title: Levels and determinants of exposure to vapours and aerosols of bitumen.
abstract: 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. Personal air sampling in the workers' breathing zone was carried out during the shift to measure exposure to vapours and aerosols of bitumen. The majority of workers were engaged in building construction, where exposure levels were lower than in tunnels but higher than at road construction sites. At building construction sites, exposure levels were influenced by the room size, the processing temperature of the mastic asphalt and the job task. The results show that protective measures should include a reduction in the processing temperature.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance, Institute of the Ruhr University Bochum (IPA), Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, 44789 Bochum, Germany. spickenheuer@ipa-dguv.de
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spickenheuer
authors.forename: Reinhold
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rühl
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Höber
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raulf-Heimsoth
authors.forename: Boleslaw
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Marczynski
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Welge
authors.forename: Dietmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Breuer
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gabriel
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Musanke
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rode
authors.forename: Evelyn
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Heinze
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kendzia
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bramer
authors.forename: Udo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Knecht
authors.forename: Jens-Uwe
authors.initials: JU
authors.lastname: Hahn
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Brüning
authors.forename: Beate
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pesch
mesh_terms: D000336:Aerosols / Q000737:chemistry*; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000032:analysis*; D003252:Construction Materials / Q000633:toxicity; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014835:Volatilization
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D006838:Hydrocarbons; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; C006647:asphalt