Emission Characteristics, Environmental Impacts, and Health Risks of Volatile Organic Compounds from Asphalt Materials: A State-of-the-Art Review

The emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from asphalt during construction processes presents substantial risks to human health and the environment. To advance sustainable transportation development, this review offers a comprehensive study of the methods for characterization, release characteristics, influencing factors, release mechanisms, and environmental impacts of asphalt VOCs. At present, research has been conducted on characterization methods, component characteristics, influencing factors, and environmental and health risks. The findings indicate that gas chromatography–mass spectrometry is the most comprehensive method for characterizing asphalt VOCs. Asphalt VOCs mainly comprise alkanes, aromatics, and aliphatic hydrocarbons. Factors including the temperature, asphalt source, and ultraviolet radiation can all affect the release characteristics of asphalt VOCs. Elevated VOC levels contribute to the photochemical production of ozone and fine particulate matter, exacerbating air pollution and climate change. Additionally, specific asphalt VOCs, including benzene and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pose health risks to humans. While progress has been achieved in the current research, challenges persist in quantifying VOCs, assessing their environmental impacts and health risks, and implementing effective mitigation technologies. To address these challenges, future research should focus on establishing asphalt VOC fingerprints, quantitative methods, evaluation criteria, material innovation, optimization of construction processes, exposure assessment, and collaborative solution implementation.