According to the latest survey in Japan, there are 21 areas in Tokyo where the levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in groundwater exceed the standard, accounting for about one-third of all areas.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government of Japan has been conducting a water quality survey since 2021 to determine the levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in groundwater in the area under its jurisdiction, which ended in March this year. According to the latest survey, there are 21 areas in Tokyo where groundwater levels of such substances are exceeded.
There are 111 places in Japan where the toxic fluoride content in water bodies exceeded the standard
Across Japan, the water pollution situation is also not optimistic. According to the results of the 2022 National Water Quality Survey released by the Ministry of the Environment at the end of last month, 111 of the 1,258 water bodies in the 38 prefectures surveyed had excessive levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. In particular, the amount of such substances in the groundwater of a place in Settsu City, Osaka Prefecture, reached 420 times the provisional national standard in Japan.
Japanese media: The bases of the US military and the Japanese Self-Defense Forces in Japan may be the source of pollution
At the end of last year, some local residents had abnormal blood tests. Since most of the incident areas are close to US military bases in Japan and Japanese Self-Defense Forces bases, these bases are considered possible sources of pollution.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are refractory to degradation and are called "permanent chemicals"
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are difficult to degrade and accumulate in the environment and the human body, and are known as "forever chemicals". Some medical experts have pointed out that long-term consumption of large amounts of water contaminated with such substances may affect reproductive health and children's growth and development, and even cause diseases such as breast cancer and prostate cancer.
Column Editor-in-Chief: Qin Hong Text Editor: Cheng Pei Title Image Source: Xinhua News Agency Data Map Picture Editor: Su Wei
Source: Author: CCTV4