• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.492-500
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• 2014

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to estimate the applicability of regional sample collection of environmental samples. The concentration of asbestos fibers were analyzed with two devices. One was an existing commercial air sampling pump that has been proved to be accurate and exact, and the other is a remodeled pump for sample collection which was made from an electric bubble generator originally designed for aquarium fish. Samples were collected with the two devices under the same environmental conditions and collection equipment. A comparative analysis of the concentration of ambient asbestos fiber was then performed. Methods: Based on previous research, six farmhouses with asbestos fiber slate roofs known to have high concentrations of asbestos fiber were selected. Using the existing commercial air sampling pump and the remodeled electric bubble generator, four to seven samples were collected each day one meter downwind from the edge of the slate roof at high volume (about 4 L/min) and low volume (about 1.4 L/min). The analyzer responsible for sample quality control of asbestos fibers counted the number of asbestos fibers with a phase microscope. Results: The rates of flow change of the existed sampler and the remodeled pump at high volume were 0.82% and 0.17%, respectively. The rates of flow change at low volume were 3.83% and 1.09%, but there was not significant difference. The rates of flow change are within the error range (${\pm}5%$) of OSHA analyzing methods. For the high volume sampler, the average asbestos fiber concentration in the air collected by the existed sampler is 6.270 fibers/L and for the remodeled one 5.527 fibers/L, not a significant difference. For the low volume sampler, the average asbestos fiber concentration in the air collected by the existed sampler is 7.755 fibers/L and for the remodeled one 7.706 fibers/L, not a significant difference. The total area of the slate roof of the targeted farmhouse has an effect on the concentration of asbestos fibers in the air from the existing pump and the remodeled one (p<0.01). Conclusions: The sampling function between the existing commercial pump and the remodeled one shows little difference. Therefore, the remodeled pump is considered a pump with a good availability for collecting ambient air asbestos samples.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.31-36
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• 2011

This study was performed to investigate the problems of using asbestos for dental technicians. Samples for analysing were sampled by personal sampler in 40 sampling points of 10 dental laboratories in Daegu city from December 2010 to January 2011 and counted with phase contrast microscopy. The results were as follows: 1. Asbestos concentration(geometric mean) of 40 sampling points in 10 dental laboratories was 0.0061 f/cc and it was under recommended industrial and indoor air standard, but the concentration of asbestos in only two dental laboratories was over indoor recommended standard. 2. The concentration of asbestos in processing room and burnout room was 0.0099 f/cc and 0.0037 f/cc, respectively. 3. The mean concentration(GM) of asbestos by kinds of casting ring liners was 0.0159 f/cc in dental laboratories using industrial asbestos, 0.0104 f/cc in them using asbestos containing ring liners, and 0.0026 f/cc in them using non-asbestos ring liners. Casting ring liners using in dental laboratories should be substituted with non-asbestos liners, because most of dental laboratories were using asbestos containing ring liners and a few of them showed higher concentration than recommended standard.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.36-41
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• 1989

Concentrations of atmospheric asbestos at 5 sites in the central Seoul area, were determined by phase contrast microscopy. The observed numbers of asbestos per liter of air were: maximum 4.51, minimum 0.72 and average 2.20. The direct relationship between asbestos concentration at each sampling site and automobile traffics was not demonstrated. But the more there are automobile traffics, the higher asbestos concentratiof of total fibers is.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.219-224
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• 2016

Objectives: Lung cancer occurred with worker working in an urban bus garage. A survey was conducted to investigate whether lung cancer had causal relationship with work. Exposure to asbestos and diesel engine exhaust were suspected. Methods: Airborne asbestos was sampled on membrane filter and analyzed using phase-contrast microscopy. Airborne diesel exhaust was sampled using quartz filter and analyzed with thermal-optical analyzer. Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons was sampled using PTFE filter and XAD-2 tube and analyzed with gas chromatography-mass selective detector. Results: Airborne asbestos concentration was under 0.01 fiber/cc. Worker who warmed up an engine of urban bus for 2 hours was exposed to elemental carbon concentration, $15.5{\mu}g/m^3$. Only naphtalene among polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons was detected. Conclusions: It was difficult to conclude about worker exposure to asbestos because working hour related asbestos was too short. In reviewing papers, the exposure to asbestos over 0.01 fiber/cc during exchange brake lining was found. It was identified that worker's occupational exposure to diesel exhaust based on elemental carbon was higher than the other occupational exposure to diesel exhaust.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.454-465
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• 2016

