Environmental Benefits
Why is U.S. Cold Patch better for the environment?
Two reasons: it contains 60+% recycled material and no dangerous petroleum solvents.
U.S. Cold Patch is made mostly from recycled asphalt pavement that has been diverted from the solid waste stream. In addition, this product contains none of the hazardous petroleum solvents that are used in the manufacture of traditional cold or "cutback" asphalt. These solvents, which include gasoline, kerosene, and naphtha, contain VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and HAPs (hazardous air pollutants). VOCs are a group of pollutants that combine with nitrogen oxides in the presence of sunlight to form ozone. To reduce smog formation, many regional governments ban the use of cutback asphalt during the ozone season, typically spring to fall. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports: "Cutback asphalt has the highest diluent content of the three asphalt categories [hot asphalt, emulsified asphalt, and cutback asphalt] and, as a result, emits the highest levels of VOCs per ton used."*
Among the hazardous pollutants emitted from cutback asphalt of most concern to the EPA are toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes. Independent testing confirms that U.S. Cold Patch contains none of these HAPs. Testing also confirms that the volatile petroleum hydrocarbon (VPH) content of U.S. Cold Patch is 2.6 to 25 percent that of competitive brands.
* STAPPA-ALAPCO-EPA Emission Inventory Improvement Program , Vol. 3, Chapt. 17, Asphalt Paving, January 2001Why is U.S. Cold Patch safer than cutback asphalt?
Safety concerns for road repair workers include exposure to asphalt fumes and to the petroleum diluents commonly found in cutback asphalt. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reports: "Observations of acute irritation in workers from airborne and dermal exposures to asphalt fumes and aerosols and the potential for chronic health effects, including cancer, warrant continued diligence in the control of exposures."** The NIOSH also notes that the petroleum distillates added to cutback asphalt dry the skin, weakening its protective barrier and facilitating the entry of various noxious compounds into the body. In addition, petroleum distillates expose road workers to a number of dangerous compounds, including naphthalene, which is commonly found in cutback asphalt. Independent tests confirm that U.S. Cold Patch contains no naphthalene.
Finally, U.S.Cold Patch is mixed cold, thus limiting the release of asphalt vapors at the manufacturing plants.
** DHHS (NIOSH) Publication no. 2001-110
