CDC logoSafer Healthier People  CDC HomeCDC SearchCDC Health Topics A-Z
NIOSH - National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

NIOSH Publication No. 2003-112:

Asphalt Fume Exposures During
the Application of Hot Asphalt to Roofs

  6 RESEARCH NEEDS

The following research efforts should contribute to the reduction of worker exposure to asphalt fumes during the application of hot asphalt to roofs:

 

• Continue to evaluate the various types of asphalt kettles and determine what types of engineering controls and design configurations provide optimal reductions in asphalt fume exposure.

• Investigate alternative methods for feeding asphalt into the kettle to reduce the need for and frequency of lifting the kettle lid.

• Continue to evaluate the efficacy of low-fuming asphalts for reducing asphalt fume exposures at the kettle and on the rooftop.

• Investigate all sources of asphalt fume exposure during the application of hot asphalt to roofs and determine what types of changes in engineering control methods and work practices can be instituted to reduce such exposures.

• Conduct field studies to determine fume composition (e.g., PAHs, total particulates, soluble fractions) and concentrations at different asphalt temperatures.


REFERENCES

ACGIH [2002]. 2002 TLVs® and BEIs®: threshold limit values for chemical substances and physical agents; and biological exposure indices. Cincinnati, OH: American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists.

AI [1990a]. Introduction to asphalt. 8th ed. Lexington, KY: The Asphalt Institute, Manual Series No. 5 (MS–5).

AI [1990b]. Report to OSHA and NIOSH: status of Asphalt Industry Steering Committee research program on the health effects of asphalt fumes and recommendation for a worker health standard. Lexington, KY: The Asphalt Institute.

AI [1991]. Final report: asphalt industry cross sectional exposure assessment study. Text and Appendix A. College Park, MD: The Asphalt Institute.

AREC [1999]. Comments of the Asphalt Roofing Environmental Council on NIOSH’s September 1998 hazard review document: health effects of occupational exposure to asphalt. The Asphalt Institute, Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers’ Association, National Roofing Contractors Association, Roof Coating Manufacturers’ Association. Unpublished.

ARMA [1993]. Recommendations regarding builtup roofing asphalt. Rockville MD: Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers’ Association, March.

ARMA [1996]. Report from Richard Snyder, Executive Vice President, Asphalt Roofing Manufacturer’s Association, to Ralph Zumwalde, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Unpublished report.

ASTM [1997]. Standard specification for D312–95a asphalt used in roofing. In: 1997 Annual book of ASTM standards. West Conshohocken, PA: American Society for Testing and Materials.

Boduszynski M [1981]. Asphaltenes in petroleum asphalts: composition and formation. In: Bunger JW, Li NC, eds. Chemistry of asphaltenes. Washington, DC: American Chemical Society, pp. 119–135.

Brandt HCA, De Groot PC, Molyneux MKB, Tindle PE [1985]. Sampling and analysis of bitumen fumes. Part 2. Field exposure measurements. Ann Occup Hyg 29(1):47–58.

Brown J, Fajen J [1977a]. Industrial hygiene survey report: Zeric Roofing Corporation, Santee, California. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Public Health Service, Center for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, NIOSH Report No. IWS–48.15.

Brown J, Fajen J [1977b]. Industrial hygiene survey report: Asbestos Roofing Company, San Diego, California. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Public Health Service, Center for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, NIOSH Report No. IWS–48.17.

Brown J, Fajen J [1977c]. Industrial hygiene survey report: Asbestos Roofing Company, San Diego, California. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Public Health Service, Center for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, NIOSH Report No. IWS–48.16.

Campbell PG, Wright JR [1966]. Oxidation products in an oxygen blown Kuwait asphalt. Ind Eng Chem Product Res Dev 5(4):319–323.

Carson GA [1986]. Health hazard evaluation report: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Supply Depot, Kansas City, Missouri. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, NIOSH HETA No. 83–198–1646, NTIS No. PB–86–220–696/A02.

CFR. Code of Federal regulations. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, Office of the Federal Register.

Corbett LW [1975]. Reaction variables in the air blowing of asphalt. Ind Eng Chem Process Res Dev 14(2):181–187.

Corbett LW [1979]. Manufacture of petroleum asphalt. In: Hoiberg A, ed. Bituminous materials: asphalts, tars, and pitches. Vol. II. Asphalts. Huntington, NY: Krieger Publishing Company, pp. 81–122.

Exxon [1997]. Shift study of pulmonary function and symptoms in workers exposed to asphalt fumes. Final report submitted to Asphalt Industry Oversight Committee. East Millstone, NJ: Exxon Biomedical Sciences, Inc., Report No. 97TP31.

53 Fed. Reg. 21193 [1988]. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Proposed rules: asphalt fumes. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, Office of the Federal Register.

54 Fed. Reg. 2679 [1989]. Occupational Safety and Health Administration: air contaminants, final rule. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, Office of the Federal Register.

57 Fed. Reg. 26182 [1992]. Occupational Safety and Health Administration: proposed rules. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, Office of the Federal Register.

Franzen MR, Trumbore DC [2000]. Reduction of asphalt fumes in roofing kettles. Environ Sci Technol 34(12):2582–2586.

Freese and Nichols, Inc. [1994]. Specifications SW–1695 for Roswell Airport traffic control tower, Roswell Industrial Air Center. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Southwest Region. Fort Worth, TX: Freese and Nichols, Inc., Consulting Engineers.

Gamble JF, Nicolich MJ, Barone NJ, Vincent WJ [1999]. Exposure-response of asphalt fumes with changes in pulmonary function and symptoms. Scand J Work Environ Health 25(3):186–206.

