Dioxin found buried on Maishima Island is approaching dangerous levels and thus more environmental testing must be carried out, a scientist with Greenpeace Australia warned.
Darryl Luscombe, a toxin expert who assisted Sydney Olympic organizers in formulating a cleanup response to a similar problem, said once construction for an Olympic stadium on Maishima begins, dioxin in the soil may pose a health hazard to those working at the site.
In mid-February, the city of Osaka released an environmental report that documented dioxin levels in the soil on Maishima, Yumeshima and the surrounding bay. The report was based on tests conducted last fall at 15 different locations.