Law No. 81 of 1997
Waste treatment in Japan is governed by the "Waste Disposal and Public Cleansing Law". The Ministry of the Environment is responsible for establishing standards for landfill waste, landfill site structure, and landfill site operation and maintenance.
Standards for Verification (hazardous substances containing wastes)
| Disposal method | Landfill | Dumping at sea | ||
| Hazardous substances | Cinder
dust, sludge and slag (mg/l) | Organic
sludge (mg/kg) | Waste acid
waste alkali (mg/l) | Inorganic
sludge (mg/l) |
| alkyl mercury compounds | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| mercury and its compounds | 0.005 | 0.025 | 0.025 | 0.0005 |
| cadmium and its compounds | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.01 |
| lead and its compounds | 0.3 | 1 | 1 | 0.01 |
| organic phosphorous compounds | 1 | 1 | 1 | ND |
| chromium (VI) compounds | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.05 |
| arsenic and its compounds | 0.3 | 0.15 | 0.15 | 0.01 |
| cyanides | 1 | 1 | 1 | ND |
| PCBs | 0.003 | 0.003 | 0.003 | ND |
| trichloroethylene | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.03 |
| tetrachloroethylene | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.01 |
| dichloromethane | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.02 |
| carbon tetrachloride | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.002 |
| 1,2-dichloromethane | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.004 |
| 1,1-dichloroethylene | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.02 |
| cis-1,2-dichloroethylene | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.04 |
| 1,1,1-trichloroethane | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 1,1,2-trichloroethane | 0.06 | 0.06 | 0.06 | 0.006 |
| 1,3-dichloropropene | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.002 |
| thiuram | 0.06 | 0.06 | 0.06 | 0.006 |
| simazine | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.003 |
| thiobencarb | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.02 |
| benzene | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.01 |
| selenium and its compounds | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.01 |
| organochlorine compounds | - | 4 | 4 | 1 |
| copper and its compounds | - | 10 | 10 | 0.14 |
| zinc and its compounds | - | 20 | 20 | 0.8 |
| fluorides | - | 15 | 15 | 3 |
| beryllium and its compounds | - | 2.5 | 2.5 | 0.25 |
| chromium and its compounds | - | 2 | 2 | 0.2 |
| nickel and its compounds | - | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0.12 |
| vanadium and its compounds | - | 1.5 | 1.5 | 0.15 |
| phenol | - | 20 | 20 | 0.2 |