PFAS Pollution in Settsu, Osaka - as of 2024

PFAS Pollution in Settsu, Osaka - as of 2024

A total of 21,000 ng/L of PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonic acid) and PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) were detected in groundwater in Settsu City, Osaka Prefecture. This concentration is 420 times higher than the provisional target value of 50 ng/L set by the Ministry of the Environment, and is considered the most serious case of PFAS contamination in Japan (Ministry of the Environment, 2024). This has been pointed out as a health risk to residents, including cancer and endocrine abnormalities, and there is particular concern about the impact on agricultural water and the food chain.

As for the cause of the contamination, it is highly likely that PFAS used in factories and manufacturing industries in the Settsu area seeped into the groundwater, but it is difficult to identify the source of the contamination; PFAS is extremely difficult to decompose and is difficult to remove using general purification techniques, so the Ministry of the Environment and Settsu City are conducting investigations to identify the contamination source and simultaneously implementing groundwater The Ministry of the Environment and Settsu City have been conducting investigations to identify the source of the contamination, and at the same time, are promoting groundwater purification measures. Prior to this, the strengthening of domestic regulations is also under consideration, comparing with environmental standards in the U.S. and Europe.

Nationally, PFAS contamination has been reported in the Tama area of Tokyo and Ginowan City, Okinawa Prefecture, where similar risks are spreading. In Ginowan City in particular, there have been cases attributed to wastewater from a U.S. military base, and in the Tama region, the history of use in former industrial areas has been investigated (Local Government and NGO Report, 2024).

The case of Settsu City is a microcosm of the nationwide PFAS contamination problem, requiring immediate action and extensive regulation.

Sources
1. Ministry of the Environment - Official announcement of standard values and contamination status regarding PFAS.
2. Osaka Prefecture and Settsu City - regional groundwater survey reports.
3. local government and NGO reports - public information on PFAS contamination cases nationwide. 4.
National and international research papers - research results on environmental and health risks of PFAS. 5.
5. press articles - reports from national and regional newspapers.