Samsung-commissioned study rejects leukemia claims

Posted on : 2011-07-15 14:32 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
Observers have questioned the study’s significance since it included no supporting data
 July 14. (Photo by Ryu Woo-jong)
July 14. (Photo by Ryu Woo-jong)

By Kim Jae-seob, Senior Staff Writer  

 

Environ, a U.S. company commissioned by Samsung Electronics to investigate the relationship between semiconductor plant workers’ degree of exposure to carcinogenic materials and the occurrence of leukemia, presented analysis findings Thursday declaring that no correlation existed. The controversy, however, has continued unabatedly due to the fact that it was Samsung Electronics who provided key data used in the analysis, and Environ asserted its findings without producing supporting data.

Samsung Electronics and Environ held a talk with journalists Friday at the Samsung Electronics Giheung Campus to announce the findings of the reinvestigation of the semiconductor working environment. Environ announced that it had conducted an investigation at Samsung Electronics’ request into the use of carcinogenic materials on the No. 5 and 12 production lines at the Giheung plant and the No. 5 production line at the Onyang plant over the past year, the degree of worker exposure to carcinogens, and the correlation between carcinogen exposure and the occurrence of leukemia.

Environ declared that it found the level of worker carcinogen exposure on the Samsung Electronics semiconductor manufacturing line fell below the international standard, and that it failed to find any correlation between workers’ exposure to carcinogens and the occurrence of leukemia.

Samsung commissioned the study from Environ last year after a controversy erupted across society over revelations of leukemia cases among semiconductor factory workers, announcing that it was requesting an analysis from a reputable organization.

Regarding the investigation methodology, Environ explained that it examined six case studies of leukemia victims provided by Samsung Electronics. Environ said that four of the six had not been exposed to carcinogens, while the exposure of the remaining two was minimal, and that it was unable to find any significant relationship between carcinogen exposure and leukemia.

Dr. Paul Harper, who oversaw the analysis, explained his use of the terms “minimal” and “significant” by saying the conclusion was based on the standards of the American Industrial Hygiene Association.

But scholars and civic organizations attentive to the occurrence of leukemia in semiconductor factory workers, including the worker health and human rights watchdog Banollim, were unanimous in their skepticism regarding Environ’s announcement.

Banollim activist and industrial medicine specialist Gong-Yu Jeong-ok said, “The announcement merely reiterated the line, ‘the Samsung semiconductor factory is safe’ without presenting any data.”

“It was to the point where one journalist with the foreign press asked, ’You said this was an announcement of investigation findings, but there is no data. What can we possibly say?‘”

Seoul National University Graduate School of Public Health Dean Paek Do-myung, who attended the announcement at Banollim’s recommendation, said, “If this research really was done in a scientific manner, they should release the research report.”  

  

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]

 

 

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