Are asphalt roads polluting?

This coating is a mixture of mineral aggregates bound by bitumen from the distillation of petroleum

Until then, it was thought that asphalt presented a potential danger only during installation, the fumes from hot bitumen could then affect workers, since it contains dozens of proven carcinogenic compounds, including PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons). . But, in 2020, American studies showed that asphalt subjected to solar radiation causes degradation of bitumen polymers. Toxic products washed away by the rain can then pollute the surrounding soils. The solution would be to use treated bitumens, so that they are free of these PAHs.