Prevalence of Asbestosis in Korean Asbestos Industry

Do myung Paek; Nam Won Paik; Jung Deun Choi; Mi A Son; Jung Gi Im; Won Jin Lee; Young Hahn Moon; Jung Sun Park; Byung Soon Choi

doi:10.35371/kjoem.1995.7.1.46

Articles

Page Path: HOME > Ann Occup Environ Med > Volume 7(1); 1995 > Article

Original Article Prevalence of Asbestosis in Korean Asbestos Industry: Do myung Paek, Nam Won Paik, Jung Deun Choi, Mi A Son, Jung Gi Im, Won Jin Lee, Young Hahn Moon, Jung Sun Park, Byung Soon Choi; DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.1995.7.1.46
Published online: February 28, 1995

¹Seoul National University, School of Public Health, Korea.

²Seoul National University, College of Medicine, Korea.

³Ocean and Underwater Medical Research and Training Center, Korea.

⁴Industrial Health Research Institute, KISCO, Korea.

30 Views
0 Download
13 Crossref
0 Scopus

prev next

Full Article

Download PDF

Abstract

Asbestos industry has been in operation over 60 years in Korea. However, the prevalence of asbestosis has not been yet reported. With rapid turn-over of workers, previous cross-sectional studies of current workers on the job could not find cases with exposures long enough for the development of asbestosis. This study was done to evaluate asbestosis prevalence of those worksites with operation history of more than 20 years. In total, 139 workers from 5 worksites were examined. Asbestos industries covered in the study include 2 asbestos textile, 1 brake lining, and 2 ship repairing worksites. Chest x-ray was taken from all workers and read by two exports familiar with pneumoconiosis classification according to 1980 ILO guidelines. Those with findings compatible with asbestosis were further checked with high resolution computerized tomography (HRCT). Pulmonary function tests were done according to ATS guidelines, and occupational and previous medical history was taken through a standardized interview. Air-borne asbestos was measured according to NI0SH method 7400. The air-borno asbestos concentrations ranged from 0.2-1.3 f/cc for asbestos textile, from 0.7~l.0 f/cc for brake lining, and from 6.3-7.8 f/cc during asbestos removal at ship repairing worksite. Of the 139 workers 25 had abnormal chest radiographic findings, and 10 of them had findings compatible with pneumoconiosis. When work history and current asbestos measurements were accounted, 9 workers who had more than 10 years of asbestos exposure history showed chest radiographic findings of pneumoconiosis with Finally, 4 workers showed finding of pulmonary fibrosis and/or pleural thickening at HRCT, and 2 of them had restrictive lung function changes. The study results showed that, among 139 sutjects, there were 4 (3%) definite asbeatosis cases confirmed with HRCT. The prevalence of probable asbestosis was 7% for 10-14 years of exposure, 13% for 15-19 years of exposure, and 23% for 20 or more years of exposure. The prevalence of compensable asbestosis with abnormal lung function was 4-6% for those with 15 or more years of exposure.

Keywords: Asbestosis;Prevalence;Asbestos textile;Brake-lining;Ship-repair

Figure & Data

References

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Sustainable management of hazardous asbestos-containing materials: Containment, stabilization and inertization
Shiv Bolan, Leela Kempton, Timothy McCarthy, Hasintha Wijesekara, Udara Piyathilake, Tahereh Jasemizad, Lokesh P. Padhye, Tao Zhang, Jörg Rinklebe, Hailong Wang, M.B. Kirkham, Kadambot H.M. Siddique, Nanthi Bolan
Science of The Total Environment.2023; 881: 163456. CrossRef
Asbestos Exposure Level and the Carcinogenic Risk Due to Corrugated Asbestos-Cement Slate Roofs in Korea
Eun-Soo Lee, Young-Ki Kim
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.2021; 18(13): 6925. CrossRef
Gastric and rectal cancers in workers exposed to asbestos: a case series
Byeong Ju Choi, Saerom Lee, Iu Jin Lee, Soon Woo Park, Sanggil Lee
Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.2020;[Epub] CrossRef
The Asbestos Ban in Korea from a Grassroots Perspective: Why Did It Occur?
Yu-Ryong Yoon, Kyeong Kwak, Yeyong Choi, Kanwoo Youn, Jinwook Bahk, Dong-Mug Kang, Domyung Paek
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.2018; 15(2): 198. CrossRef
A decade of malignant mesothelioma surveillance in Korea
Soon‐Hee Jung, Hyoung‐Ryoul Kim, Sang‐Baek Koh, Suk‐Joong Yong, Myoung Ja Chung, Chang‐Hun Lee, Joungho Han, Min‐Seob Eom, Sung‐Soo Oh
American Journal of Industrial Medicine.2012; 55(10): 869. CrossRef
Comparison of cancer incidence between production and office workers at a shipyard in Korea: A retrospective cohort study from 1992 to 2005
Kyoung‐Sook Jeong, Yangho Kim, Moon‐Chan Kim, Cheol‐In Yoo
American Journal of Industrial Medicine.2011; 54(9): 719. CrossRef
Occupational and Environmental Asbestos Exposure in Korea
Jung-Wan Koo, Hyoung Ryoul Kim
Journal of the Korean Medical Association.2009; 52(5): 442. CrossRef
Overview of Asbestos Issues in Korea
Hyoung Ryoul Kim
Journal of Korean Medical Science.2009; 24(3): 363. CrossRef
Compensation and Diagnosis of Asbestos Related Disease
Soo-Geun Kim
Korean Journal of Family Medicine.2009; 30(5): 335. CrossRef
Asbestos-related Diseases among Asbestos Textile Factory Workers and Residents Around the Factory
Dong-Mug Kang, Dong-Chul Gu, Kun-Hyung Kim
Journal of the Korean Medical Association.2009; 52(5): 482. CrossRef
Asbestos Problems Yet to Explode in Korea
Domyung Paek
International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health.2003; 9(3): 266. CrossRef
The Effect of Silica Dust on Ventilatory Function of Foundry Workers
Jung Wan Koo, Chee Kyung Chung, Chung Yill Park, Se‐Hoon Lee, Kang‐Sook Lee, Young‐Man Roh, Hyeon Woo Yim
Journal of Occupational Health.2000; 42(5): 251. CrossRef
Asbestos and non-asbestos fiber content in lungs of Korean subjects with no known occupational asbestos exposure history
Je Yu, Young Hahn Moon, Kiyoshi Sakai, Naomi Hisanaga, Jung Duck Park, Yasuhiro Takeuchi
Environment International.1998; 24(3): 293. CrossRef

Cite