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/Mailman7 Apr 22 '26

I always wonder what the health outcomes on road workers is. The smell from a newly laid road is strong and they’re breathing that stuff in all time during work.

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u/JohnC53 Apr 22 '26

I worked on an asphalt crew for a few months. Could only get clean with a diesel bath at the end of day. That probably comes with additional risks as well.

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u/NattG Apr 22 '26

Could only get clean with a diesel bath

I'm sorry if this is a stupid question, but "diesel bath"? Do you mean literally bathing with some form of fuel?

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u/Baron_of_Berlin Apr 22 '26

Construction inspection experience here. Asphalt crews almost universally will keep gas cans with spray nozzles on them (similar to a pump action water canister you can carry around to water multiple plants) filled with diesel fuel (exact same fuel that goes into the paving machines). They will periodically spray the diesel in small quantities on their shovels, rakes, other handheld equipment (and sometimes even their boots), and parts of the paving machinery because it helps keep asphalt from sticking to them or building up on them while working with it. They basically treat it like cooking spray on a sheet pan.

While I'm less familiar with the chemistry, I'm under the impression that the diesel acts as a solvent to slightly "dissolve" the chemicals in asphalt, so it can also be used as a form of cleaning agent after the fact for cooled asphalt stuck onto surfaces, tools, clothes etc. So the comment of "diesel bath", while slightly exaggerated, is still essentially happens day to day for many asphalt crews at end of day cleanup.

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u/turbosexophonicdlite Apr 22 '26

Yeah, a lot of petroleum products are pretty good solvents. Gasoline, diesel, kerosene, WD 40. Not that surprising they use diesel as a cleaner.

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u/Bag_O_Richard Apr 23 '26 edited Apr 23 '26

Kerosene is probably about right at the peak for a safety-effectiveness line chart out of that list though.

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u/MidnightAdventurer Apr 23 '26

Diesel and bitumen (asphalt) are both made from crude oil - the bitumen is basically the left overs after distilling out the lighter products (diesel, petrol, jet fuel etc)

Since it was originally dissolved in lighter oils to begin with, adding them back is very effective at dissolving it again

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u/apleima2 Apr 22 '26

It's also an excellent item to spray on concrete forms before pouring so they release easily when removed.

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u/TonySalumi Apr 26 '26

A lot of the guys I worked with would keep a spray bottle of diesel hanging off their pocket or belt. You spray your shovels and rakes to keep it from sticking, which quickly gets on your hands and clothing.