Message from the Director

With the development of science and technology, a wide variety of chemical substances have been manufactured, used, and have played a major role in improving the quality of our lives. Due to the development and dissemination of various countermeasure technologies and the establishment of regulations, the serious and obvious problems of pollution seen during the high economic growth period of the 1960s and 1970s are decreasing. However, as new highly functional chemical substances are being developed one after another in order to pursue greater comfort in life and respond to various issues such as climate change and energy issues, mass production and consumption has shifted to small quantities with wide varieties. These shifts caused the environmental contaminant issues to be complicated and to become difficult to grasp. The typical examples of these are the issue of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (commonly known as PFAS) and plastic products and their derivatives, which are both large concerns about their impact on human health and the ecosystem. Along with other issues such as heavy metals such as mercury, pesticides, pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), there are still many unknowns about the overall picture of exposure and effects. Furthermore, in Europe and the United States, the evaluation and regulation of these various chemical substances, which have the effect of disrupting the endocrine, nervous, and immune systems, is accelerating.

In order to address these issues, in our division, in the 5th midterm plan that started in 2021, we are implementing policies that will be implemented in society through the Ministry of the Environment and international organizations in addition to basic and foundational research. Furthermore, our division is in the core of the Comprehensive Environmental Risk Research Program, a strategic research program that focuses on unknown, unidentified, and unregulated chemical substances and their toxicity and risks.

In addition, the Center for Environmental Standards and Measurement, which supports environmental research through the development of environmental reference materials and measurement technology, and the Japan Environment and Children's Study Programme Office, which plays a central role in the " Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS)" conducted by the Ministry of the Environment, are also in this division. We will continue to work together to advance research that will lead to ensuring the safety and security of the public and the safety of the ecosystem.

Hiroshi Yamamoto
Director, Health and Environmental Risk Division