Goppel JM, Knotnerus J [1955]. Fundamentals of bitumen blowing. In: Proceedings of the Fourth World Petroleum Congress, Section III/G, Paper 2, pp. 399–413.

Hatjian BA [1995]. Risk assessment of occupational exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [Dissertation]. Newcastle, United Kingdom: University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine. The British Library, British Thesis Service, Thesis No. DX186186.

Hatjian BA, Edwards JW, Williams FM, Harrison J, Blain PG [1997]. Risk assessment of occupational exposure to bitumen fumes in the road paving and roofing industries. J Occup Health Saf-Aust NZ 13(1):65–78.

Hervin RL, Emmett EA [1976]. Health hazard evaluation determination: Sellers and Marquis Roofing Company, A.J. Shirk Roofing Company, Western Roofing Company, and the Quality Roofing Company—A Joint Venture—Kansas City, MO. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Public Health Service, Center for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, NIOSH HHE No. 75–102–304.

Hicks JB [1995]. Asphalt industry cross-sectional exposure assessment study. Appl Occup Environ Hyg 10(10):840–848.

IARC [1985]. IARC monographs on the evaluation of the carcinogenic risk of chemicals to humans: polynuclear aromatic compounds. Part 4. Bitumens, coal tars, derived products, shale-oils, and soots. Vol. 35. Lyon, France: World Health Organization, International Agency for Research on Cancer, pp. 39–81.

King RW, Puzinauskas VP, Holdsworth CE [1984]. Asphalt composition and health effects: a critical review. Washington DC: American Petroleum Institute.

Moschopedis SE, Speight JG [1973]. Oxidation of petroleum fractions. Fuel 52:83.
NIOSH [1977]. Criteria for a recommended standard: occupational exposure to asphalt fumes. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Public Health Service, Center for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHEW (NIOSH) Publication No. 78–106, NTIS Publication No. PB–277–333.

NIOSH [1984]. NIOSH manual of analytical methods. 3rd ed. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 84–100.

NIOSH [1987a]. NIOSH guide to industrial respiratory protection. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 87–116.

NIOSH [1987b]. NIOSH respirator decision logic. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 87–108.

NIOSH [1988]. NIOSH testimony on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s proposed rule on air contaminants, August 1, 1988, OSHA Docket No. H–020. NIOSH policy statements. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

NIOSH [1996]. NIOSH guide to the selection and use of particulate respirators certified under 42 CFR 84. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 96–101.

NIOSH [2000]. NIOSH hazard review: health effects of occupational exposure to asphalt. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2001–110.

NRCA [1991]. Equiviscous temperature (EVT). Rosemont, IL: National Roofing Contractors Association, Bulletin 291, December.

NRCA [1996]. NRCA roofing and waterproofing manual. 4th ed. Rosemont, IL: National Roofing Contractors Association.

NRCA [2000]. NRCA 1999–2000 annual market survey. Rosemont, IL: National Roofing Contractors Association.

NSC [1996]. Fundamentals of industrial hygiene. 4th ed. Itasca, IL: National Safety Council, pp. 532–533.

Owens Corning [1993]. Technical report: effects on asphalt softening points of various time and temperature operating conditions. Toledo, OH: Owens Corning Fiberglas Corporation, Owens Corning/Trumbull Publication No. 1–TA–18343, May.

Owens Corning [2000]. Low fuming BURA asphalt. Paper presented by David Trumbore at the April 16, 2000, Asphalt Institute meeting, St. Louis, MO.

Petersen JC, Barbour FA, Dorrence SM [1975]. Identification of dicarboxylic anhydrides in oxidized asphalts. Anal Chem 47(1):107–111.

Puzinauskas VP [1979]. Emissions from asphalt roofing kettles. College Park, MD: The Asphalt Institute, Research Report No. 79–2.

Reed LD [1983]. Health hazard evaluation report: Anchor Hocking Glass Company, roofing site, Lancaster, OH. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, NIOSH HETA No. 82–067–1253, NTIS No. PB–84–173–046/A02.

Roberts FL, Kandhal PS, Brown ER, Lee D-Y, Kennedy TW [1996]. Hot mix asphalt materials, mixture design and construction. 2nd ed. Lanham, MD: NAPA Research and Education Foundation.

Sax NI, Lewis RJ [1987]. Hawley’s condensed chemical dictionary. 11th ed. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Co.

Schneider S, Susi P [1993]. An investigation of health hazards on a new construction project. Final report. Washington, DC: The Center to Protect Workers’ Rights.

Speight JG [1992]. Asphalt. In: Kroschwitz JL, Howe-Grant M, eds. Kirk-Othmer encyclopedia of chemical technology. 4th ed. Vol. 3. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., pp. 689–724.

Susi P, Schneider S [1995]. Chemical exposures on a new construction site. Appl Occup Environ Hyg 10(2):100–103.

Tharr DG [1982]. Health hazard evaluation report: roofing sites, Rochester and Buffalo, New York. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, NIOSH HETA No. 81–432–1105, NTIS No. PB–84–141–860/A02.

Trumbore D [2000]. Low-fuming built-up roofing asphalt. Presented at National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Workshop to Suggest National Priorities for Asphalt Roofing and Paving Fumes Health Effects and Exposure Reduction Research, Cincinnati, OH, September 11–12, 2000.

Wolff MS, Herbert R, Marcus M, Rivera M, Landrigan PJ [1989]. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) residues on skin in relation to air levels among roofers. Arch Environ Health 44(3):157–163.

Zey JN, Reed LD, Liss G [1988]. Health hazard evaluation report: roofing construction, Houston, Texas. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, NIOSH No. 83–210–1887.




 
 
NIOSH Home | NIOSH Search | Site Index | Topic List | Contact Us