Niigata Minamata disease

Niigata Minamata disease is a neurological syndrome caused by severe mercury poisoning. It was first discovered in Niigata Prefecture, Japan, in 1965. The disease is named after Minamata Bay in Kumamoto Prefecture, where a similar outbreak occurred in 1956.

Symptoms

The symptoms of Niigata Minamata disease include ataxia, numbness in the hands and feet, general muscle weakness, narrowing of the field of vision and damage to hearing and speech. In extreme cases, insanity, paralysis, coma and death follow within weeks of the onset of symptoms.

Cause

The disease was caused by the release of methylmercury in the industrial wastewater from a factory. This highly toxic chemical bioaccumulated in shellfish and fish in Minamata Bay and the Shiranui Sea, which, when eaten by the local populace, resulted in mercury poisoning.

History

The outbreak of Niigata Minamata disease and the resultant political and legal battles marked a turning point in Japanese society, leading to changes in the relationship between environmental pollution and public health, and to new laws and agencies dedicated to environmental issues.

See also

• Minamata disease
• Mercury poisoning
• Environmental issues in Japan

References

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