Emissions from asphalt are a significant source of air pollutants in cities, especially in hot weather, a study shows.
Researchers found that when asphalt was exposed to hot summer conditions it resulted in a 300% increase in emissions of secondary organic aerosols (SOA), an air pollutant known to have significant impacts on public health.
Researchers from Yale University, Carnegie Mellon University and the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry collected asphalt, found commonly in roads, roofs and driveways, and heated it to between 40C and 200C in a tube furnace.