Current Status and Problems Concerning the Management of Persistent Organic Chemicals Used in Products and those of Unintentional Products in Japan

AbstractWith the global initiatives for chemical management such as Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), Agenda 21, and SAICM, the Government of Japan took some positive measures against PCBs wastes, industrial chemicals, and unintentionally formed POPs. Here, those measures and their results will be explained, and the problems left will be discussed. The POPs listed by Stockholm Convention are designated as class I specified chemical substance under the Chemical Substance Control Law in Japan and their production, import, and use are strictly regulated. The law, however, works only as follow-up actions though it has re-inspection system on existing chemicals. As for unintentionally formed POPs, their emission inventories are estimated and updated every year expecting the better management by related facilities.KeywordsChemical ManagementPersistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)Stockholm ConventionSAICMPCBsDioxinsUnintentional Products