Groundwater Pollution Control in Japan

Today’s Presentation

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Groundwater Use in Japan Legal Framework for Groundwater and Soil

Pollution Control in Japan Major Pollutants of Groundwater and Soil and their

Pollution Sources Outline of Groundwater Pollution Control under

Water Pollution Control Law

Quick View of Groundwater Use in Japan (2011)

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89%Surface Water

11% Groundwater<Beneficial Use >Domestic: 34 %Industrial:34 %Agricultural: 31 %

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70

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Domestic Industrial Agricultural Total

billo

n m

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arWater Use in Japan (2011)

Groundwater Surfacewater

Linkage between Groundwater and Soil Pollution

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Groundwater Well

Industry

Soil

Groundwater

Cause: Intentional underground seepage of hazardous wastewater or accidental leakage of pollutants

Industry

Cause：Elution of contaminates from polluted soil

Groundwater: Water Pollution Control Law

Soil: Soil Pollution Control Law

Legal Framework of Groundwater and Soil Pollution Control in Japan

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Groundwater: Water Pollution Control LawSoil: Soil Pollution Control Law<Other laws related with groundwater and soil> • Law Concerning Waste Disposal and Scavenging• Air Pollution Control Law• Law Concerning the Examination and Regulation of Chemical Substances• Law on Confirmation, etc. of Release Amounts of Specific Chemical

Substances in the Environment and Promotion of Improvements to the Management Thereof

Ambient Water Quality Standard for Groundwater and Criteria for Implementation of Soil Pollution Control Measures

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Item Ambient Groundwater Quality Standard

Criteria for Implementation of Soil Pollution Control Measures

Lechate Soil

VOC

Dichloromethane 0.02 mg/L or less 0.02 mg/L or less

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Carbon tetrachloride 0.002 mg/L or less 0.002 mg/L or lessVinyl chloride monomer 0.002 mg/L or less (0.002 mg/L or less)1,2-dichloroethane 0.004 mg/L or less 0.004 mg/L or less1,1-dichloroethylene 0.1mg/L or less 0.1mg/L or lesscis-1,2-dichloroethylene 0.04 mg/L or less 0.04 mg/L or less1,1,1-trichloroethane 1 mg/L or less 1 mg/L or less1,1,2-trichloroethane 0.006 mg/L or less 0.006 mg/L or lessTrichloroethylene 0.01 mg/L or less 0.03 mg/L or lessTetrachloroethylene 0.01 mg/L or less 0.01 mg/L or less1,3-dichloropropene 0.002 mg/L or less 0.002 mg/L or lessBenzene 0.01 mg/L or less 0.01 mg/L or less

Heavy Metals

Cadmium 0.003 mg/L or less 0.01mg/l or less 150mg/kg or lessTotal cyanide Undetected Undetected 50mg/kg as of free cyanide or lessHexavalent chromium 0.05 mg/L or less 0.05 mg/L or less 250mg/kg or lessArsenic 0.01 mg/L or less 0.01 mg/L or less 150 mg/kg or lessTotal mercury 0.0005 mg/L or less 0.0005 mg/L or less 15mg/kg or lessAlkyl mercury Undetected UndetectedLead 0.01 mg/L or less 0.01 mg/L or less 150mg/kg or less Fluoride 0.8 mg/L or less 0.8 mg/L or less 4000mg/kg or lessBoron 1 mg/L or less 1 mg/L or less 4000mg/kg or less

Pesticide & PCB

Thiuram 0.006 mg/L or less 0.006 mg/L or less

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Simazine 0.003 mg/L or less 0.003 mg/L or lessThiobencarb 0.02 mg/L or less 0.02 mg/L or lessSelenium 0.01 mg/L or less 0.01 mg/L or lessPCB Undetected UndetectedOrganophosphorus compound Undetected

OthersNitrate nitrogen & Nitrite nitrogen 10 mg/L or less

- -1,4-Dioxane 0.05mg/ or less

Leachate

Monitoring System for Groundwater Quality

Detailed Investigation for Wells surrounding Contaminated Well

Follow-up Monitoring for Contaminated Well

Baseline Monitoring

For identification of contaminated area

For monitoring of historical changes in levels of contamination

3,405 Wells in FY 2014

1,213 Wells in FY 2014

4,525 Wells in FY 20147

Ambient Water Quality Standard for Groundwater and Criteria for Implementation of Soil Pollution Control Measures

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Item Ambient Groundwater Quality Standard

