Environmental asbestos exposure sources in Korea

Our plain-English summary of Environmental asbestos exposure sources in Korea, by D.M. Kang, J.E. Kim, J.Y. Kim, et al (International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, 2016).

The study

• Authors: D.M. Kang, J.E. Kim, J.Y. Kim, H.H. Lee, Y.S. Hwang, Y.K. Kim, Y.J. Lee
• Journal: International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health
• Published: 2016;22(4):307-314
• Cited by: 11 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

Abstract

Background: Because of the long asbestos-related disease latencies (10-50 years), detection, diagnosis, and epidemiologic studies require asbestos exposure history. However, environmental asbestos exposure source (EAES) data are lacking.

Objectives: To survey the available data for past EAES and supplement these data with interviews.

Methods: We constructed an EAES database using a literature review and interviews of experts, former traders, and workers. Exposure sources by time period and type were visualized using a geographic information system (ArcGIS), web-based mapping (Google Maps), and OpenWeatherMap. The data were mounted in the GIS to show the exposure source location and trend.

Results: The majority of asbestos mines, factories, and consumption was located in Chungnam; Gyeonggi, Busan, and Gyeongnam; and Gyeonggi, Daejeon, and Busan, respectively. Shipbuilding and repair companies were mostly located in Busan and Gyeongnam.

Conclusions: These tools might help evaluate past exposure from EAES and estimate the future asbestos burden in Korea.

In plain English

This study built a database of sources of environmental asbestos exposure in South Korea, covering the years 1935 to 2010. The authors combined a literature review with interviews of former asbestos dealers, workers, miners, patients with asbestos-related disease and experts. They then mapped the sources by type and time period. The study did not measure disease or exposure levels. The authors identified 1,483 sources. These included 42 asbestos mines, 199 asbestos factories and 17 processing plants, along with shipyards, steel mills, power plants and town redevelopment areas. Mines were concentrated in Chungnam (29). Factories were mostly in Gyeonggi (40), Busan (39) and Gyeongnam (24). Shipbuilding and repair companies were mostly in Busan (370). Total asbestos consumption was reported as 2,719,241 tons, and the authors judged that possible consumption might be 2.0 to 2.8 million tons. Assuming at least one malignant mesothelioma for every 170 tons, a figure taken from earlier work, they projected 11,765 to 16,471 total cases. They noted that the study relied on limited data and memory. The authors concluded these tools might help evaluate past exposure and estimate the future asbestos burden.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Descriptive study building a database of environmental asbestos exposure sources from a literature review and interviews, with geographic (GIS) mapping by source type and time period
• Who was studied: Environmental asbestos exposure sources in South Korea (North Korea excluded), with source data for 1935 to 2010, collected during a study period of 2007 to 2014; 1,483 sources identified
• Exposure: Asbestos sources such as mines, mills, factories (textile, construction material and other types), processing plants, shipbuilding and ship repair companies, steel mills, chemical complexes, power plants, shipping areas and town redevelopment areas; no fiber types were specified
• Main results:
  • Of 1,483 exposure sources, 42 were asbestos mines, 199 were asbestos factories and 17 were asbestos processing plants
  • Asbestos mines were most numerous in Chungnam (n = 29)
  • Asbestos factories were located in Gyeonggi (n = 40), Busan (n = 39) and Gyeongnam (n = 24)
  • Shipbuilding and repair companies were concentrated in Busan (n = 370), Gyeongnam (n = 68) and Jeonnam (n = 43)
  • Town redevelopment areas were in Seoul (n = 248), Daegu (n = 48) and Busan (n = 46)
  • Total asbestos consumption was given as 2,719,241 tons. The results text reports approximately 417,824 tons mined (15.2%) and 2,324,439 tons used in factories (84.8%); the tables and discussion print slightly different figures
  • The two asbestos factories with the greatest output were KCC in Suwon (1,035,742 tons) and Byucksan in Daejeon (568,933 tons)
  • The asbestos mines with the greatest output were Gwangcheon mine (190,379 tons) and Hongseong mine (83,617 tons), both in Hongseong-gun
  • Asbestos textile factories operated in the Busan and Gyeongnam area from 1969 until the late 1990s
  • Taking possible double counting and underestimation into account, the authors judged that possible asbestos consumption in Korea, including mined and imported asbestos, might be 2.0 to 2.8 million tons
  • Assuming at least one malignant mesothelioma per 170 tons of asbestos consumed (a figure taken from earlier work), the authors projected 11,765 to 16,471 total malignant mesothelioma cases in Korea
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that these tools might help evaluate past exposure from environmental asbestos sources and estimate the future asbestos burden in Korea
• Limitations the authors state:
  • The study depended on limited data and memory, which limited accuracy and validity and could under- or overestimate the results
  • If records and recall were mostly limited to relatively large facilities, the study could underestimate the real situation
  • Raw asbestos reused to make a second product could have been double counted, leading to overestimation
  • Not all literature and formal and informal data may have been included
  • Information on location, operational period and amounts is insufficient to estimate past exposure; studies of emission rates and ambient air concentrations are needed

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Asbestos Exposure.

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