The Unlikely Killer That Claimed Thousands Of South Korean Lives

In the early 21st century, a household convenience turned deadly in South Korea, unfolding one of the country’s most severe public health crises. The unlikely perpetrator was humidifier disinfectants, chemicals intended to keep the air moist and breathable during dry winters. However, they morphed into silent killers when aerosolized, leading to severe lung diseases and claiming thousands of lives.

The crisis, now known as the “South Korean Humidifier Disinfectant Scandal,” began subtly with an outbreak detected in children between 2006 and 2011 and later in adults in the spring of 2011. The mortality rates were chilling — 58% of affected children and 53% of adults either died or required lung transplants due to exposure to these chemicals.

At the heart of the scandal were certain chemicals present in humidifier disinfectants. Detailed investigations by the South Korean Centers for Disease Control (CDC) identified Polyhexamethylene guanidine (PHMG) as the principal causative agent. Other chemicals implicated included methylchloroisothiazolinone (CMIT), methylisothiazolinone (MIT), and oligo guanidinium-chloride (PGH). Experiments revealed the pulmonary toxicity of PHMG and PGH, which led to their ban in 2011. However, the damage was already done with CMIT, and MIT was also found to have adverse effects on the brain and skin, although a direct causal relationship to lung diseases was not established​.

The impact of the scandal was profound and long-lasting. Some estimates suggest that around 14,000 people might have died due to the outbreak, a figure much higher than initially thought. This revelation sent shockwaves through the nation, painting a grim picture of a consumer goods disaster unparalleled in South Korean history. There was even a novel and movie adaptation — Air Murder — made about the tragedy in 2022.

Legal repercussions followed as the nation sought justice for the victims. The former head of Oxy Reckitt Benckiser, a company whose product was used by most victims, was sentenced to seven years in prison. Other executives from different companies were also held accountable, although some were acquitted. The scandal led to various court indictments against Reckitt Benckiser, particularly due to their product “Oxy Ssak Ssak” being most commonly used by the victims.

The government-led investigation in 2011, spurred by consumer reports of deaths and illnesses tied to humidifier disinfectants, opened a pandora’s box of regulatory and consumer safety issues. The scandal highlighted the critical importance of rigorous product safety testing, especially for substances that could potentially be inhaled or ingested by consumers.

The tragedy remains a somber lesson in consumer safety and corporate responsibility. It also highlights the potential dangers lurking within everyday household items, as well as the grave consequences that can ensue when safety is compromised for convenience.