residents of Tokorozawa near Tokyo are alarmed at a recent finding which says that the death rate for infants in towns located near incinerators is 40 per cent to 70 per cent higher than the average for the prefecture. The report has set off a fear of dioxin, a chemical found in incinerator smoke. Mothers have been advised to undergo tests to detect dioxin levels in their breast milk. The dioxin family of chemicals is believed to cause cancer and skin diseases.
Incineration of waste, particularly plastics and other materials containing chlorine, is considered to be a major source of dioxin. Japan incinerates about three-quarters of its municipal waste. It has more than 1,850 municipal waste incinerators, compared with about 150 in the us and 50 in Germany. Besides, there are more than 3,300 privately owned industrial incinerators.
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