Prediction and quantification of occupational health risk in road construction workers exposed to asphalt emissions

Abstract

Asphalt emissions, which are released during asphalt pavement construction, pose adverse health effects on construction workers. While previous studies have primarily focused on post hoc health risk assessments, limited research has aimed to predict occupational health risk in advance, a crucial step in providing mitigation recommendations for workers before they begin their tasks. This study endeavors to develop a predictive model for evaluating occupational health risk arising from exposure to asphalt emissions in road construction. The model is grounded in a validated Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation approach and accounts for the influence of on-site mitigation measures. Our findings demonstrate that paver operators face the highest health risks, followed by screedmen and rakers. Additionally, engineering controls hold the most significant weight in preventing on-site health risk (weighted at 0.5396), followed by administrative actions (weighted at 0.2970), and personal protective equipment (weighted at 0.1634). Moreover, a decrease in the emission source temperature and an increase in ventilation conditions on-site can reduce the value of workers' health risk. Overall, the model developed in this study can be adapted for diverse construction projects, providing a real-time framework to assess and implement mitigation measures in advance.