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Tuesday February 19, 5:51 PM15,000 plastic containers washed ashore on Sea of Japan coast(Kyodo) _ About 15,000 plastic containers have washed ashore on the Sea of Japan coast since January, with one third of them carrying Hangul characters, Environment Ministry officials said Tuesday.The containers have washed ashore in 11 prefectures, and the ministry plans to ask the South Korean government to investigate the cause and to take preventive measures, the officials said. The ministry started conducting hearings with local governments on Jan. 15, when it was confirmed that the plastic containers washed ashore at a number of places including Hirado in Nagasaki Prefecture. By prefecture, 4,662 containers have washed ashore in Nagasaki, 3,738 in Shimane and 2,078 in Fukuoka, the officials said. The plastic tanks have a capacity of about 20 liters. Some of them carry Hangul characters for "hazardous" or "oxidizing agent," while others carry chemical formulas for hydrogen peroxide solution and nitric acid, the officials said. In some cases, local governments actually detected agents such as hydrogen peroxide solution in the containers. The officials said it is possible that plastic containers left on the coast of South Korea have drifted to Japan as seaweed farmers in the country use acidic liquids to disinfect nets. |
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