The toxic humidifier disinfectant case in South Korea was caused by substances which contain a fungicide.
According to a current research, 1500 people had been damaged and 239 people of them were died.
The damage scope will be extended as inspection has been proceeding. Then how on the earth does distribute products have the toxicity even able to kill human?
April 2011, at the point of the first time for humidifier disinfectant issue, Health Authorities undertook the epidemiological after 7 pregnant women were hospitalized for Acute Respiratory failure and 4 of them had unknown deaths.
Four months later, the result was suggested that the cause of the deaths might be in humidifier disinfectant. The suspect was chemical materials named PHMG and PGH.
This material is contained in a septic tank abstergent, a disinfectant, and antiseptic in foreign countries. It can cause serious lung damage if inhaled, even though it is safe in case of skin contract or intake.
The problem is that the maleficence is not investigated any of the manufacturers that used these materials ,at the stage of development, saying it is even safe for infants.
The humidifier disinfectant was sorted as industrial product not as medical supplies, so that there was no grounds to enforce manufacturer to legally confirm maleficence.
It is because it does not even sell fungicides in overseas, the Korea government avoided the responsibility for the damage like this way.
Five years have passed since first accident occurred, so now how were the follow-up measures for victims dealt with?
Though it was found that humidifier disinfectant killed human, manufacturers recalled 6 kinds of distributed products after 3 months passed by. It was too late since people still used it before recalled.
The first investigation on the victims by the government only began two years after the accident (July, 2013), and investigation by the prosecutor’s office was commenced four years after the victims filed a suit against the company.
Until early this year, only one prosecutor had been handling the case before actual task force was set up by the Seoul Supreme Prosecutor’s office.
Mean while, the company Oxy Reckitt Benckiser, (103 death/ 4.53million sales ) which was recording the highest sales in the market for the product category, prepared itself to get away from legal liabilities.
It seems they went as far to even change the organizational structure from a corporation to a limited liability company.
It's more than 8 million people who have been exposed to the disinfectant for 17 years since a humidifier disinfectant has been sold in Korea for the first time. Humidifier disinfectant had been sold 600,000 until 2011 when it stopped selling.
Yet, considering the cases of not even knowing that they are victims, the unknown losses are humongous.
What if accidental homicide is applicable to companies? The statue of limitation is only 7 years so the victims before 2008 are not even able to start investigation.
The companies are already aware of the possibilitybut they ignored it and tried to cover the proof on purpose. This is why The victims are appealing now that Oxy Reckitt Benckiser should be charged for murder crime.
The companies have begun to apologize and to give compensation as the prosecution’s probe started to rapidly gain speed. Oxy which had remained silent also offered money for the victims.
But, of course, government is responsible for insufficient supervision on the exposure of killing products. It took about 5 years to investigate victims, and there was no regulation.
Therefore, This humidifier disinfectant case put millions peoples’ lives in danger and it is considered to be a 'biocide' killed hundreds of people and made them ill.
