Airborne Asbestos Fiber Concentration in Korean Asbestos-Related Industry from 1994 to 2006

1994년부터 2006년까지 한국 석면취급 사업장의 석면 노출농도

  • Yi, Gwangyong (Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute, KOSHA) ;
  • Shin, Yong Chul (Department of Occupational Health & Safety Engineering, Inje University) ;
  • Yoon, Chungsik (Shool of Public Health, Seoul National University) ;
  • Park, Dooyong (Department of Mechanical System Engineering, Hansung University)
  • 이광용 (한국산업안전보건공단 산업안전보건연구원) ;
  • 신용철 (인제대학교 보건안전공학과) ;
  • 윤충식 (서울대학교 보건대학원 환경보건학과) ;
  • 박두용 (한성대학교 기계시스템공학과)
  • Published : 2013.06.30

Abstract

Objectives: This paper was prepapred to report airborne asbestos fiber concentrations in asbestos textile, brake-lining, commutator, and building materials manufacturing industries, and some other asbestos related industries in Korea from 1994 to 2006. Methods: Airborne asbestos data that have been sampled and analyzed in the above industries during 1994-2006 were collected. These data were reviewed to scrutinize the qualified data based on the records such as sampling and analyzed method and quality control procedures. All asbestos data were generated using the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH) Method 7400. Results: Average concentration of asbestos fiber was 2.14 fibers/cc(0.02-15.6 fibers/cc) in the asbestos textile industry, 0.26 fibers/cc(0.01-1.01 fibers/cc) in the building-materials industry, 0.15 fibers/cc(0.01-0.93 fibers/cc) in the brake-lining manufacturing industry, and 0.14 fibers/cc(0.03-1.36 fibers/cc) in the commutator producing industry. For these industries, the percentage of samples of which asbestos fiber concentrations above the limit of exposure(0.1 fibers/cc) was 97.6% in the asbestos textile industry, 62.3% in the building-materials industry, 53.5% in the brake-lining manufacturing industry, and 34.3% in the commutator producing industry. Asbestos fiber concentration was below the limit of exposure in the gasket producing, petrochemistry, musical instrument producing industries, and the brake-lining exchange operations. Conclusions: Airborne asbestos fiber level in the asbestos textile, brake-lining producing, commutator and building-material producing industries was above the limit of exposure, but in the gasket producing, petrochemistry, musical instrument producing industries and the brake-lining exchange operations were below the limit of exposure.

Keywords

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