Conclusion

We would like to conclude that we have to worry about environmental pollution around landfill sites. And also, since endocrine disruption effects were confirmed, Dioxins should be considered not only as a carcinogen but also as the cause of other adverse effects.

Although Japanese landfills are designed not to leak any toxic substances, leakages of toxic substances are reported in some landfills. If ashes were accumulated in a field without any treatments, Dioxins will be emitted into the environment through the air and the rain. It is important to seal in Dioxins into closed environment and monitor them. It is also important to develop techniques to break down Dioxins at the same time. These techniques will prevent further pollution of the environment and eventually enable us to decontaminate ashes of landfill sites.

Since the situations of Dioxins are almost the same in anywhere around the world, it is important to raise citizens' awareness, and urge governments to take immediate actions.

Activities

Japan Offspring Fund has been distributing the leaflets and the posters around the world to inform the dangers of Dioxins. We especially have emphasized on cutting off the source of Dioxins from our daily life. We would like to work further on Dioxin issues by co-operating with other countries to prevent environmental pollution.

Acknowledgement

We are grateful to the Global Fund for the Environment for its funding, and the Citizens' Table for Endocrine Disruptors for its co-operation.

Also we are thankful to the Homemaker's Union and Foundation of Taiwan, Consumers Association of Penang, Malaysia, Red de Accion en Alternativas al uso de Agroquimicos of Peru, AIS Bolivia, Japan Offspring Fund, and the Citizens' Table for Endocrine Disruptors of Japan for taking samples.

the Global Fund for the Environment

Reference

*1 Alock, R. E. and Jones, K. C. (1996) Dioxins in the environment: A review of trend date. Environmental Science and Technology, 30, 11, 3133-3143.

*2 Olie, K., Vermeulen, P. L. and Hutzinger, O. (1977) Chlorodibenzo-p-dioxins and Chlorodibenzofurans are trace components of fly ash and flue gas of some municipal waste incinerators in the Netherlands. Chemosphere, 6, 8, 455-459.

*3 Wakimoto, T. and Tatsukawa, R. (1985) Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans in fly ash and cinders collected from several municipal incinerators in Japan. Environmental Health Perspective, 59, 159-162.

| Introduction | Objectives/Samples | Results | Conclusion |