The monument dedicated to minamata disease victims. 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 sometimes referred to as chissominamata disease is a neurological. The text of the minamata convention pdf 71 pp, 434 k, about pdf exit was adopted by delegates from over 140 countries on january 19, 20, after three years of negotiation. Minamata convention on mercury international cooperation. Minamata city in southern kumamoto prefecture gained worldwide fame in the 1950s and 1960s through a mercury poisoning disaster, caused by a local factorys discharge of poisonous wastewater into minamata bay thousands of local inhabitants fell victim to the poisoning, and the disease caused by mercury poisoning became globally known as the minamata disease. Minamata disease is due to organic mercury methylmercury poisoning and although not very common in the us, minamata disease was first discovered in minamata city, kumamato prefecture, japan. Court orders damages paid to japan poisoning victims. Minamata disease sometimes referred to as chissominamata disease is a neurological syndrome caused by severe mercury poisoning. Minamatas name came to be widely known to the world because of its pollution. Hosting japan international cooperation agency jica. The toxicity of mercury was highlighted by minamata disease, first discovered in minamata city in kumamoto prefecture, japan in 1956. The neuropathology of minamata disease has been well studied. Dr mcalpine was looking for unusual cases of multiple sclerosis, which was known to be uncommon in japan at that time, and it was thought that the cases of this unknown encephalopathy in minamata might be unusual forms of that disease.
The convention opened for signature at the diplomatic conference in kumamoto, japan, on october 10, 20. National institute for minamata disease, environment agency of japan, japan. This was because the minamata disease not only caused an unimaginable level of health damage and destruction of nature, but also destroyed local community. Due to demand during world war, second mercury disaster occurred in niigata prefecture in 1965. The clinical picture was officially recognized and called minamata disease md in 1956. By naming the convention minamata convention, the name minamata will not only be associated with a problem. The minamata factory became the most advanced in all of japan, both before and after world war. This disease is an unusual neurological disorder resulting from eating a large amount of fish and shellfish of minamata bay in japan. Methyl mercury discharged from the factory contaminated fish and shellfish, which in turn. The minamata convention is named after the beautiful minamata city in japan, where local communities were poisoned by mercurytainted industrial wastewater in the late 1950s. During 19321968 local residents, especially fisher families have been suffering from a. Through the minamata convention on mercury, the global community remembers the. The marine products in minamata bay displayed high levels of hg contamination 5. Igata recent advances in minamata disease studies eds.
Learning from the minamata disease the negative legacy of minamata city the minamata disease broke out in the midst of rapid economic growth in japans postwar rehabilitation period. Minamata disease by those who lived it the japan times. The disease is a special class of foodborne methylmercury intoxication in humans as typified by the outbreak that began in 1953 in minamata and its vicinity in kumamoto prefecture, japan. 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. Signs and symptoms include ataxia, numbness in the hands and feet, general muscle weakness, loss of peripheral vision, and damage to hearing and speech. Hosting japan international cooperation agency jica training programs. The history and the present of minamata disease entering the second half a century jmaj 493.
Minamata disease is a condition that people in most parts of the world are not familiar with, but it is painfully real to those living in the city of minamata, japan. A similar epidemic occurred in 1965 along the agano river, niigata prefecture, japan. The street bisects downtown, mirroring a deeper division in the community that has given its name to the minamata convention on mercury. Minamata disease, minamatabyo is a form of poisoning that affects the bodys nervous system and is caused by the consumption of seafood contaminated by methyl mercury which has been discharged into the sea by factories. A short clip about industrial mercury poisoning at minamata bay, japan. Minamata disease methylmercury poisoning was first discovered in 1956 around minamata bay, kumamoto prefecture, japan.
A form of poisoning, minamata disease is a disease of the central nervous system, caused by the consumption of fish and shellfish contaminated with methyl mercury compounds discharged into the environment as factory waste etc. Milestones in neuropathology from japan the pathology of methylmercury poisoning minamata disease komyo eto,1 masumi marumoto2 and motohiro takeya3 1health and nursing facilities for the aged, jushindai, shinwakai, 2pathology section, department of basic medicine. It is now 50 years since the most horrific mercury poisoning disaster the world has ever seen took place in minamata, japan. The chapters on the pathology and pathogenesis of the disease and on its clinical manifestations are probably the most complete which have yet been.
