Use of Crumb Rubber in road paving applications: workers' health risk assessment

Crumb rubber (CR) derived from end-of life tyres (ELTs) is widely employed for the production of high-performance bituminous mixtures for paving applications, but no information is available on the effects that CR may have on health-related risks which workers may be exposed to on site. In such a context, this paper shows the results obtained in an investigation that considered gaseous emissions sampled during the laying of bituminous mixtures containing CR in two pavement test sections. By referring to the contents of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), it was found that the overall diffusion scenario of gaseous emissions was coherent with CR composition but was also strongly dependent upon several other material- and site-specific factors. Results were compared with data from other pavement construction sites and were used within a sanitary-environmental risk analysis procedure. The influence of CR was highlighted in differential terms, comparing calculated risks associated to the laying of mixtures with and without CR.