Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
western capitalism.
16
On December 1952, for instance, a yellowish dense fog
remained for 5 days all over the metropolitan area of London, semi-paralyzing
private and public transports and causing serious damages to public health. During
these same decades also emerged a growing concern over public health and safety
associated with hazardous wastes.
Among the most impressive technological disasters registered in the second
post-war years there is undoubtedly that which occurred in a coastal station of
Japan: Minamata.
17
In this village, since the mid 1950s, some medical investiga-
tions suggested the possible link between exposure to residues of the production of
fertilizer that the Chisso Corporation chemical industry usually discharged into the
sea, and the very serious disease to the central nervous system and peripheral which
affected many of the inhabitants. The so called
“
Minamata disease
”
was one of the
ndings
of a commission of inquiry appointed by central authorities, the inorganic mercury
discharged into the sea from Chisso, was transformed as a result of the bacteria into
methylmercury, entered the food chain, poisoning
rst documented cases of mass poisoning with mercury. As revealed by the
sh and consequently persons
who ate. The effects of the poisoning were particularly serious on pregnant women
and consequently on newborns. Around 3,000 persons were recognized as victims
of the poisoning, although the estimates about the number of inhabitants contam-
inated over the years ranged from 10,000 to 30,000.
The fact that these news came from a country like Japan, that in the collective
imagery was associated with the atomic bomb and its devastating effects on civilian
populations, deeply impressed the international public opinion. Associations of
the victims were able to create a movement that not only contributed to inform public
opinion on the effects of the disaster and that promoted the determination of liabilities
but also achieved positive results in terms of prevention and control. The strong
opposition of the company involved in the case but also of some public authorities and
even of some part of local population
who for instance feared that the investigation
could halt the production and even cause the closure of the factory
—
were gradually
overcome by a growing mobilization that reached its climax at the beginning of the
1970s, with a documentary-complaint, which was projected abroad and found
wide echo in North America. As result of this campaign for civil rights of the victims
of the disaster were then signed several compensation agreements with Chisso for
damages caused and were created centers for the study and treatment of victims.
The Minamata disease, but also the Niigata disease (both syndromes caused by
mercury), the Yokkaichi asthma (caused by the presence of sulfur dioxide and
nitrogen dioxide) and Itai-Itai (caused by poisoning from cadmium) were among
the
—
rst cases that were publicized by mass media, and that by consequence
impressed international public opinion. Equally serious incidents of poisoning by
heavy metals were also registered in other countries
—
notably in Iraq (in 1956 and
1971 in the so called Basra poison grain, a mass methylmercury poisoning incident
16
Hobsbawm (
1994
).
17
George (
2002
).
