Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
15.4.4 Japan
Information on biological monitoring in Japan is scarce. The National Institute of
Environmental Studies (NIES), an independent administrative institution closely affili-
ated with the Ministry of the Environment, Japan (MEJ), has been leading research in
global environment monitoring including monitoring and risk assessment of endocrine
disruptors and dioxin. Monitoring of water quality is the responsibility of the prefectural
governments and local offices of national administrative agencies. Moreover, compa-
nies that discharge effluents from specified factories are mandated to measure pollut-
ant levels in their effluents and keep records of the measured findings for government
inspection. A total of 271 stations report monthly on environmental standard and supple-
mentary parameters for the first-order rivers. In 1984, the MEJ initiated and conducted
a nationwide biomonitoring program for organic pollution of freshwater environments,
named the Nationwide Survey of Aquatic Organisms, and based on biological index of
macroinvertebrates (Morse et al. 2007). Currently, MEJ is active in developing the CALUX
(Chemical Activated Luciferase Gene Expression) assay to monitor water quality. The
MEJ also launched a marine monitoring program (the Marine Environment Monitoring
Survey) in 1998-2007 based on the “Marine Environment Monitoring Review Guideline”
(Environment Agency of Japan 1998). This was a comprehensive survey performed on sea-
water, sediments, marine organisms, benthic communities, floating plastic wastes, and so
forth, not only with respect to coastal waters but also offshore sea areas. The pollution lev-
els of hazardous chemical substances (trace metals, PCBs, dioxins, organotin compounds,
and substances covered in the POPs Treaty) were monitored. The levels of PCBs and diox-
ins, etc., within the bodies of five types of marine organisms (mussels, benthic sharks in
coastal areas, squid, cod, and crustaceans in offshore areas) were also monitored (MEJ
2009). The use of census data for biological indicators is still under development.
15.4.5 India
Taking into consideration the mounting pollution pressure along the coast of India, the
Government of India has initiated national-level monitoring programs such as Coastal
Ocean Monitoring and Prediction System (COMAPS) and Integrated Coastal Mapping
and Management (ICMAM) to document the concentrations of chemical constituents in
coastal waters and sediments, and changes in biological communities in the coastal area
over the years. However, there has been lack of efforts to establish the causal relationship
between pollutants and biological effects in the resident species. The Government of India
is not involved in any of the international collaboration programs dealing with biomarker
research. The National Institute of Oceanography, one of the constituent laboratories of
the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) of India, has on its own initia-
tive carried out studies on biomarker-based monitoring (Verlecar et al. 2006). The Central
Pollution Control Board (CPCB) is the chief regulatory agency on water quality issues in
India. It collaborates with State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) and Pollution Control
Committees (PCCs) to implement the various policies and regulations that govern water
quality management and to monitor the nationwide network of water quality monitor-
ing stations in India. With the assistance of the SPCBs and PCCs, the CPCB has set up a
network of freshwater monitoring stations under the National Water Quality Monitoring
Programme. At present, the inland water quality-monitoring network is operated under
a three-tier program, i.e., Global Environment Monitoring System, Monitoring of Indian
National Aquatic Resources System, and Yamuna Action Plan. The Department of Ocean
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