Big Pollution Diseases of Japan
Itai-itai disease literally
translates to “ouch-ouch” disease, named for the painful screams of its
victims. It occurred in 1950 in Toyama Prefecture in
Japan. However, the first time the disease was reported here was in
1912. Toyama Prefecture was at the time the leading industrial
prefecture on the Japan sea coast. It is disease was of mass cadmium poisoning in the world. Cadmium poisoning means a serious example of the toxicity of some metals in the body. In the
body cadmium has no constructive function, meaning it serves no
biological function except as a toxin. Cadmium is highly toxic even at
low doses. Some of the effects of acute cadmium exposure are flu-like
symptoms, fever, chills, muscle aches. Therefore, people who consider themselves victims of itai-itai disease have to contact the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare
to have their claims assessed. Many victims were not satisfied with
government actions and demanded a change in the official procedures.
This caused the government to review the criteria for recognizing a
victim legally; the government also reassessed the treatment of the
disease.Surveying in Toyama Prefecture began in 1971, and by 1977 1500 hectacres
along the Jinzū river were designated for soil restoration. These
farmers were compensated for lost crops as well as for lost production
in past years by the Mitsui Mining and Smelting, Toyama Prefecture, and
the national government.
Yokkaichi asthma, occurred in the city of Yokkaichi in Mie Prefecture, Japan, between 1960 and 1972. Cause by burning of petroleum and crude oil released large quantities of sulfur oxide that caused severe smog, resulting in severe cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic bronchitis, pulmonary emphysema, and bronchial asthma
among the local inhabitants. The generally accepted sources of the
sulfur oxide pollution were petrochemical processing facilities and
refineries that were built in the area. And also the effect of this incident ,fish caught in Ise Bay developed a bad taste, causing local fishermen to petition the government for compensation for their unsaleable fish in 1960. And in this case court case brought against Showa Yokkaichi Oil and
initially adjudicated in September 1970. The class was ruled to contain
544 individuals, but that number has increased over the ensuing years.
Minamata disease the cause is effluent from the factory. It is a neurological syndrome caused by severe mercury poisoning. And the symptoms 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. A congenital form of the disease can also affect foetuses in the womb. The toxic chemical also harmful for the animals and fish that in Minamata Bay and the Shiranui Sea came from the industrial wastewater from the Chisso Corporation's chemical factory. However, the government announcement brought a feeling of relief to a great many
victims and their families. Many felt vindicated in their long struggle
to force Chisso to accept responsibility for causing the disease and
expressed thanks that their plight had been recognised by their social
superiors. The struggle now focused on to what extent the victims should
be compensated.
An arbitration committee was duly set up by the Ministry of Health and Welfare
on 25 April, but it took almost a year to draw up a draft compensation
plan. A newspaper leak in March 1970 revealed that the committee would
ask Chisso to pay only ¥2 million ($5,600) for dead patients and
¥140,000 to ¥200,000 ($390 to $560) per year to surviving patients. Ant the final agreement was signed on 27 May. Payments for deaths ranged
from ¥1.7 million to ¥4 million ($4,700 to $11,100), one-time payments
from ¥1 million to ¥4.2 million ($2,760 to $11,660) and annual payments
of between ¥170,000 and ¥380,000 ($470 to $1,100) for surviving
patients. On the day of the signing, the Minamata Citizens' Council held
a protest outside the Minamata factory gates.
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