Development of occupation-based exposure matrix of lead for Korean workers: challenges and opportunities.

Objectives: Industry- and occupation-based carcinogen exposure matrices play a pivotal role in preventing occupational cancer. While the Korean CARcinogen EXposure (K-CAREX) has been developed in recent years to assess exposure prevalence and intensity by industry, the feasibility of constructing an occupation-based exposure matrix remains unexplored. Hence, the objective of this study is to explore the potential of combining the nationwide work environment measurement database (WEMD) and the special health examination database (SHED) to develop a comprehensive occupation-based exposure matrix.

Prostate cancer in workers exposed to night-shift work: two cases recognized by the Korean Epidemiologic Investigation Evaluation Committee.

Background: In 2019, the International Agency for Research on Cancer re-evaluated the carcinogenicity of night-shift work and reported that there is limited evidence that night-shift work is carcinogenic for the development of prostate cancer. Therefore, in 2020 and 2021, the Korean Epidemiologic Investigation Evaluation Committee concluded that 2 cases of prostate cancer were occupational diseases related to the night-shift work. Here, we report the 2 cases of prostate cancer in night-shift workers which were first concluded as occupational diseases by the Korean Epidemiologic Investigation Evaluation Committee.

Evaluation of Temporal Trends of Lead Exposure in Korean Workers Using Workplace Monitoring Data.

Background: Lead, which is widely used in various industrial settings, is a major health hazard for manufacturing workers. Therefore, control of lead exposure has been implemented in an effort to prevent lead-related health problems. In this study, our aim was to evaluate temporal trends in occupational lead exposure in Korean lead workers using data from monitoring of workplace exposure.

Carbon monoxide poisoning-induced encephalopathy in a carbon dioxide arc welder: a case report.

Background: It is widely known that carbon dioxide (CO) arc welding generates carbon monoxide (CO). However, to the best of our knowledge, no case reports have been published regarding CO poisoning in CO arc welders. Therefore, we aimed to report a case of CO poisoning-induced encephalopathy in a CO arc welder in the Republic of Korea to inform about the dangers of CO exposure among COarc welders.

Hazard Levels of Cooking Fumes in Republic of Korea Schools.

Background And Purpose: In 2021, lung cancer in school food workers was first recognized as an occupational cancer. The classification of the carcinogenicity of cooking fumes by International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) was based on Chinese epidemiological data. This study aimed to determine the hazard levels of school cooking fumes in Korea.

Assessment of risks for breast cancer in a flight attendant exposed to night shift work and cosmic ionizing radiation: a case report.

Background: Some epidemiological studies have estimated exposure among flight attendants with and without breast cancer. However, it is difficult to find a quantitative evaluation of occupational exposure factors related to cancer development individually in the case of breast cancer in flight attendants. That is, most, if not all, epidemiological studies of breast cancer in flight attendants with quantitative exposure estimates have estimated exposure in the absence of individual flight history data.