Chemical Pollution in Coastal Waters around Kitakyushu City and Their Origins

Environmental survey on 285 chemicals in coastal waters around Kitakyushu City was carried out for 1 year. The results are as follows. (1) The number of chemicals detected was 179 which included 12 endocrine disruptors. Most of the chemicals detected were the same as chemicals found in leachates from hazardous waste disposal sites in Japan. (2) Factories and a sewage treatment plant in Dohkai bay were the main sources of the chemicals and the chemical pollution spread to outside of the bay. (3) Chemicals detected at high concentrations in Dohkai bay were polyaromatic hydrocarbons, which were discharged from coke oven factories, and chlorobenzenes and aromatic amines, which were used for organic synthesis. (4) 2-Nitrophenol and benzothiazole whose source seemed to be vehicles were detected at high frequency. (5) High correlation was found among the pesticides used for the same purpose. Hexachlorocyclohexanes, which were banned 25 years ago, were also found.