To enhance the working conditions for laborers, a company in Russia has launched a strawberry-scented asphalt product and conducted a trial.
A company in the Leningrad region of Russia recently tested strawberry-scented asphalt on a short road section to evaluate its effectiveness in reducing unpleasant odors that arise during daily work on the roads.
Hot asphalt, applied to newly constructed roads or used to fill repair spots, is often considered one of the most terrible smells in the world. However, this issue is being addressed as several companies have begun researching products to improve the odor of asphalt.
The strawberry scent does not affect the quality of the asphalt. (Illustrative image).
Following a Polish company’s introduction of floral-scented asphalt to improve workers’ comfort, a Russian company successfully launched strawberry-scented asphalt, which was used on a 700-meter stretch of road.
“Many people cannot tolerate the bitumen smell when it is heated and laid on the road during repairs, so they decided to try the new product,” reported Interfax.
On June 30, a 700-meter section of road in the Vsevolozhsk district of the Leningrad region was paved with strawberry-scented asphalt. This road is part of Russia’s high-quality safety road project. Approximately 300 tons of strawberry-scented asphalt were produced for the trial project.
It is currently unclear how successful the new asphalt will be and how long the strawberry scent will last on the road surface. The manufacturing contractor asserts that the strawberry scent does not affect the quality of the asphalt.
Asphalt is a viscous liquid or semi-solid that is black in color and is present in most crude oils and some natural deposits. The primary component of asphalt is bitumen.
Asphalt is usually processed at temperatures above 1,000 degrees Celsius, posing a primary risk of burns upon contact with human skin. However, some types of asphalt can also be harmful to health if the product’s fumes are inhaled or if it comes into contact with the skin, even at low temperatures.
Research conducted by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organization (WHO), concludes that asphalt has been widely used for many years, and there is no direct evidence linking it to skin disorders in humans. However, the components of asphalt contain polycyclic compounds, some of which have been shown to be carcinogenic through animal studies. Therefore, caution is advised to avoid prolonged skin contact with asphalt.
