Elham Fini Archives - Engineering News

KJZZ News-Phoenix (NPR)

Pavement is everywhere in Phoenix. This ASU researcher says it’s off-gassing chemicals in the heat

July 12, 2026

Pavement is everywhere in Phoenix. This ASU researcher says it’s off-gassing chemicals in the heat

KJZZ News-Phoenix (NPR)

The Phoenix metro area continues to see expanding urban growth that results in more land being covered by pavement for highways, roads, sidewalks and other public spaces. That is raising concerns about the increasing use of pavement materials that emit gasses into the atmosphere that can threaten human health. Elham Fini, an associate professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, whose research focuses on sustainable construction, bio-based and bio-inspired materials, adhesives and sealants for use in construction, as well as surface and interface characterization, talks about why it’s increasingly critical to address the impacts of this off-gassing and accelerate the search for solutions to the problem.

Environmental ProtectionHealth RisksPavement EmissionsSchool of Sustainable Engineering and the Buil Environment

National Public Radio