Showing 1-15 of 32
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PFAS levels found to exceed gov't cap in 22 of Japan's 47 prefectures
News
26 Apr 2025 | Japan Today
Potentially harmful PFAS chemicals have been detected at high levels in rivers and groundwater across 22 of Japan's 47 prefectures, a government survey conducted in fiscal 2023 showed Friday.
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High serum perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) concentrations and interstitial lung disease in former and current workers in a fluorochemical company
Science
22 Apr 2025 | Ind Health
Former workers at a Japanese chemical plant who were exposed to dust containing high levels of PFOA, had much higher blood concentrations and a greater risk of lung disease even years after the plant stopped using PFAS, highlighting the need for long-term health monitoring.
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Determinants of plasma poly-and perfluoroalkyl substances during pregnancy: The Japan environment and children’s study
Science
1 Apr 2025 | Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf
In a study of 103,099 pregnant women in Japan, researchers found that PFAS levels in blood varied most by region, with higher levels linked to certain areas, older age, higher fish intake, and socioeconomic status—highlighting both geographic and personal factors driving exposure to these toxic chemicals.
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Characterizing seasonal patterns, gas-particle partitioning, and potential sources of airborne per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances in Japan
Science
4 Mar 2025 | Environ. Sci. Technol.
Airborne PFAAs and their precursors in Japan show seasonal variations, with PFCAs more abundant in warm months and PFSAs in colder months, primarily originating from aqueous film-forming foams, waste streams, and fluoropolymer manufacturing.
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PFAS levels in 80% of Okayama townsfolk exceed U.S. guidelines
News
4 Feb 2025 | The Asahi Shimbun
More than 80 percent of Kibi-Chuo residents tested for cancer-causing organic fluorine compounds in their blood had levels exceeding U.S. guidelines, according to town officials.
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Exploring the Chemical Complexity and Sources of Airborne Fine Particulate Matter in East Asia by Nontarget Analysis and Multivariate Modeling
Science
27 Jan 2025 | Environ Sci Technol
Airborne fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in East Asia contains thousands of complex organic and inorganic chemicals, including newly identified PFAS seasonal variations are influenced by temperature and air mass origins from China, the Korean Peninsula, and surrounding seas.
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Japan to make tougher standard permanent for PFAS in tap water
News
26 Dec 2024 | Star and Stripes
The Environment Ministry during an online experts meeting Tuesday agreed to adopt a target value of 50 nanograms per liter, or 50 parts per trillion, for PFOS and PFOA — components of PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals” — in its water quality standards.
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Japan releases results of 1st nationwide survey of PFAS chemicals in tap water
News
29 Nov 2024 | NHK World Japan
The Japanese government has released the results of the first nationwide survey of the levels of certain types of PFAS in tap water.
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Maternal Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and Offspring Chromosomal Abnormalities: The Japan Environment and Children's Study
Science
11 Sep 2024 | Environ Health Perspect
Maternal exposure to certain PFAS chemicals, particularly PFOS, may be associated with an increased risk of chromosomal abnormalities in offspring, though further research is needed due to potential selection bias.
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Government instigates nationwide survey on PFAS in Japan's tap water
News
1 Jul 2024 | The Japan Times
Some 12,000 water providers have been given until the end of September to report on potential water contamination with PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances — chemical compounds suspected to be carcinogenic. The request was made by the environment and infrastructure ministries on May 29.
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Okinawa report says PFAS could affect groundwater around US Marine base for decades
News
17 Jun 2024 | Keishi Koja
The prefecture’s Environmental Protection Division discovered PFAS above Japan’s provisional safe drinking water standard in 19 of 37 sites it sampled around Marine Corps Air Station Futenma between August and January, according to an annual report released by the division in April.
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Japan’s food safety panel drafts intake limit for 'forever chemicals'
Policy
4 Mar 2024
The Food Safety Commission of Japan released a draft report last month on the daily intake limit for PFAS, a set of fluorinated chemicals recently linked to a range of health issues such as cancer and pregnancy complications.
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Overview of PFAS Regulations in the United States and What Japanese Companies and Their U.S. Subsidiaries Need to Know
Policy
2 Jan 2024
This article provides an overview of PFAS regulation in the United States, emphasizing its relevance to various Japanese businesses, including those in specialty chemicals, manufacturing, oil and gas, and trading, due to the widespread use of PFAS in commercial products, potential liability risks, and recent multi-billion dollar settlements in PFAS contamination lawsuits.
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'Forever chemicals' from US base in Tokyo fueling residents' fears
News
8 Sep 2023 | Mainichi Japan
Residents living near a U.S. military base in western Tokyo have been having deepening concerns about their health after a recent local study found many of them have excessive amounts of harmful substances, dubbed "forever chemicals," in their bloodstream.
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Japan’s Defense Ministry reports decade-old PFAS chemical spills at US air base in Tokyo
News
6 Jul 2023 | Stars and Stripes
Firefighting suppressant with toxic PFAS was spilled three times at the home of U.S. Forces Japan in western Tokyo between 2010 and 2012 but local authorities were informed only recently, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government said Wednesday.