1. Exposures to humidifier disinfectant and various health conditions in Korean based on personal exposure assessment data of claimants for compensation
- Author
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Myeongjin Hong, Min Jae Ju, Jeonggyo Yoon, Wonyoung Lee, Seula Lee, Eun-kyung Jo, Seo-Youn Choi, Wonho Yang, and Yoon-Hyeong Choi
- Subjects
Humidifier disinfectant ,Humidifier disinfectant exposure ,Reported health conditions ,Public aspects of medicine ,RA1-1270 - Abstract
Abstract Background Humidifier disinfectants (HDs) were commonly used household chemicals to prevent microbial growth in a humidifier water tank in South Korea. A growing body of evidence has indicated that its airborne exposure can induce severe lung injury. However, there has been low awareness of other health outcomes in HD users. This study aimed to evaluate health conditions appealed by claimants for compensation in relation with an increased exposure to HD. Methods From survey data of personal HD exposure assessment of claimants for compensation in Korea, we included a total of 4,179 subjects [cases in each dataset were defined by nine reported health conditions, i.e., pneumonia, asthma, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, otorhinolaryngologic disease, brain disease (including cerebrovascular disease), dermatological disease, lung cancer, and all cancers]. HD exposures was considered as the following exposure criteria: exposure duration, exposure proximity, exposure direction, chemical type, cumulative exposure time, indoor air concentration, and cumulative exposure level. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate the associations between HD exposure and health conditions. Results After adjusting for sociodemographic and health behavioral factors and other chemical exposures (households, environmental, and occupational exposures), an increase in cumulative HD exposure time was significantly associated with risks of all nine diseases (all p-trends
- Published
- 2023
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