With regard to PFAS, which contain chemical substances that have been pointed out as hazardous, the Ministry of the Environment announced at an expert meeting on March 28 the results of a survey that found that 13% of the 81 locations in 98 prefectures that exceeded the provisional national target values failed to identify the source of emissions, and plans to promptly proceed with measures such as showing specific survey methods to local governments to identify emission sources.

"PFAS" is a general term for artificially created organic fluorine compounds, and two of these substances that were once used to manufacture foam fire extinguishing agents and precision equipment have been pointed out as harmful in American research.

In response to the detection of values significantly exceeding provisional targets in the vicinity of U.S. military bases such as Okinawa and Kanagawa, the Ministry of the Environment established an expert meeting in January to grasp the actual situation, and a meeting was held on January 2.

Among them, the Ministry of the Environment showed that out of 1 sites in 28 prefectures that exceeded provisional targets, 13 sites in 81 prefectures, or 98%, failed to identify emission sources.

Experts suggested that the national government should indicate specific methods for identifying emission sources, and that it would be important to share information with local governments on locations of foam extinguishing agents that may be sources of emissions and factories that handled substances.

Based on these findings, the Ministry of the Environment plans to promptly take measures such as providing specific survey methods to local governments to identify emission sources.

What is organic fluorine compound "PFAS"?

The organic fluorine compound "PFAS" is an artificially created substance that is said to exist in more than 4700,2 types.

Two of them, "PFOS" and "PFOA", are said to easily migrate to water and remain in the environment for a long time, and studies in the United States have reported carcinogenicity and effects on children's growth.

On the other hand, WHO = World Health Organization pointed out that further research is needed on health effects, and the Ministry of the Environment has set up an expert committee to grasp the actual situation, saying that it is necessary to accumulate knowledge to determine the extent to which it is harmful in Japan.

In addition, the water quality targets in Japan are provisional, and official targets are currently being considered.

According to the Ministry of the Environment, due to its properties of repelling water and oil, it was once used for a wide range of applications such as the manufacture of foam extinguishing agents and precision equipment, as well as frying pan coatings and water repellent sprays.

However, in light of overseas trends, the manufacture and import of foam has been banned in Japan by the end of the year, and the Ministry of the Environment has strengthened its monitoring system by adding it to "designated substances" that require notification to local governments when foam extinguishing agents are discharged to the outside due to accidents.

Voices of bewilderment at detection exceeding provisional targets

In regions where values exceeding provisional national targets are detected, there is confusion.

In Ibaraki City, Osaka, PFAS values exceeding the target values were detected at four groundwater sites.

The target value was exceeded by groundwater measured from four wells on the premises of houses and offices, and the highest groundwater was nearly seven times higher.

According to the city, there are no factories or bases that handle PFAS nearby, and questionnaires were distributed to factories around the area that exceeded the target values to investigate the emission sources, but the result was that "the emission source is unknown" in all cases.

A 4-year-old man in the city said that values exceeding the target value were detected in a well near his home, and the well at the man's home was also investigated by the city.

No values exceeding the target value were detected in the man's well, but the city requested that groundwater from the well not be used as drinking water.

The man said, "I have been drinking water from a well for more than 4 years, but this is the first time I have heard of it.

Ibaraki City plans to continue surveys of locations that exceed the target values and expand the scope of rivers and groundwater, but there is no prospect of identifying the source of emissions.

Seiji Nishikawa, Counselor of the Ibaraki City Environmental Policy Division, said, "None of the four sites detected exceeding the target values were large factories, so we did not expect to detect them above the provisional target values. I was talking.

Expert: "Current situation and future path: Government explains"

Koji Harada, an associate professor at the Graduate School of Kyoto University who has been studying the status of PFAS nationwide for more than 20 years and is a member of the expert committee of the Ministry of the Environment, commented on the results of this survey, "It was thought that high concentrations of PFAS could only be detected in relatively limited and special circumstances, such as Okinawa Prefecture, where U.S. military bases are concentrated. Also, since the production of PFOS and PFOA has ended, I think there was a recognition that this problem had been solved. But realistically, given that we have been using this substance in large quantities for many years, we can say from the results of this survey that we just don't really know the actual situation yet."

"For residents, not knowing the source of pollution and the impact on their health causes great anxiety, and it is very important for the government to first explain what they know now and what they should do in the future, as well as the current situation and the way forward," he said.

As a necessary initiative in the future, "there are places where it is clear from past surveys that the values are high, such as the area around factories that handled PFAS, so it is necessary to first understand how PFAS was used in each region. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) will request the cooperation of businesses that have handled PFAS in interviews and investigations, and if it is worked across a wide range of related ministries and agencies, not just the Ministry of the Environment, it will be an effective countermeasure."