Environmental Levels P34

Real Situation of Environmental Pollution in Saitama Prefecture by Dioxin Analogues by Using Black Pine Needle

Teruyuki Nakao, Osamu Aozawa, Souichi Ohta, Hideaki Miyata

Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Setsunan University, 45-1, Nagaotoge-cho, Hirakata, Osaka, 573-0101, Japan

Introduction
Polychlorinated debenzo-p-dioxins(PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and non-ortho chlorine substituted coplanar PCBs(Co-PCBs) have been recognized as persistent and ubiquitous organochlorine contaminants in environment. It is well known that these compounds show various toxicity such as carcinogenesis, teratogenicity and immunity toxicity etc. Therefore, much importance has been recently attached to the problem of environmental pollution by dioxin analogues, which released from about 20,000 incinerators, including MSW and industrial waste incinerator in Japan. Especially, environmental pollution by dioxin analogues has become a serious problem at the area of Kunugi mountain in Saitama prefecture, because of many MSW and industrial incinerators concentrates on such small area. Actually, high ratio(1.5-1.9 times) of the neonatal infant morality was observed in surrounding area of Kunugi mountain, for the last years, comparison with the average ratio of Saitama prefecture. Further, similar phenomenon was also observed in the east area of Saitama prefecture, which exist many incinerators. From the observation results, it is urgently needed that the real situation of air pollution by dioxin analogues in surrounding area of the incinerators in Saitama prefecture. By the way, it is extremely difficult to using the methods of high-volume sampler evaluate the air pollution by dioxins, by the daily level of dioxin analogues in the air is liable to variation even at the same sampling point. We develop new evaluation method for air pollution; we revealed that the indeciduous Japanese black pine tree(Pinus thunbergii parlatore) is one of the most suitable indicator for atmospheric pollution by dioxin analogues1). In addition, their accumulation level were rather stable after reaching plato levels, showing the variation to be within 2 times during a period of 3 months.
Therefore, we tried survey the air pollution by dioxin analogues using black pine needle collected from surrounding area(A and B area) of the incinerators and high population density area(C area) in Saitama prefecture(as shown in Table 1,).

References
1) O. Aozasa, M.Ikeda, T.Nakao, S. Ohta, H.Miyata, C.-W. Huang and H.-T. Tsai, Organohalogen Compounds, 1996,28, 181-186.
2) J.-R. Lu, H. Miyata, C.-W.Huang, H.-T. Tsai, V.-Z. Sheng, T. Nakao, Y.Mase, O.Aozasa and S.Ohta, Chemosphere, 1995,31,2959-2970
3)F.W.Kutz, D.C.Barnes, D.P.Botimore, H.Greim, E.W.Bretthauer, Chemosphere, 1990, 20, 751-757.
4) U.G.Ahlborg, G. C. Becking, L.S.Birnbaum, A.Brouwer, H.J.G.M.Derks, M.Freeley, G.Golor, A.Hanberg, J.C.Larsen, A.K.D.Liem, S.H.Safem C.Schlatter,F.Warm,M.Younes, E.Yrjanheikki, Chemosphere, 1994,28,1049-1057.
5) H.Miyata, O.Aozasa, T.Nakao, S. Ohta, Organohalogen Compounds, 1997,32,124-129.

ORGANOHALOGEN COMPOUNDS Vol.39(1998)347-350