Corporations are often the cause of pollution on our planet. While it can be difficult to pin point those who are at fault and quickly diagnose the level of damage caused by irresponsible business practices, in some cases scientists have been able to create a direct link between corporate pollution and the health crisis they cause. One such case is the discovery of Minamata disease in Japan during the late 1960’s.

Minamata disease, named after the city in Japan where it was first discovered, is a disease that attacks the central nervous system. Some of the symptoms of the disease include, numbing of the hands and feet, damaged vision, hearing, and speech. The very worst cases caused paralysis that was often followed by coma and/or death. Once the symptoms begin those with a sever case only have a few weeks to live.

In the Minamata region it is thought that the Chisso Corportion, which had been operating near the bay since 1932, was the cause of the waters contamination. Studies have shown that high levels of a deadly mercury compound were present in the waste the plant was dumping into the bay. The disease was ignored by the company and the Japanese government for many years resulting in a number of unnecessary deaths. Citizens’ groups across Japan started to put pressure on the government in order to elicit some response from the government.

On September 26th 1968 the Japanese government finally released an official statement that summarized the findings of their studies on what was causing the people in the infected regions to become ill. It was concluded that consuming shellfish and other marine life that had been contaminated by poisons released into Minamata Bay was the cause of the devastating disease. While the pollution of Minamata Bay was the first contaminated body of water discovered, the disease was eventually diagnosed in other areas of Japan including near the Shiranui Sea. The infected sea food contained high levels of Methyl mercury that had leaked into the water from near by chemical plants.

While the government’s statement was somewhat true they made many false statements as well that lead to a continuation of the disease. The government banned the consumption of fish and other marine life that was located in Minamata Bay, however this was not the only contaminated body of water because the pollution problem was much more wide spread than the government reported. Also, the report stated that you had to eat large amounts of the contaminated sea food in order to be affected. Medical studies have proven that this is not true. Eating even small amounts of sea food containing methyl mercury over a period of time can cause you to experience the same symptoms. The government reports that the disease had “ended” in 1960 were not true and the reported waste treatment facility the government “recommended” was never installed.

Records show that as of March 2001 the number of victims recognized by the Japanese government reached 2,265. Of that number 1,784 people had died. Statements released in 2004 showed that the irresponsible dumping had cost the Chisso Corporation $86 million in compensation to the victims and it was estimated that it was going to cost them a substantial amount to clean up the contamination.

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Category: Medicines and Remedies
Keywords: Environment, Business, Industry, Insurance