On May 25th, according to national media reports, a wastewater treatment plant in Japan discharged wastewater containing carcinogenic substances into the sea with concentrations exceeding the limit by 420 times.
Fuji Television reported that a sewage treatment plant in Shizuoka Prefecture discharged wastewater containing high concentrations of the carcinogenic chemical PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) into the ocean, surpassing Japan's regulatory standards by 420 times.
The World Health Organization (WHO) stated in 2023 that the wastewater from this plant contained carcinogenic substances and detected high levels of PFOA.
It is reported that the plant had been using PFOA continuously for 48 years before 2013, while Japan currently prohibits the manufacture and import of PFOA.
PFOA, also known as perfluorooctanoic acid, is an organic compound with the chemical formula C8HF15O2. It is a white crystalline solid at room temperature, mainly used as a surfactant and emulsifier.
Perfluorooctanoic acid is difficult to degrade in the environment and can enter the human body through food, air, and water. It may lead to decreased fertility and other immune system disorders.
On October 27, 2017, the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization released a preliminary list of carcinogens, listing perfluorooctanoic acid in Group 2B of carcinogens.
