Impact of Oxidation Process on Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) Content in Bitumen

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of the oxidation process on the concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in blown bitumen and identified some key contributing parameters. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's PAH list was used for this study. PAHs are considered a good toxicological marker, and measurement of PAHs in bitumen can be performed easily. The results of PAH content in blown bitumen and the corresponding feedstock was determined from the limit of detection up to 120 mg/kg for 24 samples. Compared to PAH levels in coal tar pitch, PAH levels in bitumen are very low. Measurements were performed by three laboratories using different methods to allow robust conclusions. The results highlight the difficulties in measuring PAHs in bitumen with accuracy for values below 30 mg/kg; therefore the discussion is based on summary statistics by adding concentrations of PAHs with common ring sizes. Incorporation of flux oil in the feed of the blowing bitumen unit tends to increase PAH content in feed stock and in blown bitumen, particularly the 4- to 6-ring PAHs, which are the most carcinogenic as identified by an animal skin painting test. The amount of PAH content from blown bitumen with flux oil can be at least three times higher than the amount in blown bitumen without flux oil, depending on the quality and quantity of the flux oil used. This study shows that the blowing process does not produce PAHs in bitumen. Conversely, it appears to reduce them in the final product. Close to 10 to 30% of PAHs are probably stripped from the liquid phase of bitumen during the blowing operation.

Keywords:

• bitumen
• blown bitumen
• oxidation process
• polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We thank TOTAL Refining & Chemicals and TOTAL Supply Marketing for the bitumen samples and their support of our work. We acknowledge the constructive comments of many colleagues. The comments of several anonymous reviewers were useful and improved the focus and clarity of the manuscript.

[Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene for the following free supplemental resource: TABLE SI containing summary statistics for bitumen samples when concentrations of PAHs with common ring sizes are added.]