The issue of chemical substances and their environmental risks has been considered as an environmental issue very close to our daily life and draws great deal of social concern. On the other hand, information on the chemical substances is too specialized and fragmented for laymen to precisely understand it. Thus, unnecessary fear attributed to lack of understanding may arise, while the promotion of reducing environmental risks to be practiced in daily life may be hindered. In compiling the fact sheets, the Ministry of the Environment made it easy enough to understand the information on chemical substances which are highly complicated and arcane.

Each fact sheet on a substance consists of two pages of text and one page of table. At the top of the sheet, the name of a substance, alias, PRTR designated number, CAS number and structural formula are listed together with a boxed brief description of the substance. Following these listings, purpose of use, emission, behavior in the environment, health impacts including toxicity, absorption to human body and impacts, as well as ecological impacts are described. Technical terms not common in our daily life were underlined and explained in a glossary. At the end of a sheet for each substance, list of basic information on that specific substance including nature, volume of production and emission, reasons for designation as a substance subject to the PRTR Law, environmental data and relevant legislations are attached with a list of references.