Criteria for Implementation of Soil Pollution Control Measures

Lechate Soil

VOC

Dichloromethane 0.02 mg/L or less 0.02 mg/L or less

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Carbon tetrachloride 0.002 mg/L or less 0.002 mg/L or lessVinyl chloride monomer 0.002 mg/L or less (0.002 mg/L or less)1,2-dichloroethane 0.004 mg/L or less 0.004 mg/L or less1,1-dichloroethylene 0.1mg/L or less 0.1mg/L or lesscis-1,2-dichloroethylene 0.04 mg/L or less 0.04 mg/L or less1,1,1-trichloroethane 1 mg/L or less 1 mg/L or less1,1,2-trichloroethane 0.006 mg/L or less 0.006 mg/L or lessTrichloroethylene 0.01 mg/L or less 0.03 mg/L or lessTetrachloroethylene 0.01 mg/L or less 0.01 mg/L or less1,3-dichloropropene 0.002 mg/L or less 0.002 mg/L or lessBenzene 0.01 mg/L or less 0.01 mg/L or less

Heavy Metals

Cadmium 0.003 mg/L or less 0.01mg/l or less 150mg/kg or lessTotal cyanide Undetected Undetected 50mg/kg as of free cyanide or lessHexavalent chromium 0.05 mg/L or less 0.05 mg/L or less 250mg/kg or lessArsenic 0.01 mg/L or less 0.01 mg/L or less 150 mg/kg or lessTotal mercury 0.0005 mg/L or less 0.0005 mg/L or less 15mg/kg or lessAlkyl mercury Undetected UndetectedLead 0.01 mg/L or less 0.01 mg/L or less 150mg/kg or less Fluoride 0.8 mg/L or less 0.8 mg/L or less 4000mg/kg or lessBoron 1 mg/L or less 1 mg/L or less 4000mg/kg or less

Pesticide & PCB

Thiuram 0.006 mg/L or less 0.006 mg/L or less

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Simazine 0.003 mg/L or less 0.003 mg/L or lessThiobencarb 0.02 mg/L or less 0.02 mg/L or lessSelenium 0.01 mg/L or less 0.01 mg/L or lessPCB Undetected UndetectedOrganophosphorus compound Undetected

OthersNitrate nitrogen & Nitrite nitrogen 10 mg/L or less

- -1,4-Dioxane 0.05mg/ or less

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Leachate

Area which requires action such as cleanup because there is possibility of human health risk in the area where there may be intake of pollutants→Mayor of local government orders action such as cleanup→ Change of land character is prohibited in principle

Soil pollution status surveyComply with standard

Judgement of human health risk

Out of regulation

Area which does not require action such as cleanup because there is no possibility of human health risk in the area where there may be intake of pollutants(including area blocking pollutants)）→When land form or nature will be changed, plan should be submitted to Mayor of local government

Not comply with standard

With human health risk

Area which Requires ActionArea for which Notification Is

Required upon Change to Form or Nature

Criteria for health risk・Groundwater is used for drinking purpose in surrounding area・People can enter the facility

Procedure of soil survey

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In case that facility stops operating and mayor of local government recognizes the risk of soil pollution around the facility

Without human health risk

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1,284 cases 1,254 cases 1,515 cases 93 casesSource: MOEJ, 2014

Source of Groundwater Pollution (FY2014)NO3: It is difficult to solve the pollution by pollution source control or end-of pipe treatment because this is mainly caused by non-point source

Total 4,146 cases

Number of cases

Heavy Metals Nitrate-nitrogen/nitrite-nitrogen

Combined contaminants

Others (70)Naturally occurring (1,080)Domestic wastewater (598)Fertilizing (1,413)Livestock waste (622)Solid waste (217)Industry (1446)

Pollutants VOC(volatile organic compound)

Heavy Metals (Pb, As, F )

Nitrate-nitrogen/nitrite-nitrogen

Nature • Volatile and low-viscosity• Permeable to soil into groundwater

• Sticks to soil and is not movable under the ground

• Does not stick to soil and is movable into groundwater

Major polluters • Solvent use and leak from treatment process

• Leaks from production process and is also naturally occurring

• Fertilizing, livestock waste, domestic wastewater and others

Feature of pollution

• Pollution may diffuse to deeper layers of ground because it is permeable to soil.

