Lack of Safety and Management Regulations for Livestock Quarantine Chemicals... Tens of Billions Spent on Treatment Costs

No Detailed Regulations on Disinfectants under the Livestock Infectious Diseases Prevention Act
Over 90% Cost Reduction After Switching to Neutral Electrolyzed Water
Lee Wontak: "Ingredient-Specific Safety and Discharge Standards Must Be Established"

Wontak Lee, member of the Democratic Party of Korea.

Highly toxic disinfectants are being used at livestock quarantine sites, yet there are concerns over the lack of safety and management regulations for these substances.

According to data submitted by Wontak Lee, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea (representing Gunsan, Gimje, and Buan in North Jeolla Province), on October 30, the annual cost of livestock quarantine chemicals and related wastewater treatment at regional disinfection facilities operated by metropolitan and local governments across the country amounts to several billion won each year.

In South Jeolla Province, 24 regional disinfection facilities are currently in operation, with a budget of 3.3 billion won allocated for purchasing livestock quarantine chemicals over the past five years. During the same period, the cost of outsourcing chemical wastewater treatment reached approximately 300 million won. In other regions, Gyeonggi Province spent about 550 million won, and North Gyeongsang Province about 380 million won, with annual budgets of around 1 billion won being used for purchasing quarantine chemicals and wastewater treatment in each area.

Despite tens of billions of won being spent on purchasing disinfectants and treating wastewater, most of the products used by local governments are highly toxic, such as chlorine-based disinfectants and quaternary ammonium compounds. Furthermore, it has been revealed that there is insufficient safety verification at the sites regarding water quality, soil, and human health.

Currently, the domestic livestock quarantine system only mandates the disinfection of facilities under the Livestock Infectious Diseases Prevention Act, with no detailed regulations on the ingredients, types, usage standards, or residue management of disinfectants. As a result, the habitual use of expensive and toxic chemicals continues.

For example, Hwasun County spent 7 billion won on purchasing and treating chemical disinfectants for livestock quarantine from 2022 to 2022. However, after switching to neutral electrolyzed water in 2023-2024, the cost dropped to just 200 million won. Similarly, Jangseong County spent 8 billion won on chemical disinfectants from 2020 to 2022, but only 400 million won after switching to neutral electrolyzed water in 2023-2024.

Assemblyman Lee pointed out, "Chlorine-based disinfectants cause water pollution due to residual chlorine when discharged into rivers, and quaternary ammonium compounds are highly toxic to fish and aquatic organisms, posing a risk of ecological disruption. Although these chemicals are still widely used at many regional disinfection facilities, the government has yet to establish toxicity assessments or discharge standards."

He further stressed, "Livestock quarantine is not simply about preventing disease; it is a matter of protecting public health and environmental safety. A comprehensive investigation into the use of highly toxic quarantine chemicals is urgently needed, along with the prompt establishment of ingredient-specific safety standards, usage guidelines, and discharge criteria."