Timeline of Minamata disease
Encyclopedia
The following is a timeline of key events related to Minamata disease
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Minamata disease
', sometimes referred to as , is a neurological syndrome caused by severe mercury poisoning. 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...
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| Date | 1908 | Nichitsu opens a chemical factory in Minamata Minamata, Kumamoto is a city located in Kumamoto prefecture, Japan. It is on the west coast of Kyūshū. The city was founded on April 1, 1949.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 27,856 and the density of 171 persons per km²... |
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| 1932 | Acetaldehyde Acetaldehyde Acetaldehyde is an organic chemical compound with the formula CH3CHO or MeCHO. It is one of the most important aldehydes, occurring widely in nature and being produced on a large scale industrially. Acetaldehyde occurs naturally in coffee, bread, and ripe fruit, and is produced by plants as part... production using a mercury Mercury (element) Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum... catalyst begins |
| 1945 | Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... is defeated in World War II World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... . The Allied occupying forces Occupied Japan At the end of World War II, Japan was occupied by the Allied Powers, led by the United States with contributions also from Australia, India, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. This foreign presence marked the first time in its history that the island nation had been occupied by a foreign power... order the dismissal of Nichitsu |
| 1950 | Shin Nichitsu is founded as the successor to the old company |
| 1956 | |
| 1 May | Company hospital director Hajime Hosokawa Hajime Hosokawa ' was director of the company hospital attached to the Chisso corporation's chemical factory in Minamata, Kumamoto prefecture, Japan. He was the first doctor to discover and treat patients of the massive outbreak of mercury poisoning that occurred in the town which became known as Minamata... reports the discovery of Minamata disease |
| 24 August | Kumamoto University Kumamoto University is a university located in Kumamoto, Japan. It was established on May 31, 1949, at which time the following institutions were subsumed into it; Kumamoto Teachers College , Kumamoto Pharmaceutical College , The Fifth High School , Kumamoto Medical College , and Kumamoto Technical College .... research group formed |
| 4 November | Kumamoto University research group reports initial suspicion of a heavy metal poisoning, presumambly through eating contaminated fish |
| 1958 | |
| March | British United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... neurologist Neurologist A neurologist is a physician who specializes in neurology, and is trained to investigate, or diagnose and treat neurological disorders.Neurology is the medical specialty related to the human nervous system. The nervous system encompasses the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves. A specialist... Douglas McAlpine suggests that Minamata disease symptom Symptom A symptom is a departure from normal function or feeling which is noticed by a patient, indicating the presence of disease or abnormality... s resemble those of organic Organic compound An organic compound is any member of a large class of gaseous, liquid, or solid chemical compounds whose molecules contain carbon. For historical reasons discussed below, a few types of carbon-containing compounds such as carbides, carbonates, simple oxides of carbon, and cyanides, as well as the... mercury poisoning Mercury poisoning Mercury poisoning is a disease caused by exposure to mercury or its compounds. Mercury is a heavy metal occurring in several forms, all of which can produce toxic effects in high enough doses... |
| September | Shin Nichitsu changes the acetaldehyde plant wastewater discharge route from Minamata Bay Minamata Bay Minamata is a small factory town. Minamata Bay is a bay on the west coast of Kyūshū island, located in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. The bay is part of the larger Shiranui Sea which is sandwiched between the coast of the Kyūshū mainland and the off-lying islands of Kumamoto and Nagasaki... to Minamata River |
| 1959 | |
| February | Investigations of Minamata Bay Minamata Bay Minamata is a small factory town. Minamata Bay is a bay on the west coast of Kyūshū island, located in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. The bay is part of the larger Shiranui Sea which is sandwiched between the coast of the Kyūshū mainland and the off-lying islands of Kumamoto and Nagasaki... uncover shocking mercury Mercury (element) Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum... contamination |
| 29 August | Mediated compensation agreement between Chisso and the Minamata Fishing Cooperative for damage to fishing |
| 21 October | Shin Nichitsu changes the acetaldehyde plant wastewater discharge route back from Minamata River to Minamata Bay Minamata Bay Minamata is a small factory town. Minamata Bay is a bay on the west coast of Kyūshū island, located in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. The bay is part of the larger Shiranui Sea which is sandwiched between the coast of the Kyūshū mainland and the off-lying islands of Kumamoto and Nagasaki... |
| 2 November | Members of the Kumamoto Prefectural Alliance of Fishing Cooperatives invade the Minamata factory and riot, causing damage amounting to JPY10 million |
