and aerosols of bitumen: exposure data obtained by the German Bitumen Forum.

In a large project of the German Bitumen Forum, almost all branches of industry in Germany that use bitumen have been examined with regard to bitumen exposure. A total of 1272 samples were gathered between 1991 and 2005. The measuring method includes vapours and aerosols emitted from hot bitumen; the proportions of these two components and their dependency on bitumen temperature are described.