A recent government report has shown that Metro workers in Seoul, South Korea are exposed to asbestos. According to the Ministry of Labor report, 30 percent of 2,900 Seoul Metro workers working at particular subway stations showed evidence of lung disease. It is believed this elevated level of disease, three times that of the general population, is caused by occupational asbestos exposure. Asbestos was found in 17 of 30 stations studied. It was frequently applied to ceilings to absorb noise in busy Metro stations. The report said that crumbling asbestos falling from ceilings was likely to become airborne and expose commuters to asbestos. Inhaling asbestos fibers can cause mesothelioma, a rare cancer that attacks the lining of the lungs or abdomen, as well as other serious respiratory diseases. The Korean Federation for Environmental Movement wants the government to look at the asbestos risk to the 4 million people using public transportation.
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