| 12 November | The Ministry of Health and Welfare Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Japan) The ' is a cabinet level ministry of the Japanese government. It is commonly known as Kōrō-shō in Japan. This ministry provides regulations on maximum residue limits for agricultural chemicals in foods, basic food and drug regulations, standards for foods, food additives, etc.It was formed with... reports that "Minamata disease is a poisoning disease... caused by the consumption of large quantities of fish and shellfish living in Minamata Bay and its surroundings, the major causative agent being some sort of organic mercury compound." |
| 17 December | Mediated compensation agreement between Chisso and the Kumamoto Prefectural Alliance of Fishing Cooperatives for damage to fishing |
| 29 December | Mediated compensation agreement between Chisso and the Minamata Disease Patients Families Mutual Aid Society |
| 29 November 1962 | 18 children are certified as the first congenital Minamata disease victims |
| 1965 | |
| 1 January | Shin Nichitsu changes its name to the Chisso Corporation |
| 12 June | The outbreak of a second Minamata disease Niigata Minamata disease ' is a neurological syndrome caused by severe mercury poisoning. Identical in symptoms to the original outbreak of Minamata disease in Kumamoto Prefecture, the second outbreak in Niigata Prefecture was confirmed with the same name in 1965... in Niigata Prefecture Niigata Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Honshū on the coast of the Sea of Japan. The capital is the city of Niigata. The name "Niigata" literally means "new lagoon".- History :... is made public |
| 1968 | |
| March | Niigata patients file a lawsuit against Showa Denko Showa Denko is a leading Japanese chemical engineering firm.Formed in 1939 by the merger of Nihon Electrical Industries and Showa Fertilizers, Showa Denko K.K. manufactures chemical products and industrial materials. SDK's products serve a wide array of fields ranging from heavy industry to the electronic... |
| 26 September | The national government issues an official conclusion as to the cause of Minamata disease and Niigata Minamata disease |
| 1969 | |
| 14 June | Litiagtion Group of the Mutual Aid Society files a lawsuit against Chisso in the Kumamoto District Court |
| 1970 | |
| 4 July | Hajime Hosokawa Hajime Hosokawa ' was director of the company hospital attached to the Chisso corporation's chemical factory in Minamata, Kumamoto prefecture, Japan. He was the first doctor to discover and treat patients of the massive outbreak of mercury poisoning that occurred in the town which became known as Minamata... testifies from his deathbed about his cat experiments in the Litigation Group trial |
| 27 May | Arbitrated compensation agreement between Chisso and the Arbitration Group of the Mutual Aid Society |
| 1971 | |
| 29 September | Showa Denko found guilty of negligence Negligence Negligence is a failure to exercise the care that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in like circumstances. The area of tort law known as negligence involves harm caused by carelessness, not intentional harm.According to Jay M... ; Niigata patients win compensation |
| 1972 | |
| 1973 | |
| 20 March | Chisso found guilty of negligence Negligence Negligence is a failure to exercise the care that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in like circumstances. The area of tort law known as negligence involves harm caused by carelessness, not intentional harm.According to Jay M... ; Litigation Group patients win compensation |
| 1977 | A net is installed around Minamata Bay to prevent toxic sludge and fish from contaminating other areas |
| 1 September 1997 | The net surrounding Minamata Bay is removed and fish caught there are declared safe to eat |
| 15 October 2004 | The Supreme Court of Japan Supreme Court of Japan The Supreme Court of Japan , located in Chiyoda, Tokyo is the highest court in Japan. It has ultimate judicial authority to interpret the Japanese constitution and decide questions of national law... rules that the national government was responsible for not preventing the spread of Minamata disease after 1960 |
Further reading
- Oiwa, Keibo. (2001). Rowing the Eternal Sea: The Story of a Minamata Fisherman. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. ISBN 0-7425-0021-7
- Steingraber, Sandra. (2001). Having Faith: An Ecologist Journey to Motherhood. Perseus Publishing. ISBN 0-425-18999-6
- Approaches to Water Pollution Control, Minamata City, Kumamoto Prefecture
- Allchin, Douglas. The Poisoning of Minamata
- Sung about in the Alt. group Bush's "Disease of the Dancing Cats"
- Referenced as background in the 1979 horror film ProphecyProphecy (film)Prophecy is a 1979 horror film directed by John Frankenheimer and written by David Seltzer. It stars Robert Foxworth, Talia Shire and Armand Assante....
- Saito, Hisashi. (2009). Niigata Minamata Disease: Methyl Mercury Poisoning in Niigata, Japan. Niigata Nippo.
- Walker, Brett. (2010) "Toxic Archipelago: A History of Industrial Disease in Japan." University of Washington Press. ISBN 0-295-98954-8
External links
- ATSDR - ToxFAQs: Mercury - Frequently asked questions about Mercury
- National Institute for Minamata Disease
- Minamata Disease: The History and Measures - The Ministry of the EnvironmentMinistry of the Environment (Japan)The ' of Japan was formed in 2001 from the sub-cabinet level Environmental Agency established in 1971. The minister is a member of the Cabinet and is chosen by the Prime Minister, usually from the Diet., the current is Goshi Hosono...
's summary of Minamata disease - Soshisha - The Supporting Center for Minamata Disease and the Minamata Disease Museum
- Aileen Archive - Copyright holder of W. Eugene SmithW. Eugene SmithWilliam Eugene Smith was an American photojournalist known for his refusal to compromise professional standards and his brutally vivid World War II photographs.- Life and work :...
's Minamata photos - Photograph by W. Eugene Smith - Tomoko Uemura in Her Bath, 1972
- Minamata disease - Chapter from Industrial Pollution in Japan by Dr Jun Ui
- Toxic Archipelago: Industrial Pollution in Japan - A talk by Brett Walker, September 16, 2010
- Minamata Timeline by Minamata City Council.