Citizen groups from PFAS-contaminated regions around the nation have united to combat chemical contamination in the contemporary period.

On March 19, 2026, the “National PFAS Liaison Committee” (tentative name; hereinafter referred to as the “Liaison Committee”), comprising 44 civic groups from across the country, was established. The group submitted a petition to the Ministry of the Environment and the Food Safety Commission of the Cabinet Office, calling for a revision of drinking water standards and the conduct of a fact-finding survey.

A public discussion was also held to share ideas between the liaison committee and officials from the relevant government agency.

Four requests

The Liaison Committee was launched in November 2025, following a study session on PFAS held in Kobe.

After the study session, Hiroshi Ogura, representative of the “Enjo Water Treatment Plant PFAS Issue Group,” and Susumu Shibutani, representative of the “Akashi-Kobe PFAS Contamination and Health Awareness Group,” hit it off.

“Let’s unite nationwide, overcoming distinctions in substances like PFOA or PFOS and sources of pollution like corporations or military bases.”

The initiative was also joined by members of the “Osaka PFAS Contamination and Health Awareness Group.” As of March 19, 44 organizations have joined the Liaison Committee after a national call for participation launched by three key organizations. All of this unfolded in just four months.

On March 19, 2026, the Liaison Committee submitted a petition to the Ministry of the Environment and the Food Safety Commission of the Cabinet Office on the day of its establishment.

The petition calls for the following four points.

“Without relying on our own expertise”

A public discussion was convened with the responsible officials after the petition was submitted. In addition to the members of the Liaison Committee, over 100 people, including academics and media representatives, participated both in person and virtually.

First, there was a discussion with the Cabinet Office Food Safety Commission. The following four individuals attended. (Titles omitted)

Masakatsu Imoto, Director of the First Risk Assessment Division, Food Safety Commission of Japan Secretariat

 

Hiroki Shimohira, Assistant Director of the Second Risk Assessment Division, Food Safety Commission of Japan Secretariat, Veterinarian

 

Atsuko Takeguchi, Assistant Director of the Second Risk Assessment Division, Food Safety Commission of Japan Secretariat

 

Yoshihiko Shiojiri, Assistant Director of the General Affairs Division (General Affairs and International Affairs), Food Safety Commission of Japan Secretariat

The Food Safety Commission is responsible for preventing chemical substances in food from causing adverse health effects in humans. It investigates and evaluates the health impacts of food and chemical substances and prepares “Assessment on the Effect of Food on Health.” These reports include the “Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI),” which is the maximum amount of a substance considered safe for daily consumption. Based on these reports, government agencies such as the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare develop and implement relevant laws and regulations.

The Food Safety Commission plays a crucial role as the foundation of the legal framework.

However, the Liaison Committee had raised concerns about the Food Safety Commission’s assessment report on PFAS. The process for determining the TDI was opaque, and key scientific papers had not been taken into account.

Professor Emeritus Akio Koizumi of Kyoto University raised some questions. Professor Koizumi is a pioneer in PFAS research in Japan.

“Why did you not include the ‘Hasegawa paper,’ which states that children may develop chromosomal abnormalities, in the preparation of the evaluation report?”

The “Hasegawa paper” refers to a scientific paper published in September 2024 by Kohei Hasegawa (Assistant Professor) and colleagues at Shinshu University. The study examined approximately 25,000 pregnant women and their newborn children to investigate the association between PFAS exposure and chromosomal abnormalities. The findings suggested a connection between chromosomal abnormalities and exposure to PFAS. Chromosomal abnormalities can lead to various health issues, including miscarriage, short stature in children, and intellectual disabilities.

Furthermore, this study was conducted with funding from the Ministry of the Environment. Shoji Nakayama (National Institute for Environmental Studies), a member of the Food Safety Commission’s PFAS Working Group, was also part of the research team. Why does the Food Safety Commission not adopt scientific papers produced “in-house”?

Imoto, Director of the Food Safety Commission, pointed out that the paper had not been fully published at the time the assessment report was completed. The assessment report was released in June 2024, while Hasegawa’s paper was published in September 2024.

However, the Food Safety Commission would later have the opportunity to reconsider the contents of the “Assessment.”

In February 2025, the Ministry of the Environment consulted the Food Safety Commission regarding the establishment of drinking water standards for PFOA and PFOS. Taking the findings of Hasegawa’s paper into account, the TDI could have been set at a stricter level. However, the Food Safety Commission did not alter the content of the assessment report it had prepared in June 2024.

Based on the assessment report from the Food Safety Commission, the Ministry of the Environment has established a drinking water standard of 50 ng/L. It will take effect in April 2026.

A comment by Section Chief Imoto of the Food Safety Commission

The reasoning put forward by Section Chief Imoto—that “the paper was published too late”—has been refuted.

After the discussion session ended, I questioned Section Chief Imoto.

Nakagawa: “Why didn’t you revise the assessment report in February 2025 based on Hasegawa’s paper?”

Section Chief Imoto: “We used Hasegawa’s paper as a basis for our discussion.”

Nakagawa: “Then why didn’t you revise the assessment report to take Hasegawa’s paper into account?”

Just then, Shimohira, the assistant director, interrupted.

“Regarding that matter, the minutes published on the Food Safety Commission’s website contain all the relevant information.”

The “minutes” are a record of the meeting held on February 18, 2025. At that meeting, Tomotaka Sobue, then Deputy Director of the National Cancer Center’s Institute of Cancer Control, made the following remarks.

