Humidifier disinfectant manufacturers to face questioning

By Kim Se-jeong

Prosecutors in Seoul who began investigating the humidifier disinfectant scandal in January will question employees of manufacturers and chemical traders, according to the Asian Citizen’s Center for Environment and Health, a Seoul-based NGO, on Sunday.

The companies targeted include Reckitt Benckiser from England, Ketox from Denmark and SK Chemicals.

Local news outlets quoted the prosecution as saying that questioning could start as soon as mid-April. The prosecution has interviewed victims.

The companies used either PHMG Phosphate or PGH, chemicals which the prosecution concluded were responsible for severe illnesses and deaths. Two other chemicals used were ― PHMG hydrochloride and MIT/CMIT. The prosecution found these were not as harmful as the other two.

The critical point for the prosecution will be whether the companies were aware of the effects of the chemical substances in advance. The law requires companies to be knowledgeable about such effects in advance and to provide this information when selling the chemicals.

The humidifier disinfectant case is one of the worst scandals involving consumer products using chemicals.

The disinfectants have killed 143 people so far. The case came to light on Aug. 31, 2011 when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ordered all the products be removed from shop shelves because the products were suspected of causing lung failure and death.

Further studies found that since 1994, about 8 million disinfectant products, made by 10 companies, had been sold in Korea

Most of the victims were children and women, especially pregnant women, who spent a long time at home and used the products to clean humidifiers during the dry winter months.

Those who died suffered acute chest pains and were diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis.

The victims have accused the government of responding slowly while companies have been criticized for unethical behavior and being unwilling to pay compensation.