Asbestos Building Demolition Sites in Gyeonggi Province Show 'Compliant' Airborne Asbestos Management

[Suwon Ilbo=Park No-hun] A survey has found that airborne asbestos generated at demolition sites of asbestos-containing buildings is being managed entirely below safety standards.

The Gyeonggi Province Health and Environmental Research Institute announced on the 17th that a survey of 22 asbestos-containing building demolition sites across 8 cities and counties in the province from January 10 through September 30 found no sites exceeding the safety standard (less than 0.01 fibers/cc) for airborne asbestos detection.

The survey designated 191 monitoring points including ▲negative pressure unit air exhaust outlets ▲sanitary facility entrances ▲work site perimeters ▲waste disposal outlets ▲waste storage areas ▲residential areas of nearby residents across the 22 sites to investigate asbestos detection.

The investigation found trace amounts of asbestos at 13 of the 191 monitoring points, but all measured between 0.001 fibers/cc to 0.006 fibers/cc, remaining below the standard of 0.01 fibers/cc. The primary detection points with trace asbestos levels were 8 sites at work site perimeters, 4 locations at sanitary facility entrances, and 1 negative pressure unit air exhaust outlet. Fortunately, no asbestos was detected in 'residential areas.' The Health and Environmental Research Institute plans to expand asbestos testing at project sites as building material replacement work involving asbestos-containing materials is expected to continue across redevelopment and reconstruction projects and schools throughout the province.

Yoon Mi-hye, director of the Health and Environmental Research Institute, said, "Asbestos is a Group 1 carcinogen that penetrates the respiratory system and causes fatal disease in the human body decades later, requiring more stringent management. We will strengthen inspections to protect the health and safety of provincial residents from the dangers of asbestos."

Meanwhile, the current 'Asbestos Safety Management Act' requires measurement of asbestos dispersion levels when demolishing or removing buildings or facilities of 5,000 square meters or larger that contain asbestos building materials. If asbestos emission allowance standards are exceeded, administrative authorities may order suspension of asbestos demolition and removal work. 'Asbestos' is a type of silicate mineral with sharp, needle-like crystals that penetrates the respiratory system and affects the lungs, classified as a Group 1 carcinogen. After an incubation period of 15-40 years, it is known to cause asbestos-related diseases including asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma.