Mercury at 5 to 7 times the national air quality standard was found in air samples from the basement of a building at the wholesale market built to replace Tokyo's famed Tsukiji fish market, the metropolitan government said Saturday.
An analysis of air samples taken in the basement of the fruit section of the new market in late September and early this month showed the air contained 0.20-0.28 micrograms of mercury per cubic meter, according to officials.
The finding was disclosed at the first meeting of an experts panel set up to assess the safety of the air and groundwater in basements of buildings at the new facility in Tokyo's Toyosu area.