SOx
NOF Group emissions of SOx (oxides of sulfur) in fiscal 2004 totaled 21.8 tons. Emissions at NOF CORPORATION were 17.8 tons/year, 14% lower year on year. This was due to the sulfur content of waste cumene, which is recycled as fuel at the Aichi Works, being reduced to less than one-tenth the previous year’s level. Looking ahead, initiatives will be implemented to utilize waste while giving due attention to environmental impact and emissions standards. Emissions by affiliated companies were 4.0 tons, a 15% decrease on the previous year.

NOx
NOF Group emissions of NOx (oxides of nitrogen) in fiscal 2004 were 83.8 tons/year. Emissions at NOF CORPORATION were 79.0 tons, 0.5 tons less than the previous year.

In relation to NOx emissions, NOF plans to continue operating as it has in the past in the absence of any factors that could particularly affect emissions.

Emissions by affiliated companies were 4.8 tons, a 14% decrease on the previous year.

Soot and Dust (soot, particles)
NOF Group emissions of soot and dust in fiscal 2004 were 7.6 tons/year. Emissions at NOF CORPORATION were 6.5 tons, approximately 7% higher than the previous year, the result of an increase in the incinerated volume of sludge, waste oil and other waste at the Amagasaki Plant. Looking ahead, initiatives will be implemented to utilize waste while giving due attention to environmental impact and emissions standards. Emissions by affiliated companies were 1.1 tons.

In fiscal 2004, total emissions of voluntarily managed substances such as harmful atmospheric pollutants at NOF were 9.0 tons/year. This represented a 0.16-ton year-on-year increase due to a rise in volumes handled in line with higher production.

To reduce emissions in fiscal 2004, NOF made improvements to storage tank vents and took other steps to restrict volumes of atmospheric emissions.

Plant Wastewater Output Volumes
NOF Group wastewater volume in fiscal 2004 was 5,984 thousand m3, 132 thousand m3 less year on year. NOF CORPORATION wastewater volume was 5,323 thousand m3, a decrease of 101 thousand m3 from the previous year. This decrease reflected the benefits of ongoing reduction measures, such as reviewing water cleansing techniques, despite a sharp increase in production volume.

Treated wastewater accounts for around 40% of plant wastewater volume, largely unchanged for the past 2-3 years. In fiscal 2004, 95% of factory wastewater was discharged in public waterways and 5% was discharged in sewerage systems.

BOD, COD and Suspended Solids
NOF Group BOD (Biological Oxygen Demand) emission volumes in fiscal 2004 were 55.8 tons, 5.4 tons less than in fiscal 2003. NOF CORPORATION emission volumes decreased sharply, by 6.0 tons, or 10%, year on year to 52.7 tons. This reflected the benefits of oil and water separation and the removal of solids at the Amagasaki Plant and Aichi Works.

On the other hand, NOF Group COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) emission volumes increased 1.9 tons year on year to 100 tons. NOF CORPORATION emission volumes were 98.5 tons, increasing marginally by 0.6 tons, or 0.6%, year on year. While BOD and COD emissions were both lower at the Aichi Works due to the aforementioned measures to separate oil and water, at the Amagasaki Plant, COD emissions increased, though BOD emissions decreased. NOF believes that this was due to a change in the composition of wastewater following the start of operations at a new plant. NOF plans to monitor this situation closely.

Regarding suspended solids, NOF Group emission volumes in fiscal 2004 were 53.9 tons. NOF CORPORATION emissions were 49.0 tons. While increasing year on year, there were no special negative factors at play, so this increase is regarded as being within the range of measurement variation.