The chemical complexity of emissions from
bitumen applications is a challenge in the assessment of
exposure. Personal sampling of vapours and aerosols of
bitumen was organized in 320 bitumen-exposed workers
and 69 non-exposed construction workers during
2001–2008. Area sampling was conducted at 44 construction
sites. Area and personal sampling of vapours and
aerosols of bitumen showed similar concentrations between
5 and 10 mg/m3
, while area sampling yielded higher concentrations
above the former occupational exposure limit
(OEL) of 10 mg/m3
. The median concentration of personal
bitumen exposure was 3.46 mg/m3 (inter-quartile range
1.80–5.90 mg/m3
). Only few workers were exposed above
the former OEL. The specificity of the method measuring
C–H stretch vibration is limited. This accounts for a
median background level of 0.20 mg/m3 in non-exposed
workers which is likely due to ubiquitous aliphatic
hydrocarbons. Further, area measurements of polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were taken at 25 construction sites. U.S. EPA PAHs were determined with GC/MS,
with the result of a median concentration of 2.47 lg/m3
at 15 mastic asphalt worksites associated with vapours
and aerosols of bitumen, with a Spearman correlation
coefficient of 0.45 (95% CI -0.13 to 0.78). PAH exposure
at mastic-asphalt works was higher than at reference
worksites (median 0.21 lg/m3
), but about one order of
magnitude lower compared to coke-oven works. For a
comparison of concentrations of vapours and aerosols of
bitumen and PAHs in asphalt works, differences in sampling
and analytical methods must to be taken into account.