Chemophobia widespread among mothers of young children

Chemophobia widespread among mothers of young children. May. 16, 2016 07:34. by 유근형기자 noel@donga.com.

"Chemophobia," a fear of chemical products in general, is spreading, as the humidifier disinfectant fiasco is escalating wildly. People are now suspicious about safety of all products containing chemical substances, including not only air fresheners and deodorizers, but also mosquito repellents and mouthwashes, which are classified as sanitary aid after undergoing efficacy and safety test.

People who have chemophobia more strongly than anyone else are mothers who have young children aged below five. “A large company like Oxy told lies, and we can hardly believe anyone,” said Yoon Han-joo, mother of a five-year-old son and a three-year-old daughter in Seoul’s Songpa district. “I am trying to minimize the use of chemical products by exchanging information through online café which only mothers in the local community can sign up to join as members.”

Public fear is growing all the more because air fresheners and deodorizers that function to remove diverse odors from clothing are used in almost all different spaces including offices and cars, as well as homes and restaurants. According to the National Institute of Environmental Research under the Environment Ministry on Sunday, companies have no obligation to publicize ingredients in air freshener and deodorizer products that are sold in the market, because these are manufactured goods. However, experts say that Febreze, a famed air freshener product sold in the Korean market, uses quaternary ammonium chloride that could potentially have damaging effect on the lung when inhaled, and hence measures are urgently needed to address the concern.

As chemophobia has spread, consumers are taking collective action en masse as well. The organization of families of humidifier disinfectant victims and the Asian Citizens’ Center for Environment and Health held a press conference in Seoul’s Jongno district on Sunday, and claimed that “Prosecutors should arrest Oxy’s incumbent and former foreign CEOs and executives and investigate them in custody.”