“I have also reviewed the content of recent publications. As a result, while there are scattered reports suggesting associations with diseases such as liver disease and cardiovascular disease among the endpoints—including liver function, lipid metabolism, reproductive development, immunity, and carcinogenesis—that are being monitored by risk assessment agencies in other countries, we have not yet identified any studies that would warrant a revision of the TDI at this time.”

Regarding Hasegawa’s paper, he commented, “I believe the association between chromosomal abnormalities and PFAS reported in this Japan Environment and Children Study is a significant finding, supported by high-quality research,” but he also stated the following.

“Of the approximately 25,000 participants in the study, chromosomal abnormalities were observed in 44 cases, indicating a high degree of statistical uncertainty. Additionally, there are other issues, such as the fact that the study did not include pregnant women who experienced a miscarriage before 12 weeks of gestation, and the fact that, due to relatively low levels of PFAS exposure, the results may be susceptible to the influence of other factors.”

“Of the approximately 25,000 people, chromosomal abnormalities were observed in 44 cases,” which translates to a rate of about one in 570. While the harmful effects of PFAS exposure are occurring nationwide, and based on the precautionary principle, this should never be overlooked, the Food Safety Commission did not revise the TDI.

About a year after this meeting, in January 2026, Sobue was promoted to Chairman of the Food Safety Commission, the head of the commission.

Ministry of the Environment Section Chief Yoshikawa: “It is safe to let children drink water containing 50 ng/L”

The following five officials from the Ministry of the Environment attended the discussion (Titles omitted).

Keiko Yoshikawa, Director of the Environmental Control Division, Environment Management Bureau, Ministry of the Environment

 

Soichi Watanabe, Assistant Director, Office for the Management of Organic Fluorinated Compounds, Water Quality and Sanitation Management Office, Environmental Control Division, Environment Management Bureau, Ministry of the Environment

 

Risa Maeda, Chief, Office for the Management of Organic Fluorinated Compounds, Environmental Management Division, Environment Management Bureau, Ministry of the Environment

 

Genichiro Tsukada, Director of the Chemical Safety Division, Chemicals Evaluation Office, Environmental Health Department, Minister’s Secretariat, Ministry of the Environment

 

Shiro Kawahara, Assistant Director, Environmental Risk Assessment Office, Chemical Safety Division, Environmental Health Department, Minister’s Secretariat, Ministry of the Environment

The Liaison Committee is calling for a revision of the water quality standard of 50 ng/L, as well as efforts to assess the actual extent of contamination, identify sources of contamination, and conduct epidemiological health surveys.

From the audience, there were repeated calls for the Environmental Agency to ensure safety and peace of mind in its administrative efforts, noting that the agency had been established in response to chemical contamination incidents such as Minamata disease.

However, they just kept repeating, “We will strive to gather insights.”

Naomi Machida, representative of the “Beautiful Water of Ginowan” (Okinawa Prefecture), who was attending the event, raised her hand and asked the officials a question.

“Is it safe for children and infants to drink water containing 50 ng/L? Please answer one at a time.”

Keiko Yoshikawa, Chief of the Environmental Management Division of the Environment Management Bureau, responded.

“I’m a mother of two myself. Personally, I’m satisfied with the current levels. I use it on my child and a toddler as well.”

Machida asked again, “Is it okay for a baby to drink this?”

Section Chief Yoshikawa stated firmly, “Yes, you may give it to them.”

The room erupted in a murmur. No one other than Section Chief Yoshikawa took the microphone.

On that day, four members of the Diet also rushed to the venue.

Taku Yamazoe (House of Councillors, Communist Party), Kotaro Tatsumi (House of Representatives, Communist Party), Eri Mikami (House of Councillors, Constitutional Democratic Party), and Sachika Takara (House of Councillors, Wind of Okinawa).

Yamazoe echoed the Liaison Committee’s request, stating:

“It’s clear what the government needs to do: conduct a fact-finding investigation.”

“We have to shape public opinion”

At the press conference, members of the Liaison Committee shared their thoughts.

Naomi Machida, Representative of the Beautiful Water of Ginowan (Okinawa Prefecture)

“This is an undeniable violation of human rights. I want the standards to be tailored to protect women and children, who are in the most vulnerable position.”

Hiroshi Ogura, Representative of the Enjo Water Treatment Plant PFAS Issue Group (Okayama Prefecture)

“To be frank, the Ministry of the Environment is turning a blind eye to what is happening in society. I realized that we have to take action ourselves and shape public opinion.”

“I couldn’t help but feel a gap between them and us, who are fighting PFAS contamination in rural areas. They claim to lack expertise, yet they don’t even recommend blood tests. Let’s build momentum and make our voices heard.”

Professor Emeritus Koizumi of Kyoto University: “There are ethical issues at the Ministry of the Environment”

On that day, at the request of the Liaison Committee, Professor Emeritus Akio Koizumi of Kyoto University, who was attending the meeting in person, was asked to serve as an advisor to the committee. Professor Koizumi accepted the offer.

Following discussions with the Ministry of the Environment and the Food Safety Commission, Koizumi made the following statement.

“This is an ethical issue. Environmental standards concern health impacts.”

“The Ministry of the Environment, in particular, has many issues, including ethical concerns. Section Chief Yoshikawa said, ‘It’s okay for children to drink water containing 50 ng/L,’ but that wouldn’t fly overseas.”

The Liaison Committee is currently accepting new members.

Osaka PFAS Contamination and Health Awareness Group

2-1-8 Minami-Honmachi, Chuo-ku, Osaka 541-0054

2nd Floor, Soken Honmachi Building

TEL: 06-6268-3970 (Main), 090-8376-1215 (Nagaoka)

FAX: 06-6268-3977

(Originally published in Japanese on March 19, 2026. Translation by Mana Shibata.)

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