## (5) Hazardous Air Pollutants

Based on the Air Pollution Control Law, measures against hazardous air pollutants focus on the promotion of voluntary efforts by businesses as well as the control of emission of designated substances, such as benzene.

In FY 2001, the concentration of benzene in the ambient air exceeded the environmental standard in 67 of 368 sites. To reduce benzene emissions further, voluntary efforts by businesses in five areas where benzene concentration is consistently high have been encouraged since FY 2001.

## (6) Noise, Vibration and Offensive Odors

Noise, vibration and offensive odors affect the human senses and are becoming important issues, along with air pollution, in the conservation of a favorable living environment. Among various types of pollution, noise and offensive odors are problems that are closely related to everyday life. The sources of these problems are complex and diverse. Each year, complaints about noise and offensive odors account for the large percentage of pollution-related complaints. Complaints about noise had declined over the last ten years but began to increase in FY 2000. Complaints about offensive odors have increased over the past several years. In particular, complaints about odors from outdoor incineration have dramatically increased.

## (7) Heat Island Phenomenon

The heat island phenomenon occurs when temperatures rise more in urban areas than in surrounding suburban areas. This phenomenon results in an increase in the number of nights in which the temperature stays over $ 25^{\circ} $ C and an increase in energy consumption, mainly in major cities. These factors have an adverse effect on the environment. Policies to help mitigate this phenomenon are necessary. With this backdrop, the Three-Year Program for Promoting Regulatory Reform (re-amended in March 2003) calls for a guideline for measures to mitigate the heat island phenomenon to be created in FY 2003.

### 3. Conservation of the Water, Soil and Ground Environments

## (1) Water Environment

According to the results of the FY 2001 Nationwide Water Quality Survey of Public Water Areas, the rate of compliance with human health-related environmental quality standards

Changes in the Number of Complaints against the Seven Typical Types of Pollution (FY 1966–2001)

Note 1: As the numbers of cases for soil contamination and ground subsidence are small, they do not appear in the figure. Note 2: Noise and vibration were considered as one item "noise/vibration" prior to 1976 survey. Source: Environmental Disputes Coordination Commission

Distribution of High Temperature Areas in Tokyo Region (1981 and 1999)

Changes in the Rate of Samples Exceeding the Environmental Quality Standards for Health Items (Eight Items)

1. 15 items were added to the health items after the revision of EQSs in March 1993. This figure shows the changes concerning eight items out of nine on the list prior to the revision. For the remaining one item, alkyl mercury, 0% of samples has exceeded the EQS since FY1971.

2. In the revision of the EQSs in March 1993, the EQSs for lead was revised from 0.1 mg/L to 0.01 mg/L, for arsenic from 0.05 mg/L to 0.01 mg/L, and for organic phosphorus (standard before the revision was "not to be detected") was abolished. This is the reason for the rapid increase for lead and arsenic on the right side of the vertical line in the figure. Source: Results of the FY 2001 Nationwide Water Quality Survey of Public Water Areas, Ministry of the Environment

(EQS) items such as cadmium was 99.4%. The compliance rate for COD, a typical water-quality indicator for organic pollution as a living environment-related EQS, reached 79.5%. However, compliance rates were still low for enclosed water areas including lakes, reservoirs, inner bays and inland seas. The compliance rate for COD was 68% for Tokyo.