Law concerning special measures against dioxin

Abstract

With a dioxin debacle that occurred at Tokorozawa last year, the need to regulate dioxin discharge was discussed in many sectors. As a result, the law concerning special measures against dioxins was issued in July, 1999. The law specifies dioxin compounds, which newly include coplanar polybiphenylchloride besides old two types of dioxins, namely, polychlorobenzo-p-dioxin and polychlorobenzofuran. The paper reviews why and how the law was established.