Genotoxic effects of fumes from asphalt modified with waste plastic and tall oil pitch

• Published in: Mutation research Vol. 653; no. 1; pp. 82 - 90
• Main Authors: Lindberg, Hanna K., Väänänen, Virpi, Järventaus, Hilkka, Suhonen, Satu, Nygren, Jonas, Hämeilä, Mervi, Valtonen, Jarkko, Heikkilä, Pirjo, Norppa, Hannu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 31.05.2008; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Air Pollutants, Occupational - adverse effects; Air Pollutants, Occupational - analysis; Biological and medical sciences; Biotransformation - drug effects; Bitumen; Buccal cells; Cell Line; Cohort Studies; Comet assay; Conservation of Natural Resources; DNA Damage - drug effects; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetics of eukaryotes. Biological and molecular evolution; Humans; Hydrocarbons - adverse effects; Hydrocarbons - analysis; Lymphocytes - metabolism; Male; Medical sciences; Micronuclei, Chromosome-Defective - chemically induced; Micronucleus; Micronucleus Tests - methods; Middle Aged; Mouth Mucosa - metabolism; Mutagenicity; Mutagens - adverse effects; Mutagens - analysis; Occupational Exposure - adverse effects; Occupational Exposure - analysis; Plastics - adverse effects; Plastics - analysis; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons - adverse effects; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons - analysis; Road paving; Salmonella typhimurium; Salmonella typhimurium - genetics; Toxicology; Mutagenicity; Road paving; Comet assay; Micronucleus; Bitumen; Buccal cells; Asphalt; Toxicology; Oil; Toxicity; Bitumen;Buccal cells;Comet assay;Micronucleus;Mutagenicity;Road paving; Genotoxicity; Genetics; Fumes
• ISSN: 1383-5718; 0027-5107; 1879-3592
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mrgentox.2008.03.009

As the use of recycled materials and industrial by-products in asphalt mixtures is increasing, we investigated if recycled additives modify the genotoxicity of fumes emitted from asphalt. Fumes were generated in the laboratory at paving temperature from stone-mastic asphalt (SMA) and from SMA modified with waste plastic (90% polyethylene, 10% polypropylene) and tall oil pitch (SMA–WPT). In addition, fumes from SMA, SMA–WPT, asphalt concrete (AC), and AC modified with waste plastic and tall oil pitch (AC–WPT) were collected at paving sites. The genotoxicity of the fumes was studied by analysis of DNA damage (measured in the comet assay) and micronucleus formation in human bronchial epithelial BEAS 2B cells in vitro and by counting mutations in Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98 and YG1024. DNA damage was also assessed in buccal leukocytes from road pavers before and after working with SMA, SMA–WPT, AC, and AC–WPT. The chemical composition of the emissions was analysed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The SMA–WPT fume generated in the laboratory induced a clear increase in DNA damage in BEAS 2B cells without metabolic activation. The laboratory-generated SMA fume increased the frequency of micronucleated BEAS 2B cells without metabolic activation. None of the asphalt fumes collected at the paving sites produced DNA damage with or without metabolic activation. Fumes from SMA and SMA–WPT from the paving sites increased micronucleus frequency without metabolic activation. None of the asphalt fumes studied showed mutagenic activity in Salmonella. No statistically significant differences in DNA damage in buccal leukocytes were detected between the pre- and post-shift samples collected from the road pavers. However, a positive correlation was found between DNA damage and the urinary metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) after work shift, which suggested an association between occupational exposures during road paving and genotoxic effects. Our results indicate that fumes from SMA and SMA–WPT contain direct-acting genotoxic components.