Health Status, Health-Related Factors and Work Environment in Korean Semiconductor Workers between 1984–2012: A Qualitative Study and a Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: The environment of semiconductor facilities and exposure status has undergone changes. To identify changes in the work environment, health status, and risk factors, a qualitative and cross-sectional study was conducted. Methods: For the qualitative study, 38 current and retired workers who worked for at least 10-years were studied; for the cross-sectional study, 306 current workers who worked for at least 5-years based on JEM strata from Samsung Electronics were selected. Participants were asked about occupational history, cancer-relating risk factors during the working period, medical history, dietary habits for the past year, and hematological cancer-relating infection. Results: In the qualitative study, fabrication workers reported bladder cystitis, dermatitis in hands, gastritis/ulcer, and dry eye as frequent symptoms during work environment changes (manual to automatic process). In the cross-sectional study, there were no abnormal findings for infection biomarkers related to hematological cancer and spontaneous abortion, and their general health status was no different from the general population. Also, questionnaire feasibility was evaluated for the applicability in the prospective cohort. Conclusion: Current semiconductor workers’ health status was good compared to other populations. For lifelong health assessment, a cohort study is needed which considers health worker effects and current environments.

Semiconductor Work, Leukemia, and Cancer Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…In addition, owing to rapid changes in the semiconductor industry and occupational substances, it is difficult to conclude that past and current semiconductor work have the same effect on cancer risk. For example, TCE was used in the past, but it is rarely used in the current industry as a result of technological advancement and its harmful impact on humans [ 27 ]. Many alternative substances are used, however, their harmful effects on humans are insufficient [ 28 ].…”