• Through decomposition process underground, trichloroethylene changes to 1-1dichloroethylene

• Pollution is localized because the pollutants are not movable

• Naturally occurring pollution

• Because pollution sources are distributed, pollution may diffuse

• Other nitrogen forms also produce pollution through nitrogen cycle system

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Major Pollutants in Groundwater and Soil in Japan

Outline of Groundwater Pollution Control under Water Pollution Control Law

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Regulation on Underground Seepage Control of Hazardous Materials

Standard for Facility Storing/Using Hazardous Materials

Measures Taken in case of Accidental Pollution

Order of Groundwater Remediation to Polluter by Local Governor

Responsibility of Industry Managing Hazardous Material/Wastewater

Prevention

Remediation

Self-Management

Criteria for Underground Seepage of Contaminants

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Item Standard Value (mg/L)

Cadmium& Cadmium compound 0.001 as of Cadmium

Cyanide compound 0.1 as of Cyan

Organic phosphorous compound 0.1

Lead & Compound of Lead 0.005 as of Lead

Hexavalent chromium compound 0.04 as of Hexavalent chromium

Arsenic & Arsenic compound 0.005 as of Arsenic

Mercury & Alkyl mercury & Other mercury compounds 0.0005 as of Mercury

Alkyl mercury compound 0.0005 as of Alkyl mercury

PCB 0.0005

Trichloroethylene 0.002

Tetrachloroethylene 0.0005

Dichloromethane 0.002

Carbon tetrachloride 0.0002

1,2-dichloroethane 0.0004

1,1-dichloroethylene 0.002

Item Standard Value (mg/L)

1,2-dichloroethylene 0.004 as of cis isomer0.004 as of trans isomer

1,1,1-trichloroethane 0.0005

1,1,2-trichloroethane 0.0006

1,3-dichloropropene 0.0002

Thiuram 0.0006

Simazine 0.0003

Thiobencarb 0.002

Benzene 0.001

Selenium & Selenium compound 0.002 as of Selenium

Boron & Boron compound 0.2 as of Boron

Fluoride & Fluoride compound 0.2 as of Fluoride

Ammonia, Ammonium compound, Nitrate nitrogen compound, Nitrite nitrogen compound

0.7 as of Amnion Nitrogen0.2 as of Nitrite Nitrogen0.2 as of Nitrate Nitrogen

Vinyl chloride monomer 0.0002

1,4-Dioxane 0.005

Standard for Facility Storing/Using Hazardous Materials

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Source: WEPA Outlook

In order to prevent underground seepage of hazardous materials , Water Pollution Control Law requests industry to comply with

standards related to structure of facility storing or using hazardous material and to conduct

periodical inspection to check the facility

Document for Facility Storing/Using Hazardous Materials

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All industries which store or use hazardous materials must submit the document

related to structure of facility storing or using hazardous material to local government and obtain approval

Source: Kawasaki City

Examples of Groundwater Remediation applied in Japan

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Suction wells of soil gas

Equipment of chemical substance removal from soil gas

Wells for contaminated groundwater Pumping

Equipment of groundwater remediation

Activated carbon absorption

(i) Soil Gas Suction Method (ii) Contaminated Groundwater Pumping Method

Methods to treat polluted groundwater(FY2013)

17949 cases 182 cases 5 cases 88 casesTotal 1,224 cases

NO3: Treatment is difficult

Heavy Metals Nitrate-nitrogen/nitrite-

nitrogen

Combined contaminants

Source: MOEJ, 2014

Number of casesOthers (164)

Cleanup of polluted soil (519)

Soil gas suction method (268)

On-site treatment (except followings)(141)

Bio remediation (107)

Contaminated groundwater pumping (863)

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Conclusion

Monitoring: Groundwater quality monitoring not only identifies polluted areas, but also checks historical changes in levels of contamination by follow-up monitoring for the contaminated well. In addition, soil which is one pollution source to groundwater is surveyed if necessary. Criteria for Underground Seepage of Contaminants：Criteria for underground seepage of contaminates is stricter than the one for surface water considering that condensation of contaminants may be occurred in soil.Prevention:Many cases of groundwater contamination caused by industry do not occur intentionally, rather they are caused by aging storage tanks of hazardous materials or due to mistakes in handling them. Leakage of hazardous wastewater should be prevent by complying with structural criteria for storage tanks.Countermeasures for accidental pollution:Industries must report to local governments immediately after accidental pollution as well as implement emergency measures by themselves.

It takes a huge amount of time and money to clean up the pollutants from polluted groundwater. Therefore, it is very important to monitor the quality of groundwater and soil properly, in addition to preventing pollution.

Thank you!

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