In the 1950s, residents of Minamata, a quiet coastal city in Japan, began noticing something strange. Cats were staggered and convulsed. Birds fell from the sky. Soon, people developed alarming symptoms like numbness in hands and feet, loss of coordination, slurred speech, and in severe cases, blindness, paralysis or death.
The reason behind this was Methylmercury poisoning. For decades, a chemical factory had discharged mercury-laden wastewater into Minamata Bay. Fish and shellfish absorbed the toxin, and the community that depended on seafood for its livelihood unknowingly consumed dangerous levels.
By the time the cause was confirmed, thousands were affected. Infants exposed in the womb suffered severe developmental defects, what we now call congenital Minamata disease.
The tragedy forced Japan and eventually the world, to confront the hidden costs of industrial growth. It encouraged new environmental laws and inspired the 2013 Minamata Convention on Mercury, a global treaty to reduce mercury pollution.
Minamata remains a great reminder that environmental health is human health. Protecting our planet’s waterways protects every living being that depends on them, including us.
What are some ways we can protect our environment?
MBH/PS