Environmental Quality Standards (EQS) for soil pollution were issued in August 1991. As a result of additions made in February 1994, the EQS now regulate 25 substances. Guidelines for Investigation and Countermeasures for Soil and Groundwater Pollution were established in November 1994, to ensure smooth implementation of surveys and countermeasures based on the EQS and Evaluation Standards Relevant to Soil and Groundwater. Administrative guidance is provided to polluters to urge them to clean up polluted soil voluntarily under these guidelines.
Environmental Quality Standards for Soil Pollution
| Substance | Target level of soil quality
examined through leaching and content tests |
| cadmium | 0.01 mg/l in sample solution and less than 0.4mg/kg in rice for agricultural land |
| total cyanide | not detectable in sample solution |
| organic phosphorus | not detectable in sample solution |
| lead | 0.01 mg/l or less in sample solution |
| chromium (VI) | 0.05 mg/l or less in sample solution |
| arsenic | 0.01 mg/l or less in sample solution, and less than 15 mg/kg in soil for agricultural land (paddy fields only) |
| total mercury | 0.0005 mg/l or less in sample solution |
| alkyl mercury | not detectable in sample solution |
| PCBs | not detectable in sample solution |
| copper | less than 125 mg/kg in soil for agricultural land (paddy fields only) |
| dichloromethane | 0.02 mg/l or less in sample solution |
| carbon tetrachloride | 0.002 mg/l or less in sample solution |
| 1,2-dichloroethane | 0.004 mg/l or less in sample solution |
| 1,1-dichloroethylene | 0.02 mg/l or less in sample solution |
| cis-1,2-dichloroethylene | 0.04 mg/l or less in sample solution |
| 1,1,1-trichloroethane | 1 mg/l or less in sample solution |
| 1,1,2-trichloroethane | 0.006 mg/l or less in sample solution |
| trichloroethylene | 0.03 mg/l or less in sample solution |
| tetrachloroethylene | 0.01 mg/l or less in sample solution |
| 1,3-dichloropropene | 0.002 mg/l or less in sample solution |
| thiuram | 0.006 mg/l or less in sample solution |
| simazine | 0.003 mg/l or less in sample solution |
| thiobencarb | 0.02 mg/l or less in sample solution |
| benzene | 0.01 mg/l or less in sample solution |
| selenium | 0.01 mg/l or less in sample solution |
| The above standards are not applicable to: 1) Places where natural toxic substances exist such as near mineral veins, and 2) Places designated for storage of toxic materials such as waste disposal sites. |