Measurements of the chemical composition of fog water at Murododaira (altitude, 2,450 m), on the western slope of Mt. Tateyama near the coast of the Japan Sea, were performed each autumn from 2004 through 2007. Strong acidic fogs (pH<4) containing high concentrations of nssSO 4 2− were frequently observed in the autumn of 2005, when the air mass at Mt. Tateyama originated mainly from the polluted regions of Asia. The ratio of NO 3 − /nssSO 4 2− in fog water was relatively high in 2004 and 2007. High concentrations of nssCa 2+ derived from dust particles were detected in 2006. Background Kosa particles might have been predominant in the free troposphere and could have neutralized acidic fogs in the autumn of 2006. High concentrations of sea-salt components were also observed in October 2005. The sea-salt particlesmight have been transported from the Pacific Ocean by a strong typhoon, and significant Mg 2+ loss was observed. Peroxides higher than 100 μM, which are seriously harmful to vegetation were sometimes detected.

Two-year old monozygotic female twins were admitted to the Nihon University Hospital because of recurrent respiratory infections. The chest X-rays showed a similar pattern in both twins. The left lung fields were almost totally opaque and the right lung fields were emphysematous. Pulmonary inhalation 81 mKr scintigrams revealed limited ventilation in left lower lungs. Cardiac catheterization demonstrated no intra-cardiac shunting and normal pulmonary artery pressures in both twins. Pulmonary arteriograms showed mildly dilated right pulmonary arteries and hypoplastic left pulmonary arteries which distributed to left lower lungs. The angiograms gave also a quite similar pattern in both twins.Plenty of hypoplasia of a lung have been reported already. However, the reports on the twins are quite rare. To our best knowledge only 9 cases have been reported, and in most of the reports only two twins are involved. This is the first case of hypoplasia of the lungs in twins in which both twins were similarly involved in Japan.A prognosis of this kind patient is obscure. (Acta Paediatr Jpn. 23(3): 404, 1982) (Abstract of Nippon Shonikagakkai Zasshi (Acta Paed. Jpn Japanese ed. 85(11): 1560-1565 1981)) Acta Paediatr Jpn

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