Gov't to ban use of humidifier disinfectant material in dish soap

SEOUL, Nov. 5 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will ban sales of dish soap that contain materials used in humidifier disinfectants that caused the death of 70 people, the government said Sunday.

The measures that reflect changes in local product standards will go into effect in April 2018 and bar the production and import of dish washing liquids that contain chloromethylisothiazolinone (CMIT) and methylisothiazolinone (MIT), the Ministry of Health and Welfare said.

It said the move will center on soaps that are mostly used in households to wash dishes, as well as clean various produce like vegetables and fruits. Those products that are only used for dish washing and industrial purposes will not be affected by the rule changes.

The move against CMIT-MIT, which are synthetic antimicrobial substances, reflect public concerns here against compounds that were linked to the deadly humidifier disinfectants scandal.

The incident is one of the worst consumer product scandals in the country that came to light after four pregnant women died of mysterious lung problems in 2011. Criminal actions have been taken against company executives involved in the sale of the products, with the British company involved announcing compensation measures to victims and their families.

"The changes will eliminate potentially harmful chemicals from being used in the making of dish soap sold here from the outset," the ministry said.

yonngong@yna.co.kr
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