An amount of benzene 79 times the maximum allowed was detected among other toxic chemicals in groundwater samples gathered late last year from the new site at Toyosu, where the famous Tsukiji fish market is to be relocated, Tokyo Metropolitan Government officials said Saturday.
With the latest findings prompting questions over the veracity of data from previous groundwater tests, which rarely found problematic levels of toxins, the metropolitan government's panel of experts said it will re-examine the groundwater there and release the result of the probe in March.
The latest finding could impact Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike's decision on the timing of the market relocation, which she has already postponed so that safety concerns over the new site can be addressed.