Abstract
We assessed the exposure of semiconductor workers to extremely low frequency-magnetic fields (ELF-MF) and identified job characteristics affecting ELF-MF exposure. These were demonstrated by assessing the exposure of 117 workers involved in wafer fabrication (fab) and chip packaging wearing personal dosimeters for a full shift. A portable device was used to monitor ELF-MF in high temporal resolution. All measurements were categorized by operation, job and working activity during working time. ELF-MF exposure of workers were classified based on the quartiles of ELF-MF distribution. The average levels of ELF-MF exposure were 0.56 µT for fab workers, 0.59 µT for chip packaging workers and 0.89 µT for electrical engineers, respectively. Exposure to ELF-MF differed among types of factory, operation, job and activity. Workers engaged in the diffusion and chip testing activities showed the highest ELF-MF exposure. The ELF-MF exposures of process operators were found to be higher than those of maintenance engineers, although peak exposure and/or patterns varied. The groups with the highest quartile ELF-MF exposure level are operators in diffusion, ion implantation, module and testing operations, and maintenance engineers in diffusion, module and testing operations. In conclusion, ELF-MF exposure among workers can be substantially affected by the type of operation and job, and the activity or location.
Highlights
In South Korea, a total of 18 former semiconductor workers who were involved in several different fabrications or chip assembly operations at two large companies have been compensated for occupational diseases as of July 2017
A typical daily extremely low frequency-magnetic fields (ELF-MF) pattern for representative semiconductor workers is depicted in Figure 2, showing that ELF-MF exposure levels on a log scale were not normally distributed, with an asymmetric pattern in which an excessively large amount of high levels of ELF-MF exposure fell over 1.5 times the interquartile range above the third quartile (Q3 )
ELF-MF exposure levels of semiconductor workers were indicated among types of operation and job within the type of semiconductor plant
Summary
In South Korea, a total of 18 former semiconductor workers who were involved in several different fabrications (hereafter fab) or chip assembly operations at two large companies have been compensated for occupational diseases as of July 2017 Res. Public Health 2018, 15, 642; doi:10.3390/ijerph15040642 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph. Res. Public Health 2018, 15, 642 ovarian cancer = 1). There have been many semiconductor workers with chronic diseases, including cancer and rare diseases, who registered with a government compensation program. There have been no consistent specific operations or agents known to cause the compensated occupational diseases (unpublished results, submitted)
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