Data Reported by the PRTR System and Emission/Release Inventory of Toxic Metals in Japan

Abstract

There is a need for the continuous development of emission and release inventories for toxic metals such as mercury, lead, and cadmium towards appropriate management of such toxic metals. This article discusses the possibility of utilizing data reported by the Japanese Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) system for developing inventories of emissions and releases of toxic metals. The PRTR system is an inventory system of chemical substances emissions and releases, in which the amount of substances being emitted, released and transferred in waste are reported annually by business operators. The reported data of toxic metal emissions and releases by the PRTR system can largely fluctuate depending on the status of reporting by major facilities and changes in the number of reported facilities. Thus, the data reported in the PRTR system can be underestimated as actual emissions and releases. The reported data also has different characteristics depending on the employed calculation methods, especially with regard to the inclusion of emissions and releases from impurities in raw materials or products. These issues need to be considered when utilizing data reported by the PRTR system for developing the inventories of toxic metals emissions and releases.