Abstract
Objectives: Particulate matter (PM) at construction sites mostly originates from either construction activities or the atmospheric environment. This study was conducted to evaluate the exposure level to PM and the contribution ratio of atmosphere sources at construction sites. Methods: We reviewed literature and governmental systems related to PM exposure in occupational settings and summarized them. In the field evaluation, five construction sites and one golf course were selected: two from Gyeonggi-do Province and four from North Gyeongsang-do Province. For each site, personal samples from outdoor construction workers and area samples from the outdoor area around the construction site office were collected according to construction work types. PM concentrations reported from nearby National Ambient Air Monitoring Stations were recorded. Respirable dust concentrations, respirable silica concentrations, and several metal concentrations including Cd, Cr, Pb, and As were monitored over four months. In the end we suggested how to manage particulate matter exposure at construction sites. Results: There was little literature reporting on exposure levels of construction workers to PM. Respirable dust concentrations measured in Gyeonggi-do Province were higher than those measured in North Gyeongsang-do Province. The geometric means of respirable dust concentrations in personal samples and area samples were $37.89{\mu}g/m^3$ and $92.86{\mu}g/m^3$, respectively. The respirable dust concentrations were higher than the PM concentrations reported from nearby National Ambient Air Monitoring Station. The geometric means of respirable silica concentrations of personal samples and area samples were $1.3{\mu}g/m^3$ and $1.1{\mu}g/m^3$, respectively. All metal concentrations were lower than 10% of individual Korean occupational exposure limits. Conclusions: Assuming that personal samples consisted of ambient PM and dust originating from work activities and area samples only collected ambient PM, we concluded that the dust exposure of outdoor construction workers originated 40.8% from the atmosphere and 59.2% from construction activities. PM exposure at construction sites should be controlled by employers, as in the case of outdoor heat stress. The Korean government needs to consider setting an occupational exposure limit for respirable dust.
