Minamata Disease
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MinamataDiseasePowerPointPresentation1.pptxMinamata Disease
Chronic Disease & Country Information: 2-4 slides
Chisso Factory, Japan (Takizawa, 1979).
Primary: Minamata Bay, Kumamoto Prefecture
Secondary: Agano River Basin, Niigata Prefecture (Takizawa, 1979).
The Dancing Cat Disease vs. The Mad Hatter Disease (O'Carroll et al., 1995).
Figure 1
Areas with outbreak of Minamata disease
Note. From Areas with outbreak of Minamata disease by Environmental Health Department, Environment Agency, 1999, Minamata Disease Archives ( http://nimd.env.go.jp/archives/english/minamata_disease_in_depth/). In the Public Domain.
Minamata Disease describes the most severe type of mercury poisoning that targets the central nervous system (Eto et al., 2010), thereby disrupting the brain, causing severe dysfunction and even death (Jackson, 2018). This noninfectious disease was caused by industrial pollution known as effluent from a nearby manufacturing plant called the Chisso factory. It had been producing acetaldehyde since 1932, but production ramped up to help combat the trade deficit that occurred as a result on World War II. When
Minamata Disease took place in Japan between
caused by industrial pollution known as effluent that originated from the Chisso Factory
Sushi
primarily imapacted residents of Minamata bay in Kumamoto prefecture Japan starting in the 1950s. It also secondarily impacted citizens near Niigata bay
Because Minamata disease occurred as a result of industrial pollution,
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Chronic Disease & Country Information: 2-4 slides
Risk factors
Bioaccumulation & Biomagnification
Fishing community
Incidence
Prevalence
Mortality
Figure 2
Pathway of Methylmercury from Factory to Human
Note. From Pathway of Methylmercury from Factory to Human, n.d., Minamata Disease Archives ( http://nimd.env.go.jp/archives/english/minamata_disease_in_depth/). In the Public Domain.
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Chronic Disease & Country Information: 2-4 slides
Demographics:
Industrial workers, local community members, and fishermen were the most impacted people.
Those who live in homes around the plant, the Minamata Bay, or the Agano river basin were the most affected populations (Torrente, 2019).
Figure 3. Minamata Disease Relief locations, Adapted From, "Minamata disease is caused by methylmercury poisoning. The name comes from Minamata Bay in Kumamoto prefecture where the Chisso factory released industrial waste. During 1932-1968 local residents, especially fisher families, suffered the consequences". Torrente, D. (2019). https://ejatlas.org/conflict/minamata-disease-japan
When Minamata disease began to breakout in the 1950's, the country of Japan made an action plan to create relief for those who were affected by Minamata disease. The picture in the slide demonstrates where exactly the Minamata disease relief measure resources were located. The semi-urban Minamata city area was affected the most, and to date there are 2,265 certified Minamata disease victims from this area. The demographics most affected by the disease were industrial workers who worked at the Chisso plant, local community members that lived near the plant, and by the Minamata bay and Agano river basin , and the fisherman of those bodies of water. All came in contact with the water that had poisonous levels of methyl-mercury (Torrente, 2019).
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Chronic Disease & Country Information: 2-4 slides
The picture to the right is an aerial view of Minamata, Japan.
The aerial picture includes where the Chisso factory is placed, in accordance with the semi-urban city (Torrente, 2019).
Figure 4. Minamata, Japan Aerial View, Adapted From, "Minamata Disease, Japan". Torrente, D. (2019). https://ejatlas.org/conflict/minamata-disease-japan
The aerial view picture allows the audience to get a feel of how close knit this community must have been during the outbreak and continuation of Minamata disease. When symptoms began to arise such as out of the blue mental and physical symptoms such as ataxia, numbness in the hands and feet, and damaged hearing, vision, and speech; the entire community began to realize it was a not something to take lightly. The first case of Minamata disease was diagnosed in May of 1956 and 2,264 individuals would be diagnosed with the same disease soon after. (Yorifuji and Tsuda, 2014).
