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.