Risk communication on the problems regarding endocrine disruptors and release of information on pollutant emission from industrial plants

Effects of environmental endocrine disrupters to humans have recently attracted much concern of Japanese people. Uncertainty in risk from exposure to these compounds due. to lack of knowledge of the exact mechanism on potential effects combined with many cases of inappropriate response to the public's concern in the side of authorities and mass-media have caused complex and specific problems to the Japanese society. Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) is a novel challenge to Japanese industry and the government with collecting and releasing information of emission and movement of pollutants to the environment. We performed survey of the opinions of the, general public (ages of 20-60 years old) in several occasions in 1999-2000 period related to the above subjects and risk communication in these situations. From nearly 600 replies obtained in the five occasions, we could identify the ways how people thought the problems and potential solutions to them. The results will show the way people. in Japan perceive the risk and why they accept or reject it in some cases, and hopefully will shed light in improving risk communication in this society.