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Maine Alliance for Road Associations

Health hazards of reclaimed asphalt

  • 23 Feb 2014 2:07 PM
    Message # 1504125

    We maintain many of our roads with a mixture of reclaimed asphalt, sand and gravel which is applied and then rolled.  We find that it lasts longer than dirt/gravel and over time has created a compact road bed, especially in areas that get a lot of sun.

    It is slightly less dusty than dirt/gravel, but still creates dust when the roads are dry for long periods. One of the members of our association is claiming that recycled asphalt particles in the dust is a major health hazard. He has downloaded Material Safety Data Sheets from various companies that, he says, support his claim. The data sheets are from companies whose employees are exposed on a daily basis so I don't know how relevant that is to our situation.

    Anyone have any experience in this area?

    Deb

     

     

     

     

  • 27 Feb 2014 11:48 AM
    Reply # 1507177 on 1504125
    Does he have any research that supports this? I've seen that inhaling the fumes is bad, but not anything about use in roads. 

    He may be thinking of asbestos. It is a hazardous substance and would not be covered without an insurance rider but is not normally used in roads that I know of. If it were, there could be serious cleanup issues especially as the road surface wears and breaks down.  
    Last modified: 28 Feb 2014 7:17 AM | Anonymous member

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