Minamata disease, disease first identified in 1956 in minamata, japan. An update on the acute and chronic manifestations of methyl mercury poisoning shigeo ekinoa. The diagnosis and suffering continues to be repeated around the world. The minamata disaster and the disease that followed. Lessons from minamata disease and mercury management in japan. The disease was mostly caused by eating sea fish from the contaminated waters. In 1956, the japanese medical community and media coined the phrase minamata disease to describe his condition, but its cause was still a mystery.
Due to the breakout of the minamata disease, the administration of minamata city entered a thirtyyear period of deadlock. 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. Mercury poisoning of thousands confirmed world news. Methylmercury poisoning in the area of minamata bay in japan has become the best known of all the diseases caused by environmental pollution, and this present book is the latest in a rather long line which has kept the disease before the public. In japan, the restored national economy from its state of devastation at the end of the war in 1945 entered a. Minamata disease, which affects brains and kidneys, affected more thousands in japan. Minamata disease, or methylmercury poisoning, was first discovered in 1956 around minamata bay, kumamoto prefecture, japan. The station doors open to a broad treelined street that leads directly to the gates of what was once the shin nippon chisso hiryo chemical plant. A disorder caused by methyl mercury poisoning that was first described in the inhabitants of minamata bay, japan and resulted from their eating fish contaminated with mercury industrial waste. Yesterday, more than 30 years later, researchers presented evidence that the mercury poisoning of minamata bay in the 50s and 60s lasted longer, spread further and affected tens of thousands more.
Minamata disease causes, symptoms, signs, diagnosis. In minamata bay, a factory discharged inorganic mercury into the water. Established in 1988 by soshisha, the minamata disease museum embraces the role of handing down the complex heritage left by minamata disease. Minamata, japananyone arriving here by train gets the message that this is a company town. The chisso company, which synthesized acetylaldehyde and used mercury compounds as catalysts, had dumped over 27 tons of mercury compounds over a 30 year. The victims and their world, a work follows the victims in their struggle for. A fishing port, minamata was also the home of nippon chisso hiryo co. Lessons from minamata disease and mercury management in japan ministry of the environment, japan 2011. It is common knowledge that the minamata disease was officially.
Symptoms include ataxia, numbness in the hands and feet, general muscle weakness, loss of peripheral vision, and damage to hearing and speech. This is a neurological syndrome caused by severe mercury poisoning, with symptoms include ataxia, numbness in the hands and feet, general muscle weakness, narrowing of the field of vision and damage to hearing. It was caused by dumping of effluents containing mercury into the minamata bay by an industry. Minamata disease, the existence of which was officially acknowledged by the government in 1956, is a typical pollutionrelated problem caused by effluent containing methylmercury from chemical plants. The minamata disaster and the true costs of japanese modernization. Minamata disease is a largescale methylmercury food poisoning that occurred in minamata and neighboring communities in japan during the 1950s and 1960s. The pathological features and experimental results of minamata disease are summarized. The disease also affects the unborn babies of mothers who consume contaminated seafood. A play featuring a doctor involved in the identification of minamata disease will open in a tokyo theater on friday, marking the 60th anniversary of the official recognition of the mercury. Trailer for noriaki tsuchimotos awardwinning documentary, minamata.
Prime ministers announcement on the solution of the minamata disease issue. The book includes the reminiscences of a wide range of people affected by the disease, including patients, lawyers and local officials. Chisso occurrence of minamata disease minamata is a small town facing the yatsushiro sea, also called shiranui sea, in kumamoto prefecture on kyushu island in southern japan fig. Minamata disease is an example of organic toxicity. A second epidemic in japan occurred in 1965 along the agano river, niigata prefecture. Methylmercury poisoning, disorder of central nervous system. Minamata disease is a toxic encephalopathy characterized by cerebellar atrophy of granulecell type, preferential injury of both calcarine regions and degenerative. Noriyuki hachiya phd, minamata disease archives, 5510 mojincho, minamata, kumamoto 8670055, japan. Lessons from an earlystage epidemiological study of.
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