PFAS chemicals detected in 20 pct of Japanese tap water in gov't survey

TOKYO, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- Potentially harmful per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemicals have been detected in about 20 percent of tap water in Japan, though no samples contained the maximum permissible amount tentatively set by the government, local media reported.

In the government's first comprehensive survey covering even small water utility companies, the chemicals were detected in water samples from 332 water companies in 46 of the country's 47 prefectures out of 1,745 companies surveyed, Kyodo News reported Friday.

PFAS is a general term for a group of over 10,000 artificial chemicals that include perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, or PFOS, and perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, the two most representative forms of PFAS.

The government currently sets a provisional cap for the two chemicals at a total of 50 nanograms per liter for tap water and rivers.

None of the samples contained the substances exceeding 50 nanograms in total, but those from three water utilities in Aichi Prefecture, Nagasaki Prefecture, and Hokkaido were found to have between 47 to 49 nanograms of the chemicals, according to the survey.

The Environment Ministry and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism conducted the survey between May and September. Results on water supplied exclusively to certain facilities have not been finalized.

PFAS, used in various products such as non-stick cookware and water-repellent clothing, are known as "forever chemicals" because they are extremely persistent in the environment and human bodies, and could accumulate and lead to health problems as they have components which break down very slowly over time.

The Japanese government has been conducting tap water surveys focused on PFAS containment since 2020 after the widely used and long-lasting substances were detected in filtration plants and rivers nationwide and concerns grew about their possible links to cancer risks.

In past surveys, cases in which PFAS levels exceeded 50 nanograms came to 11 in fiscal 2020, five in fiscal 2021, four in fiscal 2022, and three in fiscal 2023, the report said. ■