Dioxin Levels Exceed Standards at 70 Sites

Japan's Ministry of the Environment (MOE) currently monitors dioxin levels based on the Law Concerning Special Measures Against Dioxins, which entered into force in the year 2000. It recently announced the results of its fiscal 2001 survey on dioxins in the environment.

Measurements were conducted at 2,213 river and marine sites for water quality, 979 for ambient air, 3,735 for soil, 1,473 for quality of ground water and 1,813 for sediment. The MOE detected dioxin levels exceeding environmental quality standards in water quality at 47 sites, in ambient air at 8, in soil at 1 and in sediment at 14. Groundwater quality at all sites measured was below standard.

The MOE reported that dioxin emissions into the environment are decreasing year-by-year, a trend that has been followed by the downward trend of dioxin levels in ambient air and public waters. The result is an increase in the number of monitoring sites that meet the country's environmental standards.

Municipalities with sites that exceeded standards are currently planning and implementing surveys and countermeasures to deal with pollution levels. The MOE will continue the environmental survey in its regular observations from the next fiscal year on, with attention to sites that failed to meet standards this time.



Posted: 2002/12/30 06:16:27 AM
Japanese version