Environmental impact of asphalt concrete plants on industrial areas via criteria-based method assessing

The study addresses the environmental risks posed by asphalt concrete plants operating in industrial zones, focusing on their impact on air, soil, and water resources. The objective was to develop and test an integrated criteria-based methodology for assessing such impacts. Three asphalt concrete plants with different production capacities and gas-cleaning efficiencies were selected as the research objects. The methodology included sequential evaluation in five areas: territorial impact, geological conditions, atmospheric emissions, soil degradation, and water pollution. Data collection involved satellite imagery, cadastral surveys, laboratory analyses of air and soil samples, and field observations. The results show that plants with higher production capacity generate significantly greater environmental loads, with CO2 and NOx emissions exceeding permissible levels, and with notable soil degradation and risks to hydrogeological stability. The discussion highlights that upgrading gas-cleaning units, implementing continuous water quality monitoring, and restoring disturbed soils are essential to mitigate the negative impacts. The proposed methodology proved effective for comprehensive environmental risk assessment and can be applied to other industrial facilities with similar environmental profiles.