High in the hills, a small stone memorial honors other deathsof cats sacrificed in secret to science. I will describe the history of minamata disease, share smiths photos. Minamata bay is a bay on the west coast of kyushu island, located in kumamoto prefecture, japan. The minamata disease was the most massive pollution problem to strike japan in the postsecond world war period. Cyprus become the 118th party to the minamata convention on 25 february 2020, the government of cyprus deposited its instrument of ratification, thereby beco. Minamata disease is a poisoning disease that affects mainly the central nervous system and is caused by the consumption of large quantities of fish and shellfish living in minamata bay and its surroundings, the major causative agent being some sort of organic mercury compound. Minamata was an agricultural and fishing village on the western shore of kyusho, in southern japan. In extreme cases, insanity, paralysis, coma, and death follow within weeks of the onset of.
Miyazawa n 1996 minamata disease incident its forty years. The number of victims and deaths produced has not yet been determined. Lately, minamata has focused on becoming a model environmental city. The fishbased diets of the people and cats of minamata seemed to be the common thread between those showing symptoms, leading scientists to suspect the fish in minamata bay were being poisoned. Minamata bay was heavily polluted in the 1950s and 1960s by wastewater the chisso corporations factory in minamata, particularly by methylmercury. A short clip about industrial mercury poisoning at minamata bay, japan. Research identifies potential cause of minamata mercury. Article in environmental science and technology xxxxxxx january 2020 with 116 reads how we measure reads. As public spaces in japan go, minamatas eco park is quite pleasant. Three years later, an investigation concluded that the affliction was a result of industrial poisoning of minamata bay by the chisso corp. Symptoms included convulsions, slurred speech, loss of motor functions and uncontrollable limb movements. The story of minamata fact, according to jim hughes, in his article tomoko uemura, r. This disaster, occurring in the vicinity of minamata bay in kumamoto.
Based on the above examinations, i will argue that the. Social and ethical issues congenital minamata disease. Minamata disease was present both in adults and infants, with an array of phenotypes. The wastewater contained methylmercury, which bioaccumulated in fish and shellfish in the bay. Minamata disease european environment agency europa eu. In 1956, two sisters, aged two and five, were diagnosed in minamata bay, japan, with the crippling, untreatable and stigmatizing effects of mercury poisoning. Minamata disease keeping the tragedy in mind youtube. The disease has impacted minamata bay environmentally, economically, and socially.
Feb 02, 2014 minamata bay was heavily polluted in the 1950s and 1960s by wastewater the chisso corporations factory in minamata, particularly by methylmercury. The ocean served up a rich variety of seafood, and its tidal shallows were a veritable sea. She shared smiths vision to use the impact of the photo for raising awareness and for recruiting support for victims of minamatas disease. Methyl mercury discharged from the factory contaminated fish and shellfish, which in turn. The bay is part of the larger shiranui sea which is sandwiched between the coast of the kyushu mainland and the offlying islands of kumamoto and nagasaki prefectures. Theyll give your presentations a professional, memorable appearance the kind of sophisticated look that. Tragedi ini tejadi pada tahun 1959, sektor perekonomian utama di minamata adalah perikanan. Minamata convention on mercury international cooperation. Due to the breakout of the minamata disease, the administration of minamata city entered a thirtyyear period of deadlock.
Minamata disease victims, some horribly disfigured and wheelchairbound, also offered prayers and testimonials of a half century of. It was described that children born between 1955 and later whose mothers ingested the fish or shellfish from minamata bay displayed severe neurological deficits even if the mothers themselves did not display those symptoms castoldi, et. Licensed to youtube by adrev for a 3rd party, a train entertainment masters. A fishing port, minamata was also the home of nippon chisso hiryo co. Methyl mercury discharged from the factory contaminated fish and shellfish, which in. Outline of minamata disease 1 outbreak of minamata disease and its casualties. Winner of the standing ovation award for best powerpoint templates from presentations magazine. Minamata disease the history and measures summary moe. Almost 12,000 kilometres from minamata, rimiko yoshinaga, seated next to an interpreter at a desk at the front of the room, picks up a microphone and begins. A genetic cause of the disease was soon ruled out because it occurred in unrelated subjects nagano et al. The outbreak was also confirmed later in the reaches of the agano river in niigata prefecture.
Article in environmental science and technology xxxxxxx january 2020. Mercury pollutionnearly 60 years after a chemical plant caused one of the worlds worst episodes of mercury poisoning, the japanese town that came to symbolize the metals threat is still struggling with the aftermath. Ppt minamata powerpoint presentation free to view id. The pollution of minamata bay by mercury water science. She is tired from jetlag, and it is cold here compared to kyushu. Minamatabyo, sometimes referred to as chissominamata disease, chissominamatabyo, is a neurological disease caused by severe mercury poisoning. In the decades that followed, their story would be retold many times. Lessons from minamata disease and mercury management. It was also a spawning site for many species of fish.
