Asbestos, a highly hazardous mineral fiber, has been banned to use in most developed countries because of its lethal negative effects on health including asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer in the protective lining of the body’s major organs and cavities. However, throughout the 20th century it was commonly used as a construction material to be used in drywall, pipe lagging and insulation.

Over 85% of educational facilities in the regions of Seoul, South Korea, are observed to acquire asbestos-containing materials. The sources have confirmed that the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, of the 54,279 facilities in
1,669 kindergartens, elementary, middle and high schools in the city have asbestos traits with a contamination of 24.7% of the total surface area.

The high schools were marked for highest amount of contamination, around 90% of facilities built with asbestos-containing materials, especially for insulation purpose, whereas the elementary schools and middle schools were reported with 86% and 84% asbestos levels, respectively. All the alleged buildings were observed with the material presence on their ceilings.

Besides these buildings, some open areas have also reported the presence of microscopic asbestos fibers. Any contamination with these particles is believed to cause damage in the lungs and eventually leads the development of pleural mesothelioma, which affects the lining of the lungs.