There are many types of chemical substances on the earth. Of more than 84,500,000 artificially produced chemical substances, over 100,000 substances have been commercialized. Chemical substances are widely used as raw materials or additives across various industrial fields. Many new chemical substances are produced each year, with the number of chemical substances continuously increasing.
Utilization of such chemical substances has facilitated our lifestyles. These substances, however, include those that may adversely affect people and other living organisms because of their properties and toxicity, or use of such substances under special conditions. There is growing concern about environmental pollution resulting from such hazardous chemical substances.
◎ Results of the Investigation ConcerningHazardous Air Pollutants
The concentrations of 19 volatile organic compounds including benzene, trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, and dichloromethane, and seven items of heavy metals, including nickel compounds, and arsenic and its compounds, have been measured at 15 stations in Tokyo (including two stations where the monitoring has been conducted by Hachioji City).
In our investigations in fiscal 2006, the concentrations of the four substances (benzene, trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, dichloromethane) measured at all the stations were lower than their established Environmental Quality Standards limits.
◎ Results of the Investigation Concerning Public Water Areas
In the investigation of items related to the protection of people’s health (health-related items), the concentrations of 26 hazardous substances were measured. In fiscal 2006, the concentrations measured at all stations were below the relevant Environmental Quality Standards.
◎ Results of the Investigation Concerning Dioxins
The Environmental Quality Standards for dioxins have been determined and their concentrations in the air, soil, water, and sediment have been officially established. In the investigation in fiscal 2006, the concentrations of dioxins in the air, water, soil, and groundwater measured at all the monitoring spots were lower than the relevant Environmental Quality Standards. In particular, the mean of their concentrations in the air has reached a level below one-tenth of the Environmental Quality Standards.
The concentrations of dioxins in the sediment measured at one monitoring spot in the river exceeded the Environmental Quality Standards. Currently, effective measures are being introduced to improve the situation.
◎ Appropriate Control System of ChemicalSubstances According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Environmental Security Ordinance
Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) promotes the control of emissions of hazardous chemical substances by advising business companies that handle chemical substances designated as those requiring appropriate control by Tokyo Metropolitan Environmental Security Ordinance, to voluntarily control such substances in an appropriate manner.
TMG has considered the fact that many of the industrial facilities in Tokyo are categorized as smallscale facilities and has established an appropriate control system for chemical substances. Therefore, the Government requests such smallscale facilities to report their emissions of chemical substances in the environment.
The environmental emissions from the target companies across Tokyo have been decreasing since the introduction of the system. Annual emissions in fiscal 2007 were 5,200 tons, indicating a 35% (2,800 tons) decrease from the level in fiscal 2003.
◎ PRTR system
“PRTR” is the abbreviation for Pollutant Release and Transfer Register. Under the PRTR system, according to the Act on Confirmation, etc. of Release Amounts of Specific Chemical Substances in the Environment and Promotion of Improvements to the Management Thereof, manufacturers that handle any of the 354 hazardous chemical substances in amounts that exceed the specified levels, are required to collect data on the amount of emissions and transfer and submit such data to the Japanese Government, via the prefectural government. The Japanese Government then compiles this data and releases it. In this manner, the people can request the disclosure of data for any company.
Appropriate
Control System for Chemical Substances According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Environmental
Security Ordinance and Act on Confirmation, etc. of Release Amounts of Specific
Chemical Substances in the Environment and Promotion of Improvements to the Management
Thereof (PRTR system)| Appropriate Control System for Chemical Substances | PRTR system | |
|---|---|---|
| Applicable facilities |
Factories/designated workplaces Annual handling quantity 100 kg or more Small-to-medium-sized facilities involved in the coating, printing, plating, and cleaning industries, and gas stations |
23 industrial sectors including manufacturers with 21 workers or more Annual handling quantity 1 t or more Relatively large-scale factories |
| Applicable substances |
Chemical substances requiring appropriate control: 58 substances Chemical substances requiring appropriate control because of their properties and conditions of use (hazardous gases and substances designated by the ordinance) |
Class 1 designated chemical substances: 354 substances Chemical substances that have adverse effects on people and Chemical substances that have adverse effects on people and the ecological system (including ozone depleting effects) and exist widely in the environment |
| Data to be submitted | 5 items: quantity of use, production volume, shipping volume as products, emissions in the environment, quantity of transfer to places other than the facility(waste treatment site, sewage water) | 2 items: quantity of emissions into the environment, quantity of transfer to places other than the facility (waste treatment site, sewage water) |
|
Accumulated results for fiscal 2006 |
Number of facilities that submitted data (2,958 facilities) Quantity of use (673,000 t) Production volume (400 t) Shipping volume as products (302,100 t) Quantity of emissions into the environment (5,200 t) Quantity of transfer to places other than the facility (5,900 t) |
Number of facilities that submitted data (1,473 facilities) Emissions into the environment (2,900 t) Quantity of transfer to places other than the facility (2,900 t) |
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 Project for constructing a local model for promotion
of risk communicationThe emissions of chemical substances in Tokyo are characterized by the higher proportion of those from small-tomedium- sized business companies and by the wide regional differences. It is often difficult for many of such business companies to independently promote the risk communication with local residents. Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) has considered the actual situation and made efforts to promote the risk communication among business companies, local residents and local government officials, and promotes the model project in order to enable reduction of environmental risks at the local level. 
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