In order to reduce the impact of hazardous materials on the health of people who use the buildings and on the natural environment, Mitsui Fudosan pays close attention to preventing the introduction of hazardous materials from the stage of land acquisition and building design onward.

A health disorder called sick building syndrome is caused by formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds (VOC). To avoid introduction of these compounds, we use building materials, glue, paint and other construction materials that have low formaldehyde (New JIS/JAS F and F *5) content as standard materials for our office buildings, retail properties, for-sale and rental condominiums, and houses.
In addition, we measure the VOC levels of the indoor air environment of our office buildings, (some) for-sale condominiums as well as rental condominiums after completion of interior finishing work and before handover of the properties to our customers. Regarding detached houses that Mitsui Fudosan Residential Co., Ltd. provides, we select several sample properties to measure the VOC levels under the objective of confirming the efficacy of countermeasures against sick building syndrome by employing designs that satisfy the “Detached Housing Design Standards.” In fiscal 2007, we chose four buildings of four properties and measured the level of seven substances including formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and toluene in December. The results showed the levels lower than the guideline value set by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

(*5) F and F are symbols used in the JIS and JAS standards to indicate the level of formaldehyde concentration released into the air. F indicates the lowest emission concentration of 0.3mg/l or lower, and F indicates the second lowest emission concentration of 0.5mg/l or lower.

Production and use of specified CFCs are restricted as they are materials that damage the ozone layer. Thus, we promote the employment of building materials and facilities that do not use specified CFCs from the design stage and thereafter. Insulation materials that do not contain specified CFCs are set as the standard specifications for office buildings. In addition, we have promoted the employment of insulation materials and plastic molding compounds without specified CFCs for rental condominiums as well. As for newly built retail properties and common areas of for-sale and rental condominiums, air conditioners that do not use specified CFCs are employed. In Mitsui Garden Hotels, refrigerators that do not use specified CFCs are being increasingly employed.

Mitsui Fudosan, in principle, conducts the background check on land to be acquired before acquisition. In addition, soil surveys and soil decontamination measures are implemented as necessary to prevent risks due to soil contamination.

Introduction of initiatives conducted by the Mitsui Fudosan Group for actual projects