The minamata disaster and thetrue costs of japanese modernization in 1900, minamata bay was a sleepy fishing village, located on the west coast of the japanese island of kyushu about 560 miles southwest of tokyo. The first recognized outbreaks occurred around minamata bay, in kumamoto prefecture, in 1956. With regard to minamata disease occurring in the areas around minamata bay in kumamoto prefecture, the patient was reported for the first time in may 1956, and. In 1900, minamata bay was a sleepy fishing village, located on the west coast of the japanese island of kyushu about 560 miles south west of tokyo. Minamata disease top 10 environmental disasters time. Oct 01, 20 a few years before her birth, dead fish and other sea creatures had begun appearing in minamata bay. Minamata disease, disease first identified in 1956 in minamata, japan. Because of its location, townspeople eat a lot of fish.
Signs and symptoms include ataxia, numbness in the hands and feet, general muscle weakness, loss of peripheral vision, and damage to hearing and speech. Tragedy of minamata disease and environmental chemical problems today 1. All this was well established by the beginning of the twentieth century. Minamata was a factory town controlled by the chisso corporation. The village of minamata, located on the west coast of southern kyushu, was traditionally supported by rice farming and by a cove in the port which allowed the production of salt. Minamata is known due to minamata disease, a neurological disorder caused by mercury poisoning. Dredging and reclamation done to remove toxic sludge from the minamata bay. Between 1932 and 1968, chisso corporation, a local petrochemical and plastics maker, dumped an estimated 27 tons of mercury into minamata bay, poisoning fish and, eventually, the people who ate them. Summary environmental impact of minamata pollution huge quantities of mercury detected in fish and shellfish in minamata bay. In 1959, at minamata city, where the key industry was fishery, many unknown symptom cases with central nerve system disorder were reported. Established in 1988 by soshisha, the minamata disease museum embraces the role of handing down the complex heritage left by minamata disease. The chisso corporation dumped over 30 tons of mercury in the minamata bay over a 30 year period. The government officially recognizes 2,265 victims 1,435 already dead of the industrial dumpings at southern japans minamata bay, where chemical maker chisso corp.
Now, after restudying the remains of one of those cats, a team of scientists is arguing, controversially, that the longstanding explanation. Minamata bay in kumamoto prefecture of the southwestern isle of kyushu in. In 1956, the first human patient of what soon became known as minamata disease was identified. The pollution of minamata bay by mercury water science and. Minamata disease the history and measures summary summary. Minamatas tragedy is not just about mercury poisoning. Penyakit minamata, tragedi di teluk minamata jepang akibat. A local chemical plant was blamed for causing the disease by emitting untreated wastewater into minamata bay. Page 4 guide to checklist of minamata convention on mercury obligations which may require new legal authority larger products. The minamata disaster and thetrue costs of japanese modernization. The faces of shiranui sea and of those living along its shores were irreporably changed by the recklessness of japanese economy lead by chisso company and the government. The ethics of representation in light of minamata disease.
It is the responsibility of parties who are manufacturing larger. The highly toxic compound bio accumulated in fish and shellfish in the bay which, when eaten by the people living around the bay, gave rise to minamata disease. Worlds best powerpoint templates crystalgraphics offers more powerpoint templates than anyone else in the world, with over 4 million to choose from. Lessons from minamata disease and mercury management in japan. In a chemical factory situated near minamata bay, acetaldehyde had been synthesized by the hydration of acetylene till 1968. It lies astride a small river that empties into minamata bay, an arm of the semienclosed shiranui yatsushiro sea. The tragedy deepens by eric johnston the most dangerous enemy to truth and freedom amongst us is the compact majority. The city of minamata, japan, is dotted with monuments commemorating victims of an industrial mass poisoning decades ago. The bahamas become the 117th party to the minamata convention on 12 february 2020, the government of the bahamas deposited its instrument of. Pollution in japan our tragic experiences, edited by study group.
