Groundwater Pollution Controlin Japan

Today’s Presentation


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 underWater Pollution Control Law
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Quick View of Groundwater Use in Japan (2011)
Water Use in Japan (2011)

89%

9080

Surface Water

70

billon m3 /year

60
50
40

11%

3020

Groundwater100

Domestic

Industrial

Agricultural

Groundwater

Surfacewater

Total<Beneficial Use >Domestic: 34 %Industrial:34 %Agricultural: 31 %3Linkage between Groundwater and Soil Pollution
Industry

Industry
Groundwater
Well

Cause:
Intentional undergroundseepage of hazardous
wastewater or accidental
leakage of pollutants

Cause：
Elution of contaminatesfrom polluted soil

Soil
Groundwater

Groundwater:
Water Pollution Control Law

Soil:
Soil Pollution Control Law

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Legal Framework of Groundwater and Soil Pollution
Control in Japan

Groundwater: Water Pollution Control Law
Soil: 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 theManagement Thereof
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Ambient Water Quality Standard for Groundwater and Criteria for Implementationof Soil Pollution Control Measures
Item

VOC

Heavy Metals

Pesticide & PCB

OthersDichloromethane
Carbon tetrachloride
Vinyl chloride monomer
1,2-dichloroethane
1,1-dichloroethylene
cis-1,2-dichloroethylene
1,1,1-trichloroethane
1,1,2-trichloroethane
Trichloroethylene
Tetrachloroethylene
1,3-dichloropropene
BenzeneCadmium
Total cyanide
Hexavalent chromium
Arsenic
Total mercury
Alkyl mercury
Lead
Fluoride
Boron
ThiuramSimazine
Thiobencarb
Selenium
PCB
Organophosphorus compound
Nitrate nitrogen & Nitrite nitrogen
1,4-Dioxane

Ambient Groundwater Quality
Standard
0.02 mg/L or less0.002 mg/L or less0.002 mg/L or less0.004 mg/L or less
0.1mg/L or less0.04 mg/L or less
1 mg/L or less0.006 mg/L or less0.01 mg/L or less0.01 mg/L or less0.002 mg/L or less0.01 mg/L or less0.003 mg/L or lessUndetected
0.05 mg/L or less0.01 mg/L or less
0.0005 mg/L or lessUndetected
0.01 mg/L or less
0.8 mg/L or less
1 mg/L or less0.006 mg/L or less0.003 mg/L or less0.02 mg/L or less0.01 mg/L or lessUndetected
10 mg/L or less
0.05mg/ or less

Criteria for Implementation of Soil Pollution Control
Measures
Leachate
LechateSoil
0.02 mg/L or less0.002 mg/L or less(0.002 mg/L or less)0.004 mg/L or less
0.1mg/L or less0.04 mg/L or less
1 mg/L or less0.006 mg/L or less0.03 mg/L or less0.01 mg/L or less0.002 mg/L or less0.01 mg/L or less
0.01mg/l or lessUndetected
0.05 mg/L or less0.01 mg/L or less
0.0005 mg/L or lessUndetected
0.01 mg/L or less
0.8 mg/L or less
1 mg/L or less0.006 mg/L or less0.003 mg/L or less0.02 mg/L or less0.01 mg/L or lessUndetected
Undetected--

150mg/kg or less
50mg/kg as of free cyanide or less
250mg/kg or less
150 mg/kg or less
15mg/kg or less
150mg/kg or less
4000mg/kg or less
4000mg/kg or less--6

Monitoring System for Groundwater Quality
Detailed Investigation for Wellssurrounding Contaminated Well
For identification of contaminated area
Baseline Monitoring

3,405 Wells in FY 2014

1,213 Wells in FY 2014
Follow-up Monitoring for
Contaminated Well
For monitoring of historical changes inlevels of contamination

4,525 Wells in FY 2014

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Ambient Water Quality Standard for Groundwater and Criteria for Implementationof Soil Pollution Control Measures
ItemVOC

Heavy Metals

Pesticide & PCB

OthersDichloromethane
Carbon tetrachloride
Vinyl chloride monomer
1,2-dichloroethane
1,1-dichloroethylene
cis-1,2-dichloroethylene
1,1,1-trichloroethane
1,1,2-trichloroethane
Trichloroethylene
Tetrachloroethylene
1,3-dichloropropene
BenzeneCadmium
Total cyanide
Hexavalent chromium
Arsenic
Total mercury
Alkyl mercury
Lead
Fluoride
Boron
ThiuramSimazine
Thiobencarb
Selenium
PCB
Organophosphorus compound
Nitrate nitrogen & Nitrite nitrogen
1,4-Dioxane

Ambient Groundwater Quality
Standard
0.02 mg/L or less0.002 mg/L or less0.002 mg/L or less0.004 mg/L or less
0.1mg/L or less0.04 mg/L or less
1 mg/L or less0.006 mg/L or less0.01 mg/L or less0.01 mg/L or less0.002 mg/L or less0.01 mg/L or less0.003 mg/L or lessUndetected
0.05 mg/L or less0.01 mg/L or less
0.0005 mg/L or lessUndetected
0.01 mg/L or less
0.8 mg/L or less
1 mg/L or less0.006 mg/L or less0.003 mg/L or less0.02 mg/L or less0.01 mg/L or lessUndetected
10 mg/L or less
0.05mg/ or less≓

