RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BUSINESSES’ HANDLED AMOUNT AND RELEASED / TRANSFERRED AMOUNT OF CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES AIMED FOR PREDICTING CHEMICAL POLLUTION DUE TO GREAT EARTHQUAKE DISASTER －BASED ON THE DATE OF OSAKA PREFECTURE CHEMICAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM－

Abstract

 It is important to estimate the degree of waste that may result from natural disasters such as large earthquakes and tsunamis to effectively plan for disaster waste management. More specifically, it is especially crucial to estimate the quantity of hazardous chemical waste that a disaster may yield to plan environmental protection measures and proper waste treatment. To estimate such a phenomenon, it is necessary to first determine the amount of chemical substance present in a specific area. This study makes such an estimation for Osaka Prefecture by calculating the ratio between the amount of chemical substances released and transferred and the amount of chemical substances handled. The value of the ratio is termed the "handling coefficient." Notably, while information about the release and transfer of chemicals is published nationwide under the pollutant release and transfer register (i.e., "PRTR") system, that on the handling of chemicals is only available at the limited number of local governments level. This study investigates whether the handling coefficient differs by the fiscal year and, moreover, by local government. Ultimately, the difference between the years proved smaller than that between local governments. This paper argues that the larger difference between regions is due to the differences in the types of industries or industrial processes in each area.