The Environment Ministry plans to conduct an investigation into suspected environmental contamination with PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, earlier than expected, Jiji Press learned Tuesday.
The ministry previously planned to carry out the probe on the so-called forever chemicals — which have been detected in well water in many parts of the country and are suspected to be carcinogenic — in fiscal 2024.
It now plans to earmark ¥350 million for the investigation under the planned supplementary budget for the current fiscal year through next March, sources said.
The government has set a provisional target of keeping the concentration of PFAS in tap water at 50 nanograms per liter or lower.
However, high concentrations of the substances have been detected in potable well water in the southernmost prefecture of Okinawa, Tokyo's western suburb of Tama and other places, prompting the ministry to act more quickly.
The ministry will check PFAS concentration levels and conduct risk assessments by experts in the current fiscal year in regions where the chemicals have been detected.
It is also considering starting a pilot project on PFAS removal in fiscal 2024 or later.
PFAS was used in a wide range of goods, including firefighting foams and frying pans. The chemicals are believed to have seeped into the soil and groundwater from their emission sources.
The production and use of the substances in Japan were banned in principle by 2021.