Kazuhiko Adachi
Environmental Health and Safety Division, Ministry of the Environment

1. Approaches to Endocrine Disruptor Issues
EDs disrupt the action of endocrine system in the body and can cause impairment to the reproductive faculties as well as malignant growths. As such, they pose the risk of immense harm to human health and the ecosystem for generations to come, and have become a key issue of international concern.
In Japan, various approaches against this issue, such as development and evaluation of screening test methods by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry; promotion of basic research by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology; development of substitutes by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, have been conducted. Here, I will explain mainly about the activities of the Ministry of the Environment.

2. Strategic Programs on Environmental Endocrine Disruptors' 98
In May 1998, the Ministry prepared the "Strategic Programs on Environmental Endocrine Disruptors '98" (SPEED '98) and presented them to the public. "SPEED '98", updated in November 2001, set forth the Ministry's basic perspectives on the problem and specific lines of action on it.
"SPEED '98" advocated the promotion of investigative research toward the goal of ascertaining the presence or absence of a disrupting effect as well as (if present) determining the relative strength of the effect and elucidating its mechanism. More specifically, "SPEED '98" called for work on the following four items.
(1) Promotion of a fact-finding study on detection in the environment and influence on wildlife
(2) Promotion of testing and research, and technology development
(3) Assessment and management of environmental risk, and provision of related information
(4) Efforts for reinforcement of international networking on endcrine disrupter issues

3. Environmental Monitoring Survey
In "SPEED '98", a list of chemical substances suspected of having an endocrine disrupting effect, was prepared. The Ministry started the Simultaneous Environmental Monitoring Survey throughout the Country on these substances in 1998.
In addition, the Ministry has been conducting successive investigation concerning the level of chemical substances in the environment since fiscal year of 1974, in which the Follow-up Survey on the Pollution by Unintentionally Formed Chemical Substances has been conducted since 1985.

4. Assessment of environmental risk
As a part of the national Millennium Project, the assessment of environmental risk of the chemical substances listed in "SPEED '98" have been undergoing. 20 substances of them are now being assessed with respect to their environmental risk.
Among them, nonylphenol was subjected to an environmental impact test with medaka in August 2001. This test found that testes-ova appeared even at low concentrations like those in the environment. Through in vitro testing, it also provided the world's first confirmation of strong binding with the female hormone receptors.

5. International joint research, etc.
The Ministry is participating in the development of screening test methods and other work being promoted and shared by the developed countries, mainly in the context of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Furthermore, it embarked on joint research with a U.K. counterpart on endocrine disrupting impact on the ecosystem in December 1999 and with a Korean counterpart in accordance with a bilateral agreement in the year 2001.
The Ministry began holding the International Symposium on Environmental Endocrine Disrupters in 1998 for international exchange of opinion on the subject.

6. Action on POPs
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and dichloro-dipheyl-trichloro-ethane (DDT), which have a strong ability to remain in the environment, are reportedly polluting environments on a global scale and demand countermeasures within an international framework. This situation led to the adoption of the Stockholm Agreement on POPs (normally referred to as the "POPs Agreement") in May 2001.
Japan intends to make the domestic arrangements necessary for the early ratification of this agreement.

Outline of the Stockholm (POPs) Agreement

Background
Pollution of the global environment due to the 12 types of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), including PCB, DDT, and other substances with a strong ability to remain in the environment as residue, cannot be prevented if only a few countries take action to this end. This situation heightened awareness of the need for international collaboration in prohibiting the production and use of POPs and reducing emissions of the same.

Profile of the draft

1. Objective
The objective of the Agreement is to protect human health and preserve environments against the risk posed by POPs, with attention to the preventive approaches cited in Principle 15 of the Rio Declaration.

2. Major countermeasures
1) Prohibition of production and use as a general rule (aldrin, chlordane, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, hexachlorobenzene, mirex, toxaphene, and PCB
)2) Limitation of production and use (DDT, except for use against malaria)
3) Reduction of emissions of substances produced unintentionally (dioxin, dibenzofuran, hexachlorobenzene, PCB )
4) Proper disposal of waste and stockpiles containing POPs (preparation of an action plan by each country)

3. Other measures
* Instatement of measures for prevention of further production of POPs into existing regulations and schemes
* Sharing of information among signatory countries on the eradication of POP production and use, reduction of POP emissions, and POP alternatives
* Disclosure of information on POPs, provision of education about POPs, and determination and publication of POP emission and waste quantities through means such as the pollutant release and transfer register (PRTR)
* Promotion of investigative research of technology for assessment of POP impact on the environment and curtailment of emissions, and monitoring activities
* Provision of related technical and financial aid to developing countries

Future schedule
* Effectuation of the Agreement upon ratification by 50 countries

presentation