PFAS Water Quality Standards to Include from 2026
PFAS Detected Recently at 332 Waterworks Offices
As carcinogenic chemicals called perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been repeatedly detected in Japanese tap water, spreading 'tap water fear,' the Japanese government has decided to include PFAS in water quality standards and manage them starting in 2026.
On the 25th, Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun, NHK, and other media reported that the Ministry of the Environment held an expert meeting the previous day and decided to include PFAS in the water quality standards under the Water Supply Act from April 2026. The Ministry of the Environment delayed the implementation until the year after next, considering that water supply operators will need time to respond. PFAS is a term for artificially made organofluorine compounds that do not easily decompose in nature and are called 'forever chemicals.' PFAS are used in frying pan coatings, semiconductor processes, and more, and are carcinogenic substances that do not naturally decompose and accumulate well in living organisms. Japan has banned the import and manufacture of PFAS since 2021.
Once PFAS are included in the water quality standards, local governments and water supply operators will be required to conduct regular water quality tests. Also, if the concentration exceeds the standard, they will be obligated to carry out water quality improvement measures. The standard concentration was set at 50 nanograms per liter (1 nanogram is one-billionth of a gram) by combining perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), which are highly hazardous substances among PFAS.
The recent increase in concerns about PFAS in Japan is due to the repeated detection of this substance in tap water nationwide. According to the Ministry of the Environment's investigation, PFAS exceeding the standard were detected in 44 dedicated water supplies (water supplies installed directly by managers within facilities, not public waterworks) across the country. The detected locations were mainly Japan Self-Defense Forces and U.S. military bases in Japan. In particular, at the Ashiya base of the Air Self-Defense Force in Fukuoka Prefecture, 1,500 nanograms per liter?30 times the standard?were detected, prompting authorities to advise nearby residents to be cautious when using water.
Last month, the Japanese government announced the results of an investigation of 1,745 water supply offices in 46 municipalities. PFAS were detected in 332 water supply offices. However, none exceeded the standard concentration. The problem is that it is still unknown where the PFAS came from or whether it has spread externally. Authorities currently believe that this substance likely entered through soil and groundwater at sites where foam fire extinguishing agents are used during Self-Defense Forces and firefighting training. The Ministry of Defense told NHK, "The water supply in question was used only by personnel within the base," but added, "It is still unknown whether there is a possibility of external leakage."
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