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

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 5225
Author(s):  
Seungho Lee ◽  
Dongmug Kang ◽  
Youngki Kim ◽  
Yoon-Ji Kim ◽  
Se-Yeong Kim
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Risk ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Asbestos Exposure ◽  
Cancer Risk Assessment ◽  
Agricultural Activity ◽  
Lifetime Cancer Risk ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Exposure Limit ◽  
Naturally Occurring Asbestos ◽  
Asbestos Contamination

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.

scholarly journals Development of Nationwide Excess Lifetime Cancer Risk Evaluation Methods with Comprehensive Past Asbestos Exposure Reconstruction

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 2819
Author(s):  
Dongmug Kang ◽  
Seung Ho Lee ◽  
Yoon Ji Kim ◽  
Tae Kyoung Kim ◽  
Ju Young Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Exposure ◽  
Cancer Risk ◽  
Environmental Exposure ◽  
Asbestos Exposure ◽  
National Level ◽  
Pooled Analysis ◽  
Agricultural Activity ◽  
Lifetime Cancer Risk ◽  
Excess Lifetime Cancer Risk ◽  
Exposure Source

Although exposure to asbestos via various routes has been acknowledged, comprehensive exposure and risk assessment methods have not been developed at the national level. We conducted a study to reconstruct comprehensive past asbestos exposure estimations and to suggest a method to calculate the Excess Lifetime Cancer Risk (ELCR) of Koreans. The past occupational exposure reconstruction was conducted by rebuilding the previous general population job-exposure matrix (JEM). The para-occupational and household exposure estimation was based on the pooled analysis of data from other countries as well as Korea. The neighborhood exposure from occupational sources by distance was estimated by the exponential decay model. As a result, 141 JEM exposure groups across four periods including ~79, the 80s, 90s, 2000s with a ratio of 2.0:1.0:0.5:0.05 were reconstructed. The para-occupational and household exposures were 11% and 1% of the JEM respectively. The environmental exposure source concentration from outside occupational exposure was 2.5% of the inside concentration. The ratio of the concentration of environmental exposure source (C0) to distance d (Cd) was exp−kd  with a decay constant k of 6.834. The mean concentrations (f/cc) were 2.28 × 10−3 for outdoor, 4.65 × 10−5 for indoor, 1.95 × 10−2 for transportation activity, 4.44 × 10−2 for agricultural activity, and 4.68 × 10−2 for daily life activity in naturally occurring asbestos areas. Indoor and outdoor asbestos concentrations from living in a slate roof house were 1.73 × 10−6 and 2.70 × 10−8, respectively. For improved generalizability, validity, and applicability of the proposed method, further studies on each route with real assessments and experiments are required.

ASSESSMENT OF NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY IN MAIZE AND ESTIMATION OF CONCOMITANT DOSE TO NIGERIAN VIA INGESTION PATHWAY

2019 ◽  
Vol 184 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 359-362
Author(s):  
Mudassir H Yarima ◽  
M U Khandaker ◽  
A Nadhiya ◽  
M A Olatunji
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Risk ◽  
Natural Radioactivity ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Gamma Ray Spectrometry ◽  
Detailed Knowledge ◽  
Dose Limit ◽  
Annual Dose ◽  
Lifetime Cancer Risk ◽  
Environmental Media ◽  
Naturally Occurring

Abstract Uranium, thorium and potassium are the most abundant naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORMs) found in soils and other environmental media including foodstuffs. Since the human exposures to NORMs is an unavoidable phenomenon, in such a way that they can easily find their way to human being via food chain, detailed knowledge on their presence in foodstuffs is necessary to assess the radiation dose to the population. Thus, the present study concerns the assessment of natural radioactivity in maize, a staple foodstuff for Nigerian, via HPGe gamma-ray spectrometry. Activity concentrations (Bq/kg) in the maize samples were found to be in the range of 6.1 ± 0.6–8.2 ± 1.3, 2.2 ± 0.4–5.1 ± 0.7 and 288 ± 16–401 ± 24 for 226Ra, 232Th and 40K, respectively. Measured data for 226Ra and 232Th show below the world average values of 67 Bq/kg and 82 Bq/kg, respectively, while the activity of 40K exceeds the global average of 310 Bq/kg. The annual effective dose via the maize consumption was found to be far below the UNSCEAR recommended ingestion dose limit of 290 μSv/y, and the estimated lifetime cancer risk show lower than the ICRP (1991) cancer risk factor of 2.5 × 10−3 based on the additional annual dose limit of 1 mSv for general public, thus pose no adverse health risk to the Nigerian populace.

scholarly journals Monitoring of chlorination disinfection by-products and their associated health risks in drinking water of Pakistan

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 270-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sidra Abbas ◽  
Imran Hashmi ◽  
Muhammad Saif Ur Rehman ◽  
Ishtiaq A. Qazi ◽  
Mohammad A. Awan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Cancer Risk ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Prediction Models ◽  
Cancer Risk Assessment ◽  
Average Lifetime ◽  
Lifetime Cancer Risk ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Exposure Routes ◽  
By Products

This study reports the baseline data of chlorination disinfection by-products such as trihalomethanes (THMs) and their associated health risks in the water distribution network of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, Pakistan. THM monitoring was carried out at 30 different sampling sites across the twin cities for 6 months. The average concentration of total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) and chloroform ranged between 575 and 595 μg/L which exceeded the permissible US (80 μg/L) and EU (100 μg/L) limits. Chloroform was one of the major contributors to the TTHMs concentration (>85%). The occurrence of THMs was found in the following order: chloroform, bromodichloromethane > dibromochloromethane > bromoform. Lifetime cancer risk assessment of THMs for both males and females was carried out using prediction models via different exposure routes (ingestion, inhalation, and dermal). Total lifetime cancer risk assessment for different exposure routes (ingestion, inhalation, and skin) was carried out. The highest cancer risk expected from THMs seems to be from the inhalation route followed by ingestion and dermal contacts. The average lifetime cancer risk for males and females was found to be 0.51 × 10−3 and 1.22 × 10−3, respectively. The expected number of cancer risks per year could reach two to three cases for each city.

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