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<p>Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from asphalt pavements contribute to urban air pollution and represent a persistent source of human and ecological toxicity. Most mitigation strategies have focused on reducing total VOC (TVOC) emissions; however, the overall toxicity of asphalt emissions is often dominated by a small subset of chemically reactive and biologically active compounds. Here we demonstrate that biomass-derived biochar can selectively remove the most toxic VOC species, resulting in toxicity reductions that are disproportionately greater than reductions in total VOC emissions. Using an integrated framework combining density functional theory (DFT) modeling and zebrafish embryo toxicity assays, we evaluated interactions between representative asphalt VOC mixtures and algae- and wood-derived biochars. The representative VOC mixtures were selected based on major compound classes previously identified in GC-MS analyses of asphalt emissions. Molecular simulations show that polar VOCs interact strongly with functionalized biochar surfaces through hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interactions, and π–π stacking, promoting preferential adsorption. Consistent with prior experimental observations, the DFT and toxicity results support the selective removal of polar VOCs from asphalt-related mixtures. Toxicity assays further revealed that this selective adsorption leads to approximately two orders of magnitude (~ 100-fold) reduction in biological toxicity, which is substantially greater than the corresponding reduction in total VOC concentrations. These results demonstrate that VOC composition and the selective removal of highly toxic compounds can be as important as, or more important than, reducing total emissions. Beyond emission mitigation, incorporating biochar into pavement materials offers additional co-benefits, including biomass waste upcycling, long-term carbon sequestration in roadway infrastructure, and improved pavement performance reported in prior studies. Together, these findings highlight biochar-enabled asphalt technologies as a promising pathway toward cleaner urban air, improved public health, and more sustainable low-carbon transportation infrastructure.</p> Graphic Abstract <p></p>

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Selective removal of toxic VOCs by algae-derived biochar dramatically reduces the toxicity of asphalt emissions

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月21日

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  • Elham H. Fini,
  • Farideh Pahlavan,
  • Harpreet Kaur,
  • Lisa Truong,
  • Laura K. G. Ackerman-Biegasiewicz,
  • Anthony Lamanna,
  • Bruce D. Johnson,
  • Robyn Leigh Tanguay

摘要

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from asphalt pavements contribute to urban air pollution and represent a persistent source of human and ecological toxicity. Most mitigation strategies have focused on reducing total VOC (TVOC) emissions; however, the overall toxicity of asphalt emissions is often dominated by a small subset of chemically reactive and biologically active compounds. Here we demonstrate that biomass-derived biochar can selectively remove the most toxic VOC species, resulting in toxicity reductions that are disproportionately greater than reductions in total VOC emissions. Using an integrated framework combining density functional theory (DFT) modeling and zebrafish embryo toxicity assays, we evaluated interactions between representative asphalt VOC mixtures and algae- and wood-derived biochars. The representative VOC mixtures were selected based on major compound classes previously identified in GC-MS analyses of asphalt emissions. Molecular simulations show that polar VOCs interact strongly with functionalized biochar surfaces through hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interactions, and π–π stacking, promoting preferential adsorption. Consistent with prior experimental observations, the DFT and toxicity results support the selective removal of polar VOCs from asphalt-related mixtures. Toxicity assays further revealed that this selective adsorption leads to approximately two orders of magnitude (~ 100-fold) reduction in biological toxicity, which is substantially greater than the corresponding reduction in total VOC concentrations. These results demonstrate that VOC composition and the selective removal of highly toxic compounds can be as important as, or more important than, reducing total emissions. Beyond emission mitigation, incorporating biochar into pavement materials offers additional co-benefits, including biomass waste upcycling, long-term carbon sequestration in roadway infrastructure, and improved pavement performance reported in prior studies. Together, these findings highlight biochar-enabled asphalt technologies as a promising pathway toward cleaner urban air, improved public health, and more sustainable low-carbon transportation infrastructure.

Graphic Abstract