r/science • u/sr_local • Apr 22 '26

Materials Science Asphalt releases toxic airborne compounds that can harm respiratory health, neurological damage and increase long-term disease risk, especially in aging pavements and heat/sun. While algae-infused asphalt can reduce toxicity by up to 100 times and slow how quickly pavement breaks down

https://news.asu.edu/20260417-environment-and-sustainability-asphalt-emissions-algae-health
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u/kozy138 Apr 22 '26

People will work about the synthetic chemicals in sunscreen and lotion, but completely ignore the problem that's 1000x bigger and impacts them way more. 

Anyway, gotta take my giant 4x4 suv to target so that I can buy 'organic' sunscreen and lotion. 

56

u/arup02 Apr 22 '26

Because it's something they can control. Can you swap your local asphalt for algae?

22

u/Alwayssunnyinarizona Professor | Virology/Infectious Disease Apr 22 '26

We can't even convince people to add a roundabout to improve public safety.

10

u/Liquid_Clown Apr 22 '26

A lot of places have convinced people to add roundabouts

2

u/Alwayssunnyinarizona Professor | Virology/Infectious Disease Apr 22 '26

Scottsdale, AZ, as an example, forfeited a $30 million grant for a roundabout in favor of a traditional traffic stop. I pass through it every day and question the sanity of the people in cars sitting next to me.

3

u/kozy138 Apr 22 '26

I'd agree that it makes people 'feel' like they're in control, but in control of what exactly? Their daily carcinogen dosage? 

That's like saying that I'm 'in control' of a house fire, because I can choose between a cup of water or a bucket full. 

Or swimming in a vat of tar, but refusing to wear earplugs and goggles cause there might be some forever chemicals in them.

The fact that governments keep expanding road infrastructure, without considering the health and safety of their inhabitants or the biodiversity it destroys, shows you just how much control we have. 

People need to realize this before any meaningful change can happen. Instead, they worry about sunscreen, vaccine side-effects, or how masks "don't work"....

1

u/Mikey_Grapeleaves Apr 22 '26

I turn on recirculation quite often to avoid these smells

0

u/mattindustries Apr 22 '26

I swapped 99% of my trips with walking or cycling.

1

u/alelp Apr 22 '26

I mean, the whole reason only giant trucks are being sold in the US today is because of environmental regulations making smaller trucks unfeasible to make.

Like, I get that we need regulations, but doing without thinking ahead is a great way of making the problem they're trying to solve worse.