October 21, 2004
Ministry of the Environment released a FY 2003 edition of Chemical Substance Fact Sheets for 47 chemical substances subjected to the Law Concerning Reporting, etc., of Release of Specific Chemical Substances to the Environment and Promotion of the Improvement of their Management (hereinafter referred to as the "PRTR Law"). The Ministry has compiled the fact sheets since FY 2002 to provide general public with simplified and easy to understand information on chemical substances which are highly specialized for them. Based on provisional edition compiled by a contractor and opinion collected on this provisional edition, the Ministry finalized the FY 2003 edition of the fact sheets.
The issue of chemical substances and their environmental risks has been considered as an environmental issue very close to the daily life and thus draws great deal of social concern. On the other hand, information on the chemical substances is too specialized and fragmented for those except for experts to accurately understand it. This causes not only unnecessary fear deriving from misunderstanding but also causes obstacles in promoting reduction of environmental risks through everyday life.
By providing an accurate information and promoting the understanding on chemical substances by businesses dealing with chemical substances, consumers, and by people from different perspective, the Ministry hopes to improve and promote an appropriate management for chemical substances to reduce the environmental risk. Therefore, the Ministry will continue to compile fact sheets for chemical substances subjected to the PRTR Law.
<Outline of Fact Sheets>
In compiling the fact sheets, the Ministry worked to make it easy to understand the information on chemical substances which are highly complicated and arcane.
Each substance consists of two pages of text and one page of table and chart. At the top of the sheet, name of substance, alias, PRTR designated number, CAS number and structural formula are listed together with 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, and ecological impacts are indicated. For any terminologies which are specialized and not very familiar in daily life, they are underlined and separately given explanation in the glossary. At the end of the sheet for each substance, list of basic information on that specific substance including nature, volume of production and emission, reasons for designation as PRTR substance, environmental data and relevant legislation are attached with a list of references.
Chemical substances in FY 2003 fact sheets were chosen from those emitted in high-volume according to PRTR data for FY 2001.
<How to get hold of Fact Sheets>
| (1) | Website (only in Japanese) |
| You may refer to the substance you would like to read from: | |
| http://www.env.go.jp/chemi/communication/factsheet.html | |
| PDF files are available from the list of substances or each substance's page. | |
| (2) | Brochure | ||
| Brochure is provided free of charge. (Postage shall be paid by requesters.) | |||
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