Minamata disease was first discovered in the city of Minamata, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, in 1956, hence its name. It was caused by the release of methylmercury in the industrial wastewater from a chemical factory owned by the Chisso Corporation , which continued from 1932 to 1968.
What was the source of Minamata disease?
Minamata disease is a methylmercury poisoning with neurological symptoms and caused by the daily consump- tion of large quantities of fish and shellfish that were heavily contaminated with the toxic chemical generated in chemical factories and then discharged into the sea.
What is the source of Minamata disease * bacteria DDT virus mercury?
– Minamata disease is a severe neurological disease caused due to mercury poisoning. It is caused due to the consumption of fish that were once living in mercury-poisoned water . – The disease was first discovered in 1956 in the Minamata city.
Is there still mercury in Minamata?
Finally, in May 1968, Chisso halted acetaldehyde production, thus ending its use of mercury . (The plant still makes other products.) Later that year, the national government officially acknowledged that Minamata disease was caused by eating seafood contaminated by effluent from the factory.
What happened in Minamata Japan with mercury?
Mercury- containing industrial waste from the Chisso Corporation’s chemical factory continued to be dumped in Minamata Bay up to 1968. Thousands of people who ingested the mercury by eating local fish and shellfish died, and many more displayed symptoms of mercury poisoning including convulsions and paralysis.
How was Minamata disease resolved?
After several rounds of civil lawsuits, the issue of legal responsibility for Minamata disease was finally resolved about half a century after its discovery in 2004 , when the Japanese Supreme Court ruled that the national government and Kumamoto Prefecture were jointly responsible for the cause and spread of Minamata ...
Is Minamata disease curable?
However, a fundamental cure for Minamata disease has not yet been found . The main treatments involve the temporary relief of symptoms (symptomatic therapy), and rehabilitation (physiotherapy and occupational therapy).
How many died from Minamata disease?
According to the Japanese government, 2,955 people contracted Minamata disease and 1,784 people have since died.
How is Minamata disease prevented?
Minamata disease can be prevented by reducing or eliminating one’s consumption of fish caught from bodies of water that are contaminated with high concentrations of mercury.
What does Minamata mean?
: a toxic neuropathy caused by the ingestion of methylmercury compounds (as in contaminated seafood) and characterized by impairment of cerebral functions, constriction of the visual field, and progressive weakening of muscles.
Which disease is caused due to mercury contamination?
Minamata disease, sometimes referred to as Chisso-Minamata disease, is a neurological disease caused by severe mercury poisoning. Signs and symptoms include ataxia, numbness in the hands and feet, general muscle weakness, loss of peripheral vision, and damage to hearing and speech.
Which poisoning water in Japan is from fishes?
It was in May 1956, that M. d. was first officially “discovered” in Minamata City, south-west region of Japan’s Kyushu Island. The marine products in Minamata Bay displayed high levels of Hg contamination (5.61 to 35.7 ppm).
What happened in Minamata Bay?
In the late 1950s Minamata Bay, Japan became contaminated with mercury from a nearby factory manufacturing the chemical acetaldehyde (Chisso Corporation’s chemical waste pipe).
What can we learn from Minamata disease?
The citizens of Minamata have learned that water and food are essential to life , and therefore invaluable, and that household and industrial waste should not be allowed to destroy the environment. Mass production, mass consumption, and mass waste make our lives more convenient and prosperous.
How did Minamata disease affect the environment?
Minamata Disease, a form of health damage triggered by environmental pollution , caused major issues to the nature of polluted areas and local society at large.
What is dancing cat disease?
Minamata disease is a neurological disease caused by severe mercury poisoning. Minamata disease was first discovered in Minamata city in Kumamoto prefecture, Japan, in 1956. The animal effects were severe enough in cats that they came to be named as having “dancing cat fever.”
