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Minamata Mercury Diseases ( Presentation )

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Page 1: Minamata Mercury Diseases ( Presentation )
Page 2: Minamata Mercury Diseases ( Presentation )

The Town of Minamata

• Located on the coast of the Yatsushiro Sea in southwestern Japan.

• The village was very poor. – Mostly fishermen and

farmers.

• Villagers welcome Chisso Corporation http://www.jnto.go.jp/tourism/img/map/86.gif

Page 3: Minamata Mercury Diseases ( Presentation )

Chisso Corporation• Chisso = nitrogen

– Produced fertilizer• 1907: Chisso Corp. builds

a fertilizer plant in the Minamata.• Job openings

• 1925: plant begins dumping untreated wastewater into Minamata Bay– Kills fish– Fisherman Payoffs

http://www.japanfocus.org/images/592-3.jpg

Page 4: Minamata Mercury Diseases ( Presentation )

Chisso Corporation• 1932: Chisso plant begins to

produce acetaldehyde to be used in the production of plastic, perfume and drugs.• Acetaldehyde is made from

acetylene and water with a mercury catalyst.

• After WWII plastic production boomed and Chisso Corp. grew.

• By 1970: Chisso brought Japan 60% of its income and owned nearly 70% of the land in Minamata.

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~tobin/Smith2.jpg

Page 5: Minamata Mercury Diseases ( Presentation )

Bizarre Behavior in Animals

• Early 1950’s:– Dead fish wash ashore– Crows fall out of sky– Suicidal dancing cats

• Mercury moves up the food chain.

http://flickr.com/photos/tropicalrips/127535537/

Page 6: Minamata Mercury Diseases ( Presentation )

Mid 1950’s: Behavior Seen in Humans

• Behaviors witnessed:– Loss of motor control in

hands– Violent tremors– Swaggered walk– Insanity

• “Cat-dancing” disease• Nobody knew the cause

of the epidemic.– Many hid for fear of

ridiculehttp://www.hamline.edu/personal/amurphy01/es110/eswebsite/ProjectsSpring03/ebarker/Minamata%20Web%20Page.htm

Page 7: Minamata Mercury Diseases ( Presentation )

Putting the Pieces Together• 1956: Researchers at

Chisso Corp. Hospital experiment on cats with wastewater from the Chisso plant.• They warn Chisso corp.

• Chisso corp. redirects the flow of wastewater to avoid being caught.– A larger geographical area

contaminated. – Children born with

horrifying deformities.http://www.nimd.go.jp/archives/english/tenji/a_corner/image/hasseimap.gif

Page 8: Minamata Mercury Diseases ( Presentation )

Putting the Pieces Together• 1968: Government ran

Public Health service traces the contamination to the Minamata Chisso plant.

• Government halts the production of acetaldehyde

• 1972: Government publically announces Chisso Corp’s part in the Minamata epidemic and orders Chisso Corp to pay compensation to the families that were affected.

http://www.icett.or.jp/lpca_jp.nsf/505b1fe895fd2a8c492567ca000d587d/e35dc782654b21d7492567ca000d8c50?OpenDocument

Page 9: Minamata Mercury Diseases ( Presentation )

The Aftermath• 30-70 tons of methyl

mercury was dumped into the Bay

• 10,000 people affected by Minamata disease.– 3,000 died

• Compensation has been given to families as recently as 1990.– Highest compensation for

the disaster was just under $3,000.

http://www.physorg.com/news110359851.html

Page 10: Minamata Mercury Diseases ( Presentation )

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Page 11: Minamata Mercury Diseases ( Presentation )

Methylmercury :In the Body

• Methylmercury exposure in humans is from consumption of fish, marine mammals, and crustaceans

• 95% of fish-derived methylmercury is absorbed into the gastrointestinal tract and distributed throughout the body – Highest in concentration in

hair

www.mercury.utah.gov/images/health_effects.jpg

Page 12: Minamata Mercury Diseases ( Presentation )

Minamata Disease in the Nervous System

Areas in red show areas typically affected by the presence of methylmercury in

the system . The lesions show characteristic signs and symptoms in

Minamata disease.1. Gait disturbance, loss of balance

(ataxia), speech disturbance (Dysarthria)

2. Sight disturbance of peripheral areas in the visual fields (constriction of visual fields)

3. Stereo anesthesia (Disturbance of sensation)

4. Muscle weakness, muscle cramp (disturbance of movement)

5. Hardness of hearing (hearing disturbance)

6. Disturbance of sense of pain, touch or temperature (Disturbance of sensation)

National institute of Minamata Disease Archives

Page 13: Minamata Mercury Diseases ( Presentation )

Symptoms of the Disease

• Mild – Ataxia – Muscle weakness– Narrowed field of vision – Hearing and speech

damage • Severe cases cause

– Insanity – Paralysis– Coma – Death

W. Eugene SmithTomoko Uemura in Her Bath

Minamata, 1972

Page 14: Minamata Mercury Diseases ( Presentation )

More Symptoms • A significant effect of

Minamata is the onset of symptoms similar to those of cerebral palsy

• Fetal Minamata Disease– A pregnant mother ingests

toxic fish and the methylmercury concetrates inside the placenta.

