Ministry Releases Findings on Pollution from Chemicals in FY2002

Japan's Ministry of the Environment recently released survey findings for fiscal 2002 regarding environmental pollution caused by chemical substances. In line with its decision in 2001 to revise survey methods, the ministry selected chemicals to be studied from a list of chemicals prepared by outside experts and ministry departments in charge of risk control. The ministry conducted three studies, each with a different focus: initial environmental conditions, exposure amounts and monitoring studies.

The aim of the initial environmental conditions studies is to determine the actual status of residual amounts of chemicals in the environment. The targets of this research include the chemical substances designated by the Chemical Substances Control Law, the candidate substances covered by the country's PRTR (Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers) system, chemicals released as unwanted industrial by-products, and chemicals that need to be studied from the viewpoint of environment risk assessment as well as for impacts on society. Nine out of thirteen target substances were detected. Since 1974 a total of 801 substances have been targeted in these studies and 346 of them have been detected.

The exposure studies are intended to help determine the amounts of chemicals humans and other living organisms are exposed to. The findings are indispensable for environment risk assessment. This time, all six of the target substances were detected.

The aim of the monitoring studies is to follow, on a continuous basis, the conditions of highly persistent chemicals for which environmental standards have not yet been established. The ministry selects the target substances from among designated substances and candidate substances of the POPs treaty (the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants) and those designated by the Chemical Substances Control Law.

This time, eight persistent organic pollutants were targeted for monitoring of water quality at 38 sites, bottom sediment at 63 sites, living organisms (fish, shellfish, birds) at 23 sites, and air quality at 34 sites. Except for one persistent organic pollutant that was not detected in birds, all the target substances were detected at all the sites. Organic tin compounds were not detected in birds, although they were detected in bottom sediment, fish and shellfish.

The Ministry of the Environment has posted the outline of the research findings on its website and intends to publish the detailed information in the fiscal 2003 edition of a booklet titled "Chemical Substances and the Environment," which is used by the Ministry of the Environment, other government ministries and agencies, and local governments.




Posted: 2004/06/02 02:22:00 PM
Japanese version