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Proposed Program/ Project 3-4 slides
Figure 5 Dredged Areas with sediments transferred to segregated bay area – source (Sakamoto et al., 2020)
Dredging of Contaminated Bottom Sediment
Mercury-contaminated sludge treatment by dredging in Minamata Bay (Yoshinaga, 1995)
Dredged material was discharged into the I nto thereclamation area (Yoshinaga, 1995)
Note from Sakamoto, M., Itai, T., Marumoto, K., Marumoto, M., Kodamatani, H., Tomiyasu, T., Nagasaka, H., Mori, K., Poulain, A. J., Domingo, J. L., Horvat, M., & Matsuyama, A. (2020). Mercury speciation in preserved historical sludge: Potential risk from sludge contained within reclaimed land of Minamata Bay, Japan. Environmental Research, 180, 108668. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2019.108668
Include detailed information about the type of program, how it will decrease or eliminate the disease, why it was chosen, etc.
7 bullet point minimum
Proposed Program/ Project 3-4 slides
Figure 6 - The provisional regulatory standard for fish has been e stablished, stipulating 0.4 ppm for total mercury and 0.3
Restoration of the environment.
Fishing-Related Measures
Effluent control
Restraint on intake of fish and shellfish
Haawa Wasswa
Note from Minamata Disease The History and Measures - Chapter 4. (n.d.). Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan. https://www.env.go.jp/en/chemi/hs/minamata2002/ch4.html
Proposed Program/ Project
Water Pollution Control Law
Enacted in 1970
Several objectives to prevent repetition of mercury pollution.
Objectives Included
Prevention of further pollution of the water & surrounding environment by regulating the discharge of pollutants, including mercury, from industrial sources.
Promote conservation of the environment & protect the health of the people living in the affected areas
Proposed Program/ Project
Water Pollution Control Law Objectives Continued
Establish monitoring & enforcement mechanisms to ensure compliance with the regulations and to detect and respond to any violations.
Provide compensation & support to those affected by the pollution, including medical care & financial assistance.
Promote research & development to better understand the effects of mercury pollution & to develop new technologies to prevent & mitigate pollution.
Assessment 2-3 slides
Measure current total methylmercury levels.
The assessment that is going to be used will determine the most current mercury levels in the Minamata Bay water.
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Assessment 2-3 slides
Assessment 2-3 slides: The Aftermath of Minamata Disease Exposure on Surviving Residents
Present symptoms of an exposed individuals:
Numbness of hands: 86-39%
Walking impairment: 50-65%
Visual impairment: 21-30%
Present symptoms of a controlled group:
Numbness of hands: 3%
Walking impairment: 9%
Visual impairment: 1%
The most recent revisiting study that examined two groups from different regions between November 2004 and March 2016 that concluded in terms of gender and present symptoms between the exposed and the controlled groups.
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Exposed Group:
Total Minamata Disease exposure: 10,196
Men: 4,486
Women: 5,350
Controlled Group:
Total residents selected: 214
Men: 91
Women: 123
Evaluation 2-3 slides Strengths and Weaknesses.
Strengths
Mercury toxicity and environmental health research.
Epidemiology, toxicology, and social science partnership.
Environmentalism and health advocacy.
Minamata illness research and original data.
Long-term illness tracking.
International knowledge-sharing and cooperation.
Weaknesses
Limited primary outbreak data.
Self-reported statistics may be inaccurate or biased.
Socioeconomic differences and challenges meeting impacted populations' needs.
Resources and lag periods make longitudinal investigations difficult.
Few effective Minamata disease therapies.
Ethics in participant well-being and privacy.
Underreporting and difficulty estimating Minamata disease cases.
Evaluation 2-3 slides What can make it Better and Another Program
Improvements
Standardize data collecting for study comparability.
Promote worldwide Minamata disease research to include varied viewpoints and experiences.
Monitor mercury levels and cleanup actions throughout time.
Study disease transmission and long-term impact across generations.
Research Minamata illness treatments.
Address health inequalities and socioeconomic determinants of illness for equitable healthcare and resources.
