Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology

  • Volume 31
  • /
  • Pages.14.1-14.4
  • /
  • 2016
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  • 2671-9525(eISSN)
The Korean Society of Environmental Health and Toxicology (환경독성보건학회)
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Major concerns regarding lung injury and related health conditions caused by the use of humidifier disinfectant

  • Park, Donguk (Department of Environmental Health, Korea National Open University)
  • Received : 2016.05.28
  • Accepted : 2016.07.16
  • Published : 2016.01.01
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Abstract

A total of 221 patients were evaluated to be humidifier disinfectant associated with lung injury (HDLI) through two rounds of programs through April 2015. The humidifier disinfectant (HD) brands most often associated with HDLI were found to be Oxy (n=151, 68 %) and Cefu (n=26, 17 %). Polyhexamethylene guanidine used for disinfectant for four types of HD brands including Oxy was found to be associated with the highest number of HDLI cases (n=188). Further programs are operating to identify various health effects including lung injury which may be associated with the use of HD. Not only national agencies, but also pertinent environmental health societies should cooperate in the necessary investigations so that this tragedy can be properly addressed and future incidents concerning chemicals and chemical-containing products can be prevented.

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References

  1. Park DU, Ryu SH, Lim HK, Kim SK, Ahn J, Roh HS, et al. Characteristics of exposure to humidifier disinfectant by lung injury patients. J Environ Health Sci 2016;42(3):147-159 (Korean).
  2. World Health Organization. International programme on chemical safety: poisons centres [cited 2016 Jun 13]. Available from: http://www.who.int/ipcs/poisons/centre/en/.
  3. American Association of Poison Control Centers. National poison data system [cited 2016 Jun 13]. Available from: http://www.aapcc.org/data-system/.
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  1. Act on the Registration and Evaluation of Chemicals (K-REACH) and replacement, reduction or refinement best practices vol.31, pp.None, 2016, https://doi.org/10.5620/eht.e2016026
  2. Psychological Responses among Humidifier Disinfectant Disaster Victims and Their Families vol.34, pp.4, 2016, https://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2019.34.e29