Administrative measures to the indoor air pollutants problem in Japan

摘要

Recentry it is reported that lots of residents experience multiple adverse health effects due to indoor pollutants in newly tightly built/rebuilt houses. The term "Sick House Syndrome", that is not a scientific/medical concept, is popually used in Japan to describe the conditions in which their complaints vary greatly and where the cause of the symptoms and the mechanism of action are still unknown. Since April 2000, the Japanese Government has implemented various administrative measures; investigation of he cause, setting of guideline values for volatile organic compounds and standard sampling/analytical methods, establishment of regulationary measures about houses/buildings construction and construction materials, medical research, educational activities, and development of technologies to improve indoor air quality. Further interdisciplinary study and measures are expected.