Harmful substances in SK humidifier disinfectant
SK Chemicals logo / Yonhap
By Kim Hyun-bin
Recent research shows the humidifier disinfectant developed by SK Chemicals and Aekyung could be harmful to humans with the possibility to cause asthma and other respiratory diseases.
In 2011, the company's humidifier disinfectants were linked to hundreds of deaths.
The recent findings were made through animal testing and are set to be used as evidence in the ongoing prosecutorial criminal trial against the related companies.
The Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute's report, titled “humidifier disinfectant induced respiratory disease,” shows how Chloromethylisothiazolinone (CMIT) and Methylisothiazolinone (MIT) are linked to asthma and pneumonia.
Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office suspects SK to have concealed the toxicity reports on CMIT and MIT when developing the humidifier disinfectant.
The research was conducted between April 2017 and December 2019 with lab rats repeatedly injected with CMIT and MIT.
According to the report, the lab rats had increased amounts mucous in their respiratory systems, increasing infections and instances of asthma.
“We have found that repeat injections of CMIT and MIT have worsened asthma,” a researcher at the Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute said, claiming the results indicate the possibility of developing respiratory diseases when using the humidifier disinfectant. “We have found indicators that could cause lung fibrosis. The results of the research could be used as scientific evidence to prove it damages the lungs.”
In 2011, the same research entity conducted animal tests, but failed to correlate CMIT and MIT to have caused respiratory diseases. The results at the time excluded SK Chemical and Aekyung from the initial investigations.
“In 2011, when testing Oxy products of the harmfulness of PHMG, CMIT and MIT, it was unable to find any relations to respiratory diseases. Luckily, nine years later the harmfulness is confirmed through animal testing,” an official from the Special Commission on Social Disaster Investigation said.
There have been numerous tests since 2011, but the recent research solely focused on MIT and CMIT and how they cause asthma and other respiratory diseases.
In past trials, SK claimed there were no “diseases that were confirmed from animal testing” and did not recognize that CMIT and MIT were harmful to the human body.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office plans to use the research results to break SK's defense.
SK Chemicals manufactured and supplied CMIT and MIT for its own product, Humidifier Mate, sold by Aekyung.
While Oxy and several others have been slapped with fines for mislabeling the disinfectants as safe for humans, SK Chemicals had avoided criminal punishment claiming it did not know the harmful effects of the chemicals on the human body.?
The Korea Times contacted SK Chemicals but failed to get a response on the issue.