Japan to Begin Minamata Disease Survey as Early as This Year

Tokyo, April 30 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Environment Ministry plans to begin a health survey as early as this year on residents of coastal areas hit by the outbreak of Minamata mercury poisoning disease caused by water pollution from industrial waste. The survey on residents of the Shiranui Sea coast in Kumamoto and Kagoshima prefectures will be conducted for the first time under a special law that took effect in 2009 to provide relief for victims of the disease, which was officially recognized in the Kumamoto city of Minamata on May 1, 1956. The law stipulates that the government swiftly assess the impact on health from methyl mercury, which causes the disease, and release its results. Discussions have been protracted, however, on methods to objectively evaluate the impact. Last year, the ministry adopted a method combining magnetoencephalography and magnetic resonance imaging for the survey. Based on the results, it will clarify regional trends of nerve abnormality and the accumulation of methyl mercury in human brains. The ministry will call on randomly selected residents born before 1975 to participate in the study, which will involve about 1,000 people over several years. Victims’ groups are concerned that the survey will put a heavy burden on participants as it requires them to make a two-day trip between facilities in the cities of Kumamoto and Minamata. They are also concerned about the ministry’s handling of survey results. If a brain abnormality is found in the survey, the individual will be notified, but the possibility of Minamata disease will not be determined. The groups complained that the survey will be unable to clarify the full extent of damage from the methyl mercury pollution and submitted a written request that the survey be canceled. A ministry official said that the survey is different from an examination to diagnose the disease. The official said that the survey will offer opportunities to help identify other diseases. “It will help to establish a society allowing residents to live without worries.” END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]