Potentially harmful “silver” detected in domestic humidifier filters: Environmental ministry knew but kept quiet

A humidifier sterilizing filter sold by one major home appliances company. Courtesy of the office of legislator Jin Sung-joon

A substance that could harm the human body in the same way as humidifier disinfectants was found in sterilizing filters for humidifiers produced by domestic electronics manufacturers. The Ministry of Environment confirmed the fact two years ago, but chose not to disclose it.

On October 10, according to documents including a report on humidifier filters, which Democratic Party of Korea legislator Jin Sung-joon, a member of the parliamentary Environment and Labor Committee, received from the environmental ministry, the Kyunghyang Shinmun confirmed that five of the fifteen humidifier sterilizing filters distributed in South Korea contained “silver,” which could cause harm when inhaled. It was the result of a study that the ministry commissioned in 2021. The ion resin in the humidifier filters remove water stains and sterilizing balls prevent the reproduction of bacteria. Most appliance manufacturers known in South Korea including Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics have sold these filters.

Experts believe that the silver in the filter could have a harmful effect on the human body in the sterilization process. The silver ions in the filter destroy cell membranes to sterilize the water.

Reportedly, the toxicity of the silver in the filter was similar to that of the solid humidifier disinfectants manufactured by Oxy. The government has already recognized seven victims of Oxy’s solid disinfectants.

In October 2020, when the committee for a special investigation into social disasters announced that the humidifier sterilizing filters could be harmful like the humidifier disinfectants, the environmental ministry launched a probe and in the following month announced that silver was not detected in any of the 23 products that were tested.

In a study commissioned by the National Institute of Environmental Research in 2021, researchers conducted tests on fifteen domestic filters using more detailed criteria and found traces of silver in five of the products. The results of the study were included in the report, “A Study on the Management of Sterilizing Parts of Humidifiers,” which the National Institute of Environmental Research received in September 2021.

But when the Environment and Labor Committee inspected the environmental ministry last October, the director of the Environmental Health Bureau in the ministry said that they did not find silver in the humidifier filters. Thus, some argue that a senior official in the environmental ministry gave a false statement in the parliamentary inspection.

Lawmaker Jin said, “Since it has been revealed that silver was detected in sterilizing filters distributed in the country, we need to test the toxicity when it is inhaled to see what impact the filters can have on the human body just as they tested humidifier disinfectants for toxic substances.” He also argued, “Since the filters can act like the disinfectants, we need to have appliances makers like Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics to pay their share to compensate and support victims, just like Oxy, Aekyung, and SK Chemicals--companies responsible for problems caused by humidifier disinfectants.”

The Democratic Party lawmaker tried but failed to call corporate representatives of Samsung and LG to appear before the Environment and Labor Committee for the parliamentary inspection of the environmental ministry scheduled for October 11. According to the legislator, Samsung and LG admitted that the humidifier filters they sold acted in the same way as the humidifier disinfectants. In 2012, Samsung Electronics removed the silver in its own products. A Samsung Electronics representative explained, “After the silver content became an issue, we have not sold products that contain silver.”

Lawmaker Jin called for an audit by the Board of Audit and Inspection on the environment ministry officials who concealed the fact after confirming that the sterilizing filters like humidifier disinfectants could be harmful to people’s health.