PFAS Levels Over Standard at 242 Sites in Japan
Tokyo, April 25 (Jiji Press)--Concentrations of PFAS, potentially carcinogenic chemicals, in groundwater and river water exceeded Japan's provisional standard at 242 locations in 22 of the country's 47 prefectures in fiscal 2023, an Environment Ministry survey showed Friday.
None of the groundwater or river water was used for drinking. Of the 242 sites in the 22 prefectures including Tokyo, Kanagawa, Osaka, Hiroshima and Okinawa, the PFAS levels were newly found to have exceeded the standard at 42 locations.
PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, were once used for water-repellent finishing and foam-extinguishing agents. The country had banned the production and import of PFOS and PFOA, both of which are main components of PFAS, by 2021.
The government has set a provisional target of limiting the combined amount of PFOS and PFOA to 50 nanograms per liter of tap water.
The ministry survey is based on the results of measurements conducted by 39 prefectures at 2,078 sites in fiscal 2023, which ended in March 2024. Groundwater in the city of Settsu, Osaka, had the highest concentration, at 26,000 nanograms, 520 times the standard. PFAS concentrations exceeded the standard at all 13 sites surveyed in the town of Kadena, Okinawa, home to many U.S. military bases.
(2025/04/25-15:25)
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