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate trends in asbestos exposure among asbestos-handling industries from 2000 to 2005. Methods: The data included the number of industries and workers exposed, concentrations of asbestos and the amount exceeded, and the type and size of industry by year. These data were collected by 46 regional employment and labor offices in Korea using work environment monitoring reports. A total of 1,481 samples from 284 industries were extracted from the reports and were analyzed with no data modification. Results: The means of asbestos concentration decreased from $0.84f/cm^3$ to $0.03f/cm^3$ during the period 2000-2005. Among the total of 1,481 samples, 11 samples(0.7%) exceeded the KOEL, and 178 samples(12.0%) were ACGIH TLV. The insulating paper product manufacturing industry was found to have the highest level of asbestos, followed by the fireproofing manufacturing industry, brake lining products manufacturing industry, commutator products manufacturing industries, and construction materials manufacturing industry. The number of asbestos handling industries decreased from 48 industries with 1,155 employees to 37 industries during the period of 2000 to 2005, but the number of asbestos workers expanded to the point that 1,182 employees could be found in 2005. Conclusion: Based on these results, the strengthening of the KOEL and new regulations turned out to help reduce asbestos exposure levels. This study recommends that retrospective exposure to asbestos based on various industry types should be assessed.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.24 no.7
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• pp.927-937
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• 2015

This study was performed to identify and quantify the asbestos fibers released from two types of asbestos-cement slate roofs. One is a plant roof installed in 1987 which contained 15% chrysotile, and the other is a residential roof installed before 1983 which contained 12% chrysotile. The concentrations of asbestos fibers in air surrounding asbestos-cement slate roofs and in the falling water harvested from the same roofs on rainy days ranged from 0.0012 to 0.0018 f/mL and from 1,764 f/L to 10,584 f/L, respectively. The concentration of inorganic fibers in the soil around asbestos-cement slate roofs was from 217 to 348 f/g. With the above results, the excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) for the risk assessment of the asbestos fibers released from asbestos-cement slate based on US EPA IRIS (Integrated risk information system) model is within 5.5E-06 ~ 6.5E-06 levels which indicates that the levels do not exceed "the acceptable risk(1.0E-05)" recommended by WHO. The asbestos concentration in air, drained rainfall and soil around the plant slate roof was higher than that around residential slate roof, but the excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) from residential slate was higher than that from plant slate. This suggested that the enclose and encapsulation of residential roofs have priority in removal policy to minimize the exposure risk.

• Journal of odor and indoor environment
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.330-336
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• 2018

The objective of this study was to determine whether crops and fruits absorb the naturally occurring asbestos (NOA). The concentration of asbestos in various crops and fruits grown in NOA areas was analyzed and background levels of asbestos in ambient air and soil samples were assessed. Actinolite/Tremolite asbestos were detected in all soil samples. Among 21 ambient air samples, 2 samples were recorded to contain 0.0005 f/cc (fiber per cubic centimeter) but no asbestos was detected in the other samples using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). However, no evidence suggesting that the crops and fruits could be contaminated by NOA was found in this study. The excess lifetime cancer risks (ELCRs) of ABS scenarios (agricultural activities) used in this study were calculated by using the Arithmetic (AM) and Geometric mean (GM) of ELCRs. The AM and GM of ELCRs estimated from digging soil and weeding activities did not exceed $1{\times}10^{-4}$, which was defined as the general acceptable risk range for exposure. The results of this study would be informative to NOA managers and related policy makers to make plans to prevent unexpected exposure to asbestos to residents living in an NOA area.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.99-102
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• 2011

