THE Environment Agency in Japan has
planned to impose strict regulations on soot emissions from factories during the next financial year. This move is expected to affect about 200,000 facto-ries, according to agency officials.
In April, 1998, the agency had revised air pollution laws to target industrial waste incinerators, whose smoke is considered a major source of toxic dioxin. However, the revisions did not include emissions from factories. The agency says regulations on soot emissions have remained lax.
Industrial waste incinerators account for 13.6 per cent of the estimated 100,000 tonne of soot emitted in Japan each year. Soot contains small particles believed to cause asthma. It comes mostly from boilers in factories, particularly electric machinery, chemical and steel processing industries.
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