Criteria for Implementation of Soil Pollution Control
Measures
Leachate
LechateSoil
0.02 mg/L or less0.002 mg/L or less(0.002 mg/L or less)0.004 mg/L or less
0.1mg/L or less0.04 mg/L or less1 mg/L or less0.006 mg/L or less0.03 mg/L or less0.01 mg/L or less0.002 mg/L or less0.01 mg/L or less
0.01mg/l or lessUndetected
0.05 mg/L or less0.01 mg/L or less
0.0005 mg/L or lessUndetected
0.01 mg/L or less
0.8 mg/L or less
1 mg/L or less0.006 mg/L or less0.003 mg/L or less0.02 mg/L or less0.01 mg/L or lessUndetected
Undetected--150mg/kg or less
50mg/kg as of free cyanide or less
250mg/kg or less
150 mg/kg or less
15mg/kg or less
150mg/kg or less
4000mg/kg or less
4000mg/kg or less--8

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

With human health risk

Comply with standard

Not comply withstandard
Judgement of humanhealth risk

Out ofregulation

Without human health risk

Area which Requires Action

Area for which Notification Is
Required upon Change to Formor Nature

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

Area which does not require action such as
cleanup because there is no possibility ofhuman 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

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

9Source of Groundwater Pollution (FY2014)

Number of cases

NO3: It is difficult to solve thepollution by pollution source control
or end-of pipe treatment because
this is mainly caused by non-point
sourceOthers (70)Naturally occurring (1,080)
Domestic wastewater (598)Fertilizing (1,413)
Livestock waste (622)Solid waste (217)
Industry (1446)

Heavy Metals Nitrate-nitrogen/nitrite- Combined
nitrogencontaminants
Total 4,146 cases

1,284 cases

1,254 cases

1,515 cases

93 cases
Source: MOEJ, 201410

Major Pollutants in Groundwater and Soil in Japan
Pollutants

VOC(volatile organic compound)

Heavy Metals(Pb, As, F )Nitrate-nitrogen/nitritenitrogen

Nature• Volatile and low-viscosity• Permeable to soil into groundwater• Sticks to soil and is not
movable under theground• 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 ofpollution• Pollution may diffuse to deeper layersof ground because it is permeable tosoil.
• Through decomposition process
underground, trichloroethylenechanges to 1-1dichloroethylene• Pollution is localized
because the pollutants
are not movable• Naturally occurringpollution• Because pollution sources aredistributed, pollution may diffuse• Other nitrogen forms also
produce pollution throughnitrogen cycle system

11Outline of Groundwater Pollution Control underWater Pollution Control Law
Regulation on Underground Seepage Control of Hazardous Materials
Prevention

Remediation

Standard for Facility Storing/Using Hazardous Materials
Measures Taken in case of Accidental Pollution
Order of Groundwater Remediation to Polluter by Local Governor

SelfManagement

Responsibility of Industry Managing Hazardous Material/Wastewater
12Criteria for Underground Seepage of Contaminants
Item
Cadmium& Cadmium compound
Cyanide compound
Organic phosphorous compound
Lead & Compound of Lead
Hexavalent chromium compound

Standard Value (mg/L)
0.001 as of Cadmium
0.1 as of Cyan
0.1
0.005 as of Lead
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

PCB0.0005

Trichloroethylene

0.002

Tetrachloroethylene

0.0005

Dichloromethane

ItemStandard Value (mg/L)

1,2-dichloroethylene

0.004 as of cis isomer
0.004 as of trans isomer

1,1,1-trichloroethane

0.0005

1,1,2-trichloroethane

0.0006

1,3-dichloropropene

0.0002Thiuram

0.0006

Simazine

0.0003

Thiobencarb

0.002

Benzene0.001

Selenium & Selenium compound

0.002 as of Selenium

Boron & Boron compound

0.2 as of Boron

0.002

Fluoride & Fluoride compound

0.2 as of Fluoride

Carbon tetrachloride

0.00021,2-dichloroethane

0.0004

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

1,1-dichloroethylene

0.002

0.7 as of Amnion Nitrogen
0.2 as of Nitrite Nitrogen
0.2 as of Nitrate Nitrogen

Vinyl chloride monomer

0.0002

1,4-Dioxane

0.005

13Standard for Facility Storing/Using Hazardous Materials
In order to prevent undergroundseepage of hazardous
materials , Water Pollution Control Law

requests industry to comply with

Source: WEPA Outlook

standards related to structureof facility storing or using
hazardous material and to conductperiodical inspection to check thefacility14

Document for Facility Storing/Using Hazardous Materials
All industries which store or use hazardous
materials must submit the document

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

Source: Kawasaki City15

Examples of Groundwater Remediation applied in Japan
Activated carbon
absorption
Wells for contaminatedgroundwater Pumping

Equipment of chemical
substance removalfrom soil gas

Equipment of groundwater
remediation

Suction wells of soil gas(i) Soil Gas Suction Method(ii) Contaminated Groundwater
Pumping Method
16Methods to treat polluted groundwater(FY2013)
Number of cases
Others (164)
Cleanup of polluted soil (519)
Soil gas suction method (268)On-site treatment (except followings)(141)
Bio remediation (107)Contaminated groundwater pumping (863)
NO3: Treatment is difficult

Heavy Metals
Total 1,224 cases

949 cases

182 cases

Nitratenitrogen/nitritenitrogen
5 cases

Combined
contaminants
88 cases

Source: MOEJ, 2014 17

Conclusion
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 andsoil properly, in addition to preventing pollution.
Monitoring:

Groundwater quality monitoring not only identifies polluted areas, but also checks historical changes inlevels 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 consideringthat 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. Leakageof 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.

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Thank you!

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