Assessment of the air quality in some Egyptian asphalt laboratories

Indoor air pollution studies have became the focus of increasing regulatory public and research concerns due to the negative impact of their components on the human health and the environment. In the field of road construction, laboratory personnel are exposed to different types of air pollutants; Foremost of which are the asphalt vapours, fumes and dust that have a negative effect on their health. The aim of this research is to monitor the indoor air quality and working conditions in some asphalt laboratories in an attempt to obtain baseline information that would be helpful for future conservation programs; this is because Egypt lacks any database regarding the air quality in the asphalt laboratories. To achieve this objective, the High Performance Liquid Chromatography technique (HPLC), the portable ambient air analyzer as well as the solid particulate and sound intensity meters were all used to assess the air pollution environment in two different road construction laboratories. The study showed that the level of benzene, sulphur dioxide, xylene and solid particulate were above the Egyptian acceptable limits. Furthermore, Polyaromatic hydrocarbons PAHs exceeded the International Standard Limits.