Masakatsu Hiraoka

Emeritus Professor of Kyoto University, Visiting Professor of Ritsumeikan University, Osaka Science & Technology Center Adviser,Institute of Systems Engineering Research for Global Environment (ISERGE), Head

Institute of Systems Engineering Research for Global Environment (ISERGE) Kyoto Research Park
(17, Chudoji Minami-machi, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto 600 Japan)

Abstract

The municipal refuse incineration plant is recognized as the largest source of dioxin discharge in our country. Since guidelines for dioxin prevention in municipal refuse incineration plants were indicated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MHW) in December, 1990, the municipal authorities have made an effort to decrease the amount of dioxins being discharged from the plants. In June,1996, a MHW research group studying risk assessment for dioxins proposed 10 pg-TEQ/kg/day as the value of TDI. MHW then revised its guidelines and specified programs for decreasing the amount of dioxins being discharged from municipal refuse incineration plants. This report describes the details of the amendments made to the guidelines for preventing dioxins based on the concepts of TDI and risk assessments on health proposed by the Environment Agency, and recent policy trends for dioxins in our country.

Key words: dioxins, tolerable daily intake, refuse derived fuel