![]() ![]() Asbestos-cement slate was mainly produced by the wet process, which results in a relatively low level of asbestos exposure. In the 1970s, most of the asbestos imports were used for asbestos-cement slate, and it is estimated that 96% of the asbestos in Korea was used for asbestos-cement slate manufacturing. In Korea, as part of the Saemaul Undong (New Village Movement), the Korean government led a project to improve the roofs in rural areas in the late 1960s, and extensively distributed asbestos-cement slate as a roofing material. However, as the risk of asbestos-related diseases (ARDs) such as asbestosis, lung cancer (LC), and malignant mesothelioma (MM) was recognized, the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) was revised in February 2009, and subsequently, the import, distribution, and use of asbestos were completely prohibited.Īsbestos-cement slate roofs are produced by adding 10–20% chrysotile to 80–90% cement ( Figure 1). In Korea, 145,533 tons of asbestos were produced at asbestos mines such as the Gwangcheon asbestos mine located in Hongseong, Chungcheongnam-do, and it is estimated that a total of 1,697,477 tons of asbestos have been imported and used since 1976. ![]() As per the legal definition in European countries, asbestos is made up of fibers with a length >5 µm, width <3 µm, and more than 3:1 aspect ratio. For this reason, it has been used worldwide in various industries such as construction materials (e.g., cement roofing sheets, plumbing, and ceiling materials), automobile products (e.g., brake linings), and textile products. More studies on asbestos exposure scenarios and the scope of similar exposure groups through additional data collection and further analysis of risk are needed.Īsbestos is a natural fibrous silicate mineral belonging to the group of serpentine and amphibole minerals, and has unique advantages such as low price, flexibility, non-flammability, insulation, acid, and alkali resistance. Since there is no threshold for carcinogenicity related to asbestos, this should not be ignored even if the risk appears low, and it would be reasonable to calculate the carcinogenic risk based on total lifetime exposure. In addition, the ELCR of asbestos-cement slate related indoor exposure and occupational dismantling and demolition was found to be of medium risk, and the ELCR of residential dismantling and demolition of asbestos-cement slate was less than 10 −6, indicating that the risk was low. As a result, the representative value of the indoor exposure concentration related to asbestos-cement slate was found to be 0.0032 f/cc on average, and the representative value of the exposure related to occupational asbestos-cement slate dismantling and demolition was found to be 0.0034 f/cc. The results derived from the pooled analysis were combined with the data from a health impact survey conducted from 2009 to 2016 at the Environmental Health Center for Asbestos (EHCA) of the Yangsan Pusan National University Hospital, and a carcinogenic risk assessment was performed. Finally, eight studies were selected, and a pooled analysis was performed. We reviewed previous Korean literature to estimate the concentration of airborne asbestos from asbestos-cement slate roofed buildings. ![]() This study was performed to evaluate cumulative asbestos exposure levels and to calculate the Excess Lifetime Cancer Risk (ELCR) of residents of asbestos-cement slate-roofed houses. However, few studies have examined residential asbestos-cement slate-related exposure and its effects on human health. Asbestos-cement slate roofs are one of the most common environmental causes of asbestos exposure. ![]()
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