Mar 19, 2009 a short clip about industrial mercury poisoning at minamata bay, japan. With the occurrence of the second incident of minamata disease in niigata in later. Symptoms included numb hands and feet and difficulty walking and talking. The minamata disaster and thetrue costs of japanese. Minamata disease, which is a typical example of the pollutionrelated health damage in japan, was first discovered in 1956, around minamata bay in kumamoto prefecture, and in 1965, in the agano river basin in niigata prefecture. The response by the mhw was that the said policy could not be legally enforced as there was no clear evidence of the toxic contamination of all fish and shellfish in a specified area of minamata bay. The minamata convention is a 21st century response to the catastrophic pollution in minamata, japan, where industrial releases of methyl mercury caused the epidemic known as the minamata disease in the 1950s and onwards. Minamata disease was first discovered in the 1950s when several local residents of minamata developed a mysterious sickness. At the beginning of the outbreak of this disease, infantile cerebral palsy was mentioned as the cause of death on the death certificate of a female child who died. The area around minamata bay in the yatsushiro sea of kumamoto prefecture was a beautiful and fertile sea blessed with a natural fish reef. A classic example of environmental contamination due to mercury and its health implications is the outbreak of minamata disease, an outbreak of children born with bay disaster in japan in 1950s, that witnessed a devastating epidemic of mercury poisoning. Brought about by environmental pollution, the damage to health wrought by minamata disease and the accompanying destruction of the natural environment, is in terms of the scale of damage and the. Minamata disease is a methylmercury poisoning with neurological symptoms and caused by the daily.
Sep 27, 20 the other half stuck with their traditional livelihoods. Minamata disease, minamata bay, japan, 19321968 local residents had been suffering from variety of symptoms including ataxia, general muscle weakness, numbness in the hands and feet, narrowing of the field of vision, damage to speech and hearing, paralysis, insanity and coma. The minamata disaster and the disease that followed. Introduction tragedy of minamata disease and environmental. Minamata disease, methylmercury poisoning, was recognized late in 1953 among the inhabitants living around minamata bay. Minamata is a japanese city of 34,000 people on the northwest coast of kumamoto prefecture in the island of kyushu.
Minamata disease wikimili, the best wikipedia reader. Sydney minamata bay background information minamata was a small town on the western coast of kyushu, japans southern island. Across the bay is amakusa island, which produced some coal. It is about what can happen to and between people when the truth is not told. By the late 1950s, researchers found the cause of the sickness to be the poisonous wastewater discharged into minamata bay by the local factory, operated by chisso. Minamata convention on mercury the parties to this convention, recognizing that mercury is a chemical of global concern owing to its longrange atmospheric transport, its persistence in the environment once anthropogenically introduced, its ability to.
Oct 23, 2016 summary environmental impact of minamata pollution huge quantities of mercury detected in fish and shellfish in minamata bay. The total picture in relation to the epidemiology of the problem has yet to unfold. Financial burden for long term care due to the irreversible effects of minamata disease. These materials were brought into minamata village and wood and mountain products were shipped from the port. Pdf on jan 1, 2018, alexandre semionov and others published. The minamata disaster and the true costs of japanese modernization. This was because the minamata disease not only caused an unimaginable level of.
The seafood available pales in comparison to what she is used to from minamata bay, which was finally declared safe in 1997. Mar 31, 2020 minamata disease is a poisoning disease that affects mainly the central nervous system and is caused by the consumption of large quantities of fish and shellfish living in minamata bay and its surroundings, the major causative agent being some sort of organic mercury compound. Minamata disease sometimes referred to as chissominamata disease is a neurological. By naming the convention minamata convention, the name minamata will not only be associated with a problem. A few weeks later, a committee of medical experts found an additional 30 patients along the shores of minamata bay, among whom the first cases apparently developed as early as 1953. This disease was caused by methyl mercury and other toxic substance, contained in effluent to minamata bay from chisso co. Jan 14, 2006 the tragedy visited on minamata, a picturesque seaside town on the southwestern island of kyushu, was wholly manmade. New mercury compound spotted in mass poisoning science. Minamata bay with the application of the food sanitation act and requested the mhw to decide on the legality of this policy in august 1957. Summary economic impact of minamata pollution drastic drop in fishing. In the spring and summer of 1956, what was first known simply as a strange disease started afflicting fishing families in villages scattered around minamata bay. Pdf in the early to midtwentieth century, the chisso corporation dumped. The minamata convention is named after the japanese city of minamata, which experienced a severe, decadeslong incidence of mercury poisoning after industrial wastewater from a chemical factory was discharged into minamata bay.
Due to their denial of responsibility, people suffering from high amounts of mercury poisoning and children being born with congenital minamata disease were wrongly diagnosed. Teluk minamata terletak di kota minamata, kumamoto perfecture, jepang. Minamata disease methylmercury poisoning was first discovered in 1956 around minamata bay, kumamoto prefecture, japan. Minamata is a small fishing town on the coast of the shiranui sea. Decades after mercury pollution ended in the town of minamata. Otherwise, minamata was no different from other villages found throughout the country. Outline of minamata disease 1 outbreak of minamata disease and its casualties minamata disease is a poisoning disease of central nervous system developed among the inhabitants who.
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