NIOSH lists inhalation, skin absorption, skin, and eye contact routes for asphalt fumes and reports eye and respiratory irritation with a potential occupational carcinogen designation; target organs are eyes and respiratory system.
Source: html ↗ · saved source
Symptoms and target organs · 1Exposure Routes: inhalation, skin absorption, skin and/or eye contact. Symptoms: irritation eyes, respiratory system; [potential occupational carcinogen]. Target Organs: Eyes, respiratory system.
HSE states that hot bitumen can cause throat and eye irritation from vapours, skin irritation or dermatitis, and burns, particularly where ventilation is poor or larger quantities are moved.
Source: pdf ↗ · saved source
page 57 · Bitumen and asphalt · 2Hot bitumen can create a number of health issues. These include: throat and eye irritation from the vapours; skin irritation/dermatitis; and burns.
NIOSH concludes that evidence is insufficient to associate paving-asphalt exposure with lung cancer, while the collective evidence is sufficient to classify roofing-asphalt fumes as a potential occupational carcinogen; it also recommends controlling asphalt-fume particulates to no more than 5 mg/m3 during any 15-minute period.
Source: html ↗ · saved source
Asphalt Fumes · 1Occupational exposure to asphalt fumes shall be controlled so that employees are not exposed to the airborne particulates at a concentration greater than 5 mg/m3, determined during any 15-minute period. ... NIOSH concludes that the collective data currently available from studies on paving asphalt provide insufficient evidence for an association between lung cancer and exposure to asphalt during paving. ... The collective health and exposure data provide sufficient evidence for NIOSH to conclude that roofing asphalt fumes are a potential occupational carcinogen.