Prevention of Health Risks to Personnel Due to Exposure to Chemical Contaminants Produced by Asphalt in the Joint Sealing Process

Resumen

Two tests (pre and post test) were carried out in order to monitor chemical agents such as inhalable dust, benzene and gases (SO2, CO2, CO and O2), derived from asphalt in the process of sealing joints. The results of the investigation show the decrease in particulate matter (inhalable dust) from 0.67% to 0.007% in the inhalable dust post test. While the values ​​for benzene were of a concentration of 0.000071ppm and 0.0000352ppm for both pre and post test, being values ​​below 0.000227ppm. Finally, the concentration of gases present in the work environment of the preparation of the asphalt mixture, a decrease in SO2 concentration was found from 123.75% to 21.25% in the post test, for CO it had a decrease of 296% at 100% in the post test, that is, the maximum permissible limit was reached, while for CO2 it decreased from 20.5% to 3.5% in the post test, and finally for O2 the values ​​remained at 20%.