Japan to predict spread of hazmat

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TOKYO, Jan. 29 (UPI) -- Japanese defense officials say they are developing a system to predict the spread of dangerous substances introduced into the environment.

The system will cover both accidents and terrorists acts, and will deal with radioactive materials as well as deadly substances such as sarin gas and anthrax, Yomiri Shimbun reported Saturday.

The system will predict how the hazardous substances will travel in an environment for up to 24 hours.

The Defense Ministry hopes the system will increase the safety of self-defense forces personnel engaged in cleaning up hypothetically affected areas and evacuating local residents.

Results from data collection concerning the nature of the dangerous substances, terrain of the affected areas and locations of buildings will be displayed in different colors on maps depending on pollution levels.

The system will also be capable of determining the origin of pollutants based on the proliferation patterns.