S. Korea's nuclear safety agency orders recalls of radon-emitting mattress

SEOUL, Sept. 18 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's nuclear safety agency said Tuesday that it has ordered three local companies to recall mattresses and pillows that have been found to emit higher-than-permissible levels of radon gas, a radioactive substance.

The recalls affect Kanuda pillows made by Tni Co. and mattresses made by furniture firm Enex Co. and Sungji Bed, according to the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission.

The agency said Tni is presumed to have sold about 29,000 pillows, and the company has so far recalled about 900.

Radon is a colorless and odorless gas that can be found in nature as an indirect decay product of uranium or thorium. Being exposed to radon for long periods of time can lead to lung cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.

In 2012, Enex sold a total of 244 mattress that are known to emit radon at levels up to 9.7 times the national standard, the agency said. Only five of them have so far been recalled.

The agency also ordered Sungji Bed, a small bedmaker, to recall about 6,000 mattresses over similar safety concerns.

Earlier this year, South Korea recalled about 24,000 mattresses produced by Daijin Bed Co. for emitting radon, sparking nationwide public safety concerns.

entropy@yna.co.kr
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