Management of Environmental Risks Caused by Chemical Substances in Japan

Abstract
In Japan risk management of chemical substances was started with regulations for the production and use of chemicals and the discharge of wastewaters. Whenever new types of pollution were revealed, regulations were added and reinforced. To preventively manage environmental risk despite insufficient data, the self control of a wide range of chemical substance emissions by commercial enterprises is being promoted. Strategies to prevent environmental pollution by chemical substances have been constructed to some extent. The remaining problems are concerned with risk management of environmental pollution caused by past human activities. Extensive funds must be invested in order to solve such problems, so it is necessary to make a social agreement for common ownership of all information concerning the risks of chemical substances.

Key words: chemical substance, environmental risks, risk management, regulation, self control