Overflow of contaminated water at Takeda’s Shonan Research Centre
Leakage will have no adverse effect on human health
An incidence of overflow of contaminated water containing genetically modified E. coli bacteria, baculovirus and salmonella bacteria has occurred in one of the waste water sterilising tanks in a P1 level facility at Takeda Pharmaceutical Company’s Shonan Research Centre.
After discovering the spill, measures to prevent the spread of contamination were immediately taken, and there is no indication of leakage of the contaminated water to the outside of the facility or premises of the research centre. The assessment of the contaminated water shows that it will have no effect on human health.
The accident was caused by a tap in the sink in the P1 level facility not being properly turned off. Most of the water remained inside the sterilising room, but some extended less than 50cm into the corridor and also into a separate room where it covered an area of less than 1m x 2m. After discovering the spill, access to the area was tightly controlled, the contaminated water was removed, and appropriate measures to prevent the spread of contamination were carried out by deactivating the areas that had come into contact with the water.
Takeda has said it will quickly take action to implement and enforce preventative measures against the risk of such an accident ever occurring again.
A P1 level facility is an experimental facility that does not require the approval of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science & Technology for operations. It requires the lowest hazard level of contamination containment measures.