Samsung Factories Allegedly Linked to Leukemia in Workers

From DailyTech: Samsung Electronics and may other makers of memory and microchips around the world sometimes use chemicals and other materials in the construction of their products that are toxic and could be lethal to humans if exposed in large doses. Samsung has been battling allegations that some workers in its plants in China have contracted cancer from exposure into the work place.

Samsung has been under pressure by activist groups to take responsibility for the incidents of workers contracting leukemia or lymphoma. So far, 22 workers from the chip plants Samsung operates have been diagnosed with lymphoma or leukemia between 1998 and 2010. Ten of these workers have died because of the diseases so far. Samsung has long maintained that the chemicals it uses in the production of chips at the plants have not caused the cancers in workers.

Samsung Memory Division president Cho Soo-in said, "We are deeply sorry about the loss of loved ones... and we've actively cooperated on epidemiologic investigations, which concluded there were no leaks of radiation." He continued saying, "But I feel we should also have done this (communicated with the public) in the first place to stop speculation from growing."

The Korea Times reports that Samsung is working hard to reduce the suspicions that the workers contracted the diseases while working at Samsung's plants. In an effort to do this, the electronics giant is opening up some of its plants to reporters. These plants are usually closely guarded and only open to visiting politicians.

The latest Samsung worker to succumb to diseases believed to be contracted at the Samsung plant was 23-year-old Park Ji-yeon, who was a worker at the Samsung plant in Onyang in the North Chungcheong Province since 2004. She died from leukemia and used an x-ray machine to check chips produced at the plant. The process produced radiation which some believe caused her leukemia.

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