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. 2021 May 14;18(10):5225.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph18105225.

Activity-Based Exposure Levels and Cancer Risk Assessment Due to Naturally Occurring Asbestos for the Residents Near Abandoned Asbestos Mines in South Korea

Seungho Lee  1 , Dongmug Kang  1   2   3 , Youngki Kim  1   2   3 , Yoon-Ji Kim  2   3 , Se-Yeong Kim  1   2
Affiliations

Activity-Based Exposure Levels and Cancer Risk Assessment Due to Naturally Occurring Asbestos for the Residents Near Abandoned Asbestos Mines in South Korea

Seungho Lee et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the overall asbestos exposure intensity and assess the health risk to residents due to naturally occurring asbestos (NOA) near abandoned asbestos mines in South Korea. Of 38 mines, we found 19 with measured concentrations of NOA. We evaluated the average of airborne NOA concentrations according to the environmental exposure category. When evaluated regionally by dividing into two clusters, the mean concentrations in activity-based sampling (ABS) scenarios exceeded the Korean exposure limit (0.01 f/cc) in both clusters. Moreover, airborne NOA concentrations in agricultural activity (5.49 × 10-2 f/cc) and daily activity (6.95 × 10-2 f/cc) had the highest values for clusters A and B, respectively. The excess lifetime cancer risk of one region (cluster A) by the ABS scenarios did not exceed the Korean Ministry of the Environment's criteria for soil purification (1 × 10-4). However, one of the ABS scenarios-the daily life activity of clusters centered on Chungcheongbuk-do (cluster B)-showed an exposure of 1.08 × 10-4, greater than the limit (1 × 10-4). This indicates non negligible health damage to residents living near the abandoned asbestos mines, and it is necessary to continuously monitor and clean up the asbestos contamination.

Keywords: abandoned asbestos mine; activity-based sampling; excess lifetime cancer risk; naturally occurring asbestos.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Literature selection procedure.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Location map of abandoned asbestos mines included in the pooled analysis in South Korea. (Map source: Asbestos Management Comprehensive Information Network; https://asbestos.me.go.kr, accessed on 22 April 2021).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Airborne NOA concentrations of the abandoned asbestos mines in South Korea. * Airborne NOA concentration for indoor was too low to show in this figure (<0.0001 f/cc).
Figure 4
Figure 4
ELCR for health risk assessment of residents near abandoned asbestos mines in South Korea.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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