OSAKA -- Workers began cleaning up dioxin-contaminated soil near a garbage incineration facility in the town of Nose, Osaka Prefecture, on Wednesday. The operations will cover 2,400 sq. meters of soil behind the facility.
The top 20 cm of soil will be removed and stored at the facility. The area will then be sodded to prevent sediment runoff. Decontamination of the area is expected to be completed by late June.
Measurements have shown dioxin concentrations of up to 8,800 picograms per gram of soil. One picogram is one-trillionth of 1 gram.
Dioxin has been linked to birth defects and cancer, and Nose is just one of many Japanese municipalities plagued by high concentrations of dioxin.