Educate the people about Minamata's illness to empower and decrease stigma.
Brazil (Amazon) Mercury Monitoring Network
The study is conducted nationally, particularly in the Amazon region.
It investigates the mercury levels found in fish consumed by vulnerable populations.
It aims to examine the prevailing concerns regarding mercury contamination in the Amazon region.
Health, scientific, environmental, and community collaboration
The primary goals are Mercury levels, at-risk groups, and exposure reduction techniques.
Evaluation 2-3 slides
References
Areas with outbreak of Minamata disease [Map]. Minamata Disease Archives. http://nimd.env.go.jp/archives/english/minamata_disease_in_depth/
Eto, K., Marumoto, M., & Takeya, M. (2010). The pathology of methylmercury poisoning (Minamata disease) the 50th anniversary of Japanese society of neuropathology. Neuropathology, 30(5), 471-479. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1440-1789.2010.01119.x
Jackson, A. C. (2018). Chronic neurological disease due to methylmercury poisoning. Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences, 45(6), 620-623. https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/17E848523B37A91FACA87320B8EC2E8D/S0317167118003232a.pdf/chronic_neurological_disease_due_to_methylmercury_poisoning.pdf
Minamata Disease The History and Measures - Chapter 4. (n.d.). Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan. https://www.env.go.jp/en/chemi/hs/minamata2002/ch4.html
Moraes Pinto, L. D. C., Dórea, J. G., Bernardi, J. V. E., & Gomes, L. F. (2019). Mapping the evolution of mercury (Hg) research in the Amazon (1991–2017): A scientometric analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(7), 1111. https://www.mdpi.com/435618
O'Carroll, R. E., Masterton, G., Dougall, N., Ebmeier, K. P., & Goodwin, G. M. (1995). The neuropsychiatric sequelae of mercury poisoning: the Mad Hatter's disease revisited. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 167(1), 95-98. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ronan-Ocarroll/publication/15646735_The_Neuropsychiatric_Sequelae_of_Mercury_Poisoning_The_Mad_Hatter's_Disease_Revisited/links/545c7e960cf2f1dbcbcb3039/The-Neuropsychiatric-Sequelae-of-Mercury-Poisoning-The-Mad-Hatters-Disease-Revisited.pdf
Pathway of Methylmercury from Factory to Human [Infographic]. Minamata Disease Archives. http://nimd.env.go.jp/archives/english/minamata_disease_in_depth/
References
Sakamoto, M., Itai, T., Marumoto, K., Marumoto, M., Kodamatani, H., Tomiyasu, T., Nagasaka, H., Mori, K., Poulain, A. J., Domingo, J. L., Horvat, M., & Matsuyama, A. (2020). Mercury speciation in preserved historical sludge: Potential risk from sludge contained within reclaimed land of Minamata Bay, Japan. Environmental Research, 180, 108668. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2019.108668
Takaoka, S., Fujino, T., Kawakami, Y., & Shigeoka, S. (2017, October 15). Prolonged and extensive health effects of methylmercury poisoning (Minamata disease) around the Shiranui sea. Shibboleth
Takizawa, Y. (1979). Minamata disease in Japan. Environmental toxicology and human health, 1, 325-366. http://www.eolss.net/sample-Chapters/C09/E4-12-02-05.pdf
Torrente, D. (2019). Minamata Disease, Japan. Enviornmental Justice Atlas, https://ejatlas.org/conflict/minamata-disease-japan
Authentication Request. https://www-sciencedirect-com.ezproxy.uta.edu/science/article/pii/S0022510X17337760?via%3Dihub
Yorifuji, T. and Tsuda, T. (2014). Minamata, Encyclopedia of Toxicology, https://www.sciencedirect.com/referencework/9780123864550/encyclopedia-of-toxicology
Yoshinaga, K. (1995, December 31). Mercury-contaminated sludge treatment by dredging in Minamata Bay. Mercury-contaminated sludge treatment by dredging in Minamata Bay (Conference) | OSTI.GOV. https://www.osti.gov/biblio/419581