– Harms the fetus while the mother is relatively unaffected

http://picasaweb.google.com/jazzyv0504/SAKURA#5065603192708172658

Page 15: Minamata Mercury Diseases ( Presentation )

These are all children with congenital (fetal) Minamata Disease due to intrauterine methyl mercury poisoning (Harda 1986).

Page 16: Minamata Mercury Diseases ( Presentation )

Mercury: The Basics

• Mercury (Hg) is the only metal that is liquid at room temperature. It melts at -38.9oC and boils at 356.6oC.

• Mercury conducts electricity, expands uniformly with temperature and easily forms alloys with other metals (called amalgams).– For these reasons, it is used in

many products found in homes and schools.

Page 17: Minamata Mercury Diseases ( Presentation )

Mercury Chemistry• Mercury exists in three

oxidation states:– Hg0 (elemental mercury). – Hg2

2+ (mercurous).– Hg2+ (mercuric).

• Mercurous and mercuric form numerous inorganic and organic chemical compounds.– Organic forms of mercury,

especially methyl mercury, CH3Hg(II)X, where “X” is a ligand (typically Cl- or OH-) are the most toxic forms.

Page 18: Minamata Mercury Diseases ( Presentation )

Uses of Mercury• We use its unique properties to

conduct electricity, measure temperature and pressure, act as a biocide, preservative and disinfectant and catalyze reactions.– It is the use of mercury in

catalysis that contributed to the events in Minamata.

• Other uses include batteries, pesticides, fungicides, dyes and pigments, and the scientific apparati.

Page 19: Minamata Mercury Diseases ( Presentation )

Mercury in the Environment• Upwards of 70% of the mercury in

the environment comes from anthropogenic sources, including:– Metal processing, waste

incineration, and coal-powered plants.

• Natural sources include volcanoes, natural mercury deposits, and volatilization from the ocean.

• Estimates are that human sources have nearly doubled or tripled the amount of mercury in the atmosphere.

Page 20: Minamata Mercury Diseases ( Presentation )
Page 21: Minamata Mercury Diseases ( Presentation )

The Aquatic Mercury Cycle

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Cleaning up

• The Minamata Spill– Dredging

• Other ways of cleaning mercury spill– United States

• Experimental ways– Ongoing Research

Page 24: Minamata Mercury Diseases ( Presentation )

Minamata Cleanup

• What’s is Dredging?– Underwater excavation

Page 25: Minamata Mercury Diseases ( Presentation )

Minamata Cleanup

• Dredging– Types

• Mechanical• Hydraulic• Airlift Mechanical Hydraulic

Airlift

Page 26: Minamata Mercury Diseases ( Presentation )

Minamata Cleanup

• Disposal of Sediment– Landfills– Disposal facility– Ocean placement– Confined Disposal

Facilities (CDFs)Recycling

Separation

Page 27: Minamata Mercury Diseases ( Presentation )
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U.S. Mercury Cleanups • Precipitation/ Co precipitation• Absorption treatment• Membrane Filtration• Biological treatment

Page 29: Minamata Mercury Diseases ( Presentation )

Other ways of Clean Up

• Capping of Mercury – contaminated Sediments w/ sand

• Inhibition of Mercury Methylation by Iron Sulfides

• Immobilization of Aqueous Hg (II) by Iron Sulfides

Page 30: Minamata Mercury Diseases ( Presentation )

Experimental Research

• Nanotechnology• Phytoremediation• Air Stripping• In Situ Thermal Desorption (ISTD)

Page 31: Minamata Mercury Diseases ( Presentation )

Minamata Bay Today

• Eco Park of Minamata Bay has 2 purposes– A stone memorial– Landfill for Mercury

Page 32: Minamata Mercury Diseases ( Presentation )

Questions???

Page 33: Minamata Mercury Diseases ( Presentation )

ReferencesAllchin, Douglas. "The Poisoning of Minamata." SHiPS. 22 Nov 2008

<http://www1.umn.edu/ships/ethics/minamata.htm>. "Minamata disaster far from over." 30 Sept 2007. CNN. 22 Nov 2008

<http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/09/30/japan.ecodisaster.ap/index.html>.

"Minamata, Japan ." Mercury Technology Services. 22 Nov 2008 <http://www.hgtech.com/Information/Minamata_Japan.html>.

"Minamata: The unfolding mercury disaster." Corrosion Doctors. 22 Nov 2008 <http://corrosion-doctors.org/Elements- Toxic/Minamata-1.htm>.

"Outline of Minamata Disease: 1. Cause and Damage of Minamata Disease." Minamata Disease Archives. National Institute for Minamata Disease . 22 Nov 2008 <http://www.nimd.go.jp/archives/english/tenji/a_corner/a01.html>.

Thorpe, Thomas. A Dictionary of Applied Chemistry . revised. London, England: Longmans, Greens and Co., 1921.

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The End

Thank you!!