Host of business entities charged with illegal distribution of hazardous chemical PHMG

The Korean Ministry of Environment identified 33 business entities involved in unauthorized manufacture and sale of the hazardous chemical Polyhexamethylene Guanidine  ("PHMG"). These entities allegedly violated the Chemicals Control Act. The case has been forwarded to the Seoul Eastern District Public Prosecutor's Office.

From 2013 to up until recently, these business entities imported hazardous chemicals without notifying ME or skirted the law to manufacture and sell PHMG without seeking certification. The illegal practices of a host of business entities were exposed in the recent crackdown.

In particular, it was found that some distributors falsely reported the concentration of PHMG in the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) to make it appear below the hazard classification criteria and distributed their products as general chemicals, eluding the vigilance of the public servants.
 
Two types of PHMG phosphate  and chloride are distributed and used in Korea. PHMG-phosphate was uncovered as the cause of the humidifier disinfectant scandal. Since September 2012, mixtures with a concentration of phosphate exceeding 25% were classified as hazardous chemicals; however, with the revision in March 2014, the concentration limit is now set at 1%. Furthermore, with the adoption of the new classification regarding chloride in March 2014, concentration of chloride exceeding 1% will trigger a hazard classification in the mixture.

The recent crackdown exposed the illegal manufacture and sales of a total of 295 tons of PHMG. While phosphate was mostly contained in the antimicrobial finishing agent for textiles, chloride was used as the ingredient for antimicrobial plastics. PHMG used to produce humidifier cleaners has not been confirmed.

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