Safety and Health at Work

  • 제13권3호
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  • Pages.357-363
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  • 2022
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  • 2093-7911(pISSN)
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  • 2093-7997(eISSN)
산업안전보건연구원 (Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute, Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency)
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Occupational Exposure to Refractory Ceramic Fibers in the Semiconductor Scrubber Manufacturing Industry

  • Song, Seungwhan (Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University) ;
  • Kim, Sunju (Center for Technology Innovation, Seoul Institute of Technology) ;
  • Kim, Donghyeon (Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University) ;
  • Yoon, Chungsik (Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University)
  • 투고 : 2021.10.06
  • 심사 : 2022.04.25
  • 발행 : 2022.09.30
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초록

Background: Refractory ceramic fibers (RCFs) are a suspected carcinogen but have been widely used as insulations. Depending on the temperature, RCFs can transform into crystalline SiO2, which is a carcinogen that can be present in the air during bulk RCF handling. This study analyzed the physicochemical and morphological characteristics of RCFs at high temperatures and determined the exposure levels during the semiconductor scrubber maintenance. Methods: Sampling was conducted at a company that manufactures semiconductor scrubbers using RCFs as insulation. Bulk RCF samples were collected both before and after exposure to a scrubber temperature of 700℃. Airborne RCFs were collected during scrubber maintenance, and their characteristics were analyzed using microscopes. Results: The components of bulk RCFs were SiO2 and Al2O3, having an amorphous structure. Airborne RCFs were morphologically different from bulk RCFs in size, which could negatively affect maintenance workers' health. 58% of airborne RCFs correspond to the size of thoracic and respirable fibers. RCFs did not crystallize at high temperatures. The exposure caused by airborne RCFs during the scrubber frame assembly and insulation replacement was higher than the occupational exposure limit. Conclusion: Workers conducting insulation replacement are likely exposed to airborne RCFs above safe exposure limits. As RCFs are suspected carcinogens, this exposure should be minimized through prevention and precautionary procedures.

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과제정보

This study was supported by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and the National Research Foundation of Korea (BK21 FOUR 5199990214126). We thank the Research Institute of Advanced Materials for facilitating FE-SEM analysis and Thermo Fisher Scientific Korea for facilitating Raman microscopy.

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