The Mercury Disability Board in Canada, however, rejected 75% of those applicants who were diagnosed with the disease … The Japan Times. Infants and fetuses are especially vulnerable. Symptoms include ataxia, numbness in the hands and feet, general muscle weakness, narrowing of the field of vision and damage to hearing and speech. Soon after, a strange illness appeared to be going around town. The convention is named for Minamata Bay, Japan, where the terrible neurological damage inflicted on people who are exposed to too much mercury was first documented. And, like the cats, some people seemed to be going crazy, shouting uncontrollably. Chisso finally quit poisoning Minimata's waters in 1968. Something was affecting their nervous system. Chisso denied the allegations and continued its manufacturing without changing its method of production. For more details, see our Privacy Policy. Almost all the possible sites for such dams and reservoirs are on rivers where large Indigenous populations depend on fish. In short, hydroelectric power generates significant greenhouse gases that must be accounted for in Canada’s national plan. The mercury contamination put the lodges out of business, leading to near total unemployment. Infants and fetuses are especially vulnerable. Symptoms include ataxia, numbness in the hands and feet, general muscle weakness, loss of peripheral vision, and damage to hearing and speech. The neurological disease is called Minamata disease in Japan. Finally, in July 1959, researchers from Kumamoto University discovered the source of the illness—high levels of mercury poisoning—which they then named Minamata disease. After the problem was discovered, the mill stopped using mercury. "Methylmercury and Minamata Disease". The accompanying news release failed to mention Canada’s persistent Minamata disease problem in northwestern Ontario. All of the naturally occurring metals and other elements are ubiquitous (found everywhere) in at least trace concentrations in soil, water, air, and organisms. In extreme cases, insanity, paralysis, coma and death follow within weeks of the onset of symptoms. David Suzuki is a scientist, broadcaster, author and co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation. Ontario Minamata disease is a neurological syndrome caused by severe mercury poisoning. In Minamata Bay, a factory discharged inorganic mercury into the water. Ontario Minamata Disease 1962 neurotoxins dumped Showing Affected Communities neurotoxic emissions 2013 Fish was ate Breathed in Where was the mercury? Canada’s federal Environment Minister Catherine McKenna, pictured in this file photo on the Hill. For example, where large areas of wetlands are flooded, greenhouse gas emissions from reservoirs can be equivalent to burning coal. Minamata disease is an example of organic toxicity. If the Wabigoon River problems weren’t enough, Canada’s mid-century plans to reduce greenhouse gases could lead to many more cases of Minamata disease. The tragic and embarrassing situation in northwestern Ontario is an example of the consequences of policy that not only ignores science but also the human damage that this ignorance fosters. Nabi, Shabnum (2014). The court also ordered Chisso to pay $2.18 million in damages to the plaintiffs. Organic mercury, especially methylmercury, poisoning causes chronic neurological disease predominantly affecting the brain. The toxicity of mercury (Guzzi La Porta, 2008) was highlighted by Minamata disease, first discovered in Minamata city in Kumamoto prefecture, Japan, in 1956.This is a neurological syndrome caused by severe mercury poisoning, with symptoms including ataxia, numbness in the hands and feet, general muscle weakness, narrowing of the field of vision, and damage to hearing and speech. In 2015, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told the CBC, “It is time for a renewed, nation-to-nation relationship with First Nations peoples, one that understands that the constitutionally guaranteed rights of First Nations in Canada are not an inconvenience but rather a sacred obligation.” Lack of action on Wabigoon River and plans for multiple mercury-producing large hydro dams render that promise farcical. Springer, New Delhi. The disease was named after the infamous case of severe mercury poisoning in the fishing community of Minamata, Japan. COVID-19 Care In America: 2 Patients Share Their Experiences, Understanding the Lawsuit That Could Overturn the ACA. The mercury is recycled into the electrolytic cell. David Schindler is the Killam Memorial professor of ecology emeritus at the University of Alberta. The convention is named for Minamata Bay, Japan, where the terrible neurological damage inflicted on people who are exposed to too much mercury was first documented. 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