Objectives: Acetone/triacetine method for clearing cellulose ester membrane (CEM) filter has been a popular method for air-borne asbestos analysis. However, as a weakness of this method, it is time consuming to analyses asbestos samples after sampling. Crystalclear method can be used to analyses asbestos samples promptly after sampling. Although a strength of crystal clear method exists, there was little valid studied for the method. This study was conducted to compare acetone/triacetine method with crystalclear one for analysing asbestos sample. Methods: Test samples made in three different concentration ranges(low, medium and high concentration) were analysed by phase contrast microscopy after acetone/triacetine and crystalclear method treatment respectively. Results: We did not find statistical difference in analysed results between two methods, which were conducted in three different concentrations ranges. Conclusions: We concluded that crystalclear method can be used as clearing method for air-borne asbestos analysis instead of acetone/triacetine method.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.18-27
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• 2020

Objectives: For testing asbestos stabilizer products which are used for the maintenance and management of asbestos-containing materials, durability assessment should accompany the evaluation of basic properties and performance. Therefore, in this study we designed a testing method and constructed a database of durability performance, thereby providing basic data for reliability studies of asbestos stabilizer. Methods: Since the ceiling materials targeted in this study are interior materials, test conditions of 95% relative humidity and 60℃ temperature were designed in consideration of the effect of high relative humidity in summer and seasonal indoor temperatures. Plate-shaped specimens treated with asbestos stabilizers were maintained in a thermo-hygrostat for 5, 10, and 20 days, and then the asbestos scattering prevention rate was measured by air erosion testing. Results: The scattering concentration tended to increase with time under the single humidity condition, and exceeded the indoor air quality standard of 0.01 f/cc, during the 20 days of maintenance. On the other hand, there was little change according to the temperature condition. In the case of a complex condition with temperature and humidity, the results were similar to the humidity test, but the scattering concentration increased more sharply at 20 days. Conclusions: The main deterioration factor that affects the durability of asbestos stabilizer is humidity, and the deterioration is caused by a mechanism in which the stabilizer coated on the surface is re-dissolved by moisture and evaporates or the coating layer is peeled off, which is accelerated by high temperatures.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.242-253
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• 1998

South Korea has been producing asbestos over 60 years. The use of asbestos was over 50 years for production of asbestos slate and 27 years for asbestos friction materials including asbestos textile and brake-lining. Thus, it can be supposed that asbestos related diseases such as asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma could be found in the vulnerable workers exposed to asbestos in 1955-1975, given the average latency period of 10-30 years. Asbestos was produced primarily by Japanese during World War II In Korea. The production of chrysotile peaked to 4,815 tons in 1944. From 1978 to 1984, 10,000 tons of asbestos were produced annually. However, the production was interrupted by raising labor costs and extinction of mine reserves, and finally they had to depend on import for the need of asbestos. In 1945, there were 16 asbestos mines, in total, with the addition of new asbestos mines in South Korea. Imports of asbestos was increased from 74,000 tons to 95,000 tons during the period of 1976 - 1992. But the imports was reduced to 88,000 tons in 1995. Since, in addition to the import of asbestos itself, the imports of asbestos products were increased as well and the accumulation of asbestos reached to 30,000 tons during the period of 1964 to 1993. In 1965, there was only one asbestos company with 207 employees. But the size of asbestos industry has been expanded so much that 118 asbestos companies could be found in 1993 with 1,476 workers. However, there was no record on the survey of asbestos concentration to which workers were exposed in any companies in 1983. The record of the air-borne concentration of the asbestos in textile working places in 1984 showed 6.7 fibers/cc by geometric mean(GM), but it was reduced to 1.2 fibers/cc in 1993. GMs of asbestos in working places for construction materials and asbestos textiles were also decreased from 1.7 fibers/cc to 0.55 fibers/cc during the period of 1984 - 1996.