Road Surface Wear
Pot holes are more than a nuisance; they are a health hazard.
Road surface wear particles are produced as a result of the shear forces produced by the relative movement of surfaces during the interaction between the road surface and a vehicle’s tyre. Within Europe, concrete and asphalt-based road surface materials are commonly used. Concrete surfaces are comprised of sand, cement and small rocks/stones. Asphalt is a mixture of sand, mineral aggregates, filler and bitumen binder. Additives such as adhesives and polymers are also added. Bitumen is a non-volatile residue created from oil distillation with a highly complex composition. These adhesives, binders and polymers are thought to contribute to the carcinogenic compounds detected in road surface material. Organic compounds such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and metals such as calcium, aluminium, iron, potassium, zinc, vanadium, nickel and chromium have all been found in road surface wear particles. Debris from the wear of road surface paint can also elevate atmospheric particulate concentrations of heavy metals such as chromium and lead. Research carried out inside a motorway tunnel in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, UK has estimated that road surface wear contributes 11% to the total particle concentrations (For more information see Research).
Increased road surface wear is caused by low temperatures which make the road material brittle. Also, the use of studded tyres used in the Nordic countries, northern parts of the USA, Japan, and Canada significantly increase road surface wear particle concentrations.
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