'Nanofilter Mask' Harm Controversy Intensifies... Civic Groups Urge "Daegu City to Take Direct Action"

Daitect "Residual Amount Unit and Conversion Error... Within MFDS Standards"
Civic Group "MFDS Has Never Approved Safety" Rebuttal

The photo shows members of a civic group urging the Daegu Metropolitan Office of Education on the 2nd to recall all masks amid the ongoing controversy.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Dongwook Park] Civic groups in Daegu are raising concerns about the safety of replaceable nano-filter masks distributed to frontline schools and are pressuring the manufacturer and Daegu city authorities daily.

They are demanding detailed data from DYETEC, the developer under the Daegu Dyeing Industrial Complex's Textile Dyeing and Processing Research Institute, and urging Daegu city to take direct action to resolve the issue and uncover the truth.

On the 6th, Daegu Participation Solidarity and Daegu Legislative Participation Center held a press conference at the city council, stating, "DYETEC claimed that the nano-filter masks passed the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) quality standards for quasi-drugs, but this is false," and argued, "The MFDS notice pertains to 'replaceable polypropylene filter attachment sheets,' and the 'polyarylsulfone' polymer used by DYETEC in the nano-filter does not fall under this standard."

Earlier, on the 30th, DYETEC issued a statement explaining, "The detected amount of dimethylformamide (DMF) claimed by Daegu Participation Solidarity to be about 40 ppm in the masks corresponds to 40 mg per 1 kg when converted," and "The residual DMF per DYETEC mask is 0.016 mg, which is far below the MFDS residual solvent standard daily exposure limit of 8.8 mg, making it safe for humans." The civic groups' claim was said to be a mistake in converting the units of residual amounts.

Regarding this, Participation Solidarity and others conveyed the MFDS position, stating, "The MFDS has said that 'nano-filter masks have never been approved due to safety concerns, and even trace amounts of DMF should not be detected in masks,'" and demanded, "DYETEC must disclose all data, including DMF test reports and MFDS quality standard test materials."

They further pointed out, "This situation is similar to the case where toxic research was not conducted on humidifier disinfectant components classified as industrial products inhaled through the respiratory tract, resulting in no sanctions until victims appeared," and "Nano-filter masks are also industrial products, not health masks, and their harmfulness when inhaled all day has not been verified."

They emphasized, "Since this is a matter concerning children's safety, we cannot continue with mere disputes; Daegu city must take direct action to resolve the issue," and warned, "If there is no response from the city by tomorrow (the 7th), we will request testing from an accredited institution and disclose the results."

The problematic 10 million replaceable nano-filters, along with 1 million cotton masks, were distributed in April and May to vulnerable groups and students in the Daegu Dyeing Industrial Complex. In particular, the Daegu Metropolitan Office of Education, supported by 1.2 billion KRW from Daegu city in April, supplied 300,000 cotton masks and 1 million replaceable nano-filters to 801 locations including elementary, middle, high schools, and kindergartens.

However, on June 23, controversy erupted after a media report claimed that dimethylformamide, a harmful substance known to be fatal to the liver, was detected in the nano-filters of the distributed masks. Following the safety concerns, the Daegu Office of Education immediately sent official letters to frontline schools, ordering the suspension of mask use by students until safety conclusions are reached.

Subsequently, on the 2nd, the "Daegu Joint Action for COVID-19 Socioeconomic Crisis Response," composed of 47 organizations including Daegu Participation Solidarity and the Daegu branch of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU), held a press conference at the Office of Education, urging investigation into the use of replaceable nano-filter cotton masks and their complete recall, highlighting the potential hazards of DYETEC's 'nano-filter masks.'

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.