Asphalt setzt giftige Verbindungen in der Luft frei, die die Gesundheit der Atemwege und neurologische Schäden schädigen und das langfristige Krankheitsrisiko erhöhen können, insbesondere bei alternden Gehwegen und Hitze/Sonne. Mit Algen angereicherter Asphalt kann die Toxizität um das Hundertfache reduzieren und den Abbau der Fahrbahn verlangsamen

>Two studies in the Journal of Hazardous Materials and Science of the Total Environment shed light on how the compounds that give asphalt its trademark scent change after sunset and form ultrafine particles, which can worsen air quality.
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>These carbon-based vapors are continuously released but become more noticeable on hot, sunny days. They can cause dizziness and difficulty breathing in the short term.
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>Long-term exposure also can elevate the risk of lung cancer, a major concern for construction workers who regularly breathe these fumes without a respirator.
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>**Aging pavement emits toxic vapors**
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>And the impacts could get worse as pavement ages.
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>Research from Fini and others shows that asphalt begins releasing different, more toxic strains of VOC as bitumen breaks down in sunlight and heat. 
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>These toxic, often odorless VOCs are small enough to work their way into arteries and organs. 
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>Tests and a modeling analysis also suggest that they can cause significant neurological damage in humans, particularly among women and the elderly. 
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>“Heat is worsening the situation,” Fini said. “It’s exacerbating the emissions from asphalt.”

>**Algae can capture the worst VOCs**
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>A study in the journal Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy found that while algae-infused asphalt doesn’t significantly reduce total VOC emissions, it can effectively keep the most toxic compounds from escaping. 
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>In fact, tests showed that it reduced the toxicity of asphalt emissions by roughly 100-fold.
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>Algae can slow how quickly pavement breaks down — which could lower construction and maintenance costs and make its inclusion in asphalt even more attractive for cities and paving companies.
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>Fini is exploring other binder options, including a product made from the leftover branches of forest-thinning projects, and working with Phoenix to pave a section of road with algae-infused asphalt. 

[VOC emissions from asphalt: Laboratory oxidation, ultrafine particle formation, and urban air quality implications – ScienceDirect](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304389426006916)

[Humidity: A hidden driver of toxic emissions and asphalt decay in a changing climate – ScienceDirect](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969726003931?dgcid=author)

There is a truth no one can deny

Fossil fuels are a poison to all life on Earth. We pump this poison into the places we live.

Our breathable atmosphere is a scant 5 miles thick envelope around our planet, yet we continue to pump the combustion byproducts of this poison into the air we breathe.

People will work about the synthetic chemicals in sunscreen and lotion, but completely ignore the problem that’s 1000x bigger and impacts them way more. 

Anyway, gotta take my giant 4×4 suv to target so that I can buy ‚organic‘ sunscreen and lotion. 

Yeah well not much I can do about that

I mean we’ve all smelled it,  it smells like it’s doing neurological damage

I worked as an asphalt plant inspector for a few years, part of my job every morning was opening the storage tanks and verifying the temperature and quantity being held there. Every morning, and every evening on every tank. I took that blast right to the face. I didn’t have a respirator, just glasses and gloves. We started using a polymer blended oil, which made it like rubber. Took my breath away on some days and I had to sit on the tank until I wasn’t dizzy so I could climb down the ladders avoiding the hot pipes.

Many of the old timers that did the job didn’t actually make it to being old. One was like my work dad who always made sure the young people on site were looking after themselves. I visited him in the hospital when he was dying in his 60s. I’m happy I got out of that trade when Covid hit.

If it was not for the cost, I would be more surprised people do not select steel for a 100+ year roof. Asphalt is cheaper and is replaced every twenty years and costs a shitload more in the long run – unfortunately. And here we are, reaping those super fun disease benefits.

algae has significant potential in making safer materials and energy production, hopefully a major research group or corporation will conduct fruitful studies

Anyone want to tell Reddit about artificial grass while we’re at it?

Right up there with carpet layers and bad knees… how do you avoid this if you’re in paving…

„reduce toxicity by up to 100 times“? What does that mean? Is that saying there is 1/100 the amount of toxins in algae-infused asphalt?

The use of „X times less“, and variants therein, is such poor mathematical grammar.

when I was a kid they would re tar the roof of our school during school hours and I’d always get a splitting headache and feel like I want to throw up – this makes a lot of sense.

This comes after the current EPA made statements (in February 2026) about how most (80%) of the ozone pollution comes from out of state wildfires and international sources like Mexico and S.E. Asia. With the end result being wanting to roll back standards for air pollution.

As VOCs are known to create ozone pollution clearly the findings from the ASU article should be taken into serious consideration when it comes to pollution standards for the state. I know that this is anecdotal and not completely scientific, but on hot, still days the ozone pollution goes up (pretty much in line with what the article states regarding the breakdown of asphalt) while on days after a day of strong winds that might move significant amounts of air from outside the state the ozone doesn’t seem to go particularly go up, but the particulate matter does.

Whatever they use to spray seal parking lots (also gives a fresh dark look too), always has smelled like death to me.

I’d be curious to know how dangerous the spray sealant is too.

this is just big algae propaganda 

car dependency strikes again… when will america wake up and realize the car you’re forced to drive to do anything supports the poisoning of our children on a massive scale

it’s a choice we can make to build out alternative travel options that are more efficient and healthier for us and the environment

Have I become dumb from too much internet or is it not mathematically impossible toreduce something by 100 times

In a completely unrelated story, the PI has founded a startup for algae-infused asphalt manufacturing…

Lately I’ve just been feeling so overwhelmed. I thought the things around me were going to be non-toxic, not only because many claim to be but because I assumed the FDA would regulate harmful chemicals.

Now I’ve learned my eyeliner contains potential endocrine disruptors, my plant-based, „natural“ shampoo uses an endocrine disruptor in the fragrance. Receipts from the store are coated in BPA. My freaking bedsheets contain Phthalates and Formaldehyde. My clothes are shedding plastics and may be coated in carcinogens.

And it’s not like I didn’t care before. I was buying vegan, cruelty-free certified and „eco-friendly“ products made from recycled plastics to help animals and the environment. I was still harming myself and the planet.

I’ve started the very time-consuming (and expensive) process of trying to research and replace stuff and now my „healthy“ habit of taking outdoor walks is exposing me asphalt??

At some point, something should have been done to protect consumers.