Journal of Environmental Health Sciences (한국환경보건학회지)

Korean Society of Environmental Health (한국환경보건학회)
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Distribution of Health Problems Associated with Humidifier Disinfectant by Year

연도별 가습기 살균제 피해자 분포 고찰 - 폐 손상 중심 -

  • Park, Dong-Uk (Department of Environmental Health, Korea National Open University) ;
  • Ryu, Seung-Hun (Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University) ;
  • Roh, Hyun-Suk (Tiny Labs)
  • 박동욱 (한국방송통신대학교 환경보건학과) ;
  • 류승훈 (서울대학교 보건대학원 환경보건학과) ;
  • 노현석 (타이니랩스)
  • Received : 2016.11.15
  • Accepted : 2016.12.19
  • Published : 2016.12.30
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Abstract

Objectives: Studies are needed to examine the characteristics of health effects reported by people who used humidifier disinfectant (HD), including the distribution of victims. Methods: We analyzed the distribution of health effects including lung injury that were asserted by a total of 699 individuals who registered with the first through third national programs to determine health effects associated with the use of HD. Results: We found that HD-associated lung injury (HDLI) occurred every year from 2002 through 2011, and in 2011 for 37.2% (n=96) of the total of 258 clinically evaluated HDLI victims. More than half of the victims responded that they were victimized between 2010 and 2011. This was consistent among all classifications by sex, age, HD brand and HD chemical ingredient. Conclusion: This study assumed that the major reason for the outbreak of the health effect between 2010 and 2011 could be the variations in concentrations and physical properties related to polyhexamethylene guanidine (PHMG). Further studies are necessary to examine if some factors related to the chemical disinfectants contained in HD brands may have caused the massive outbreak of health effects including HDLI.

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References

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