54
to nitric acid in 1951 was the cause of the sudden increase of methyl mercury discharge. This was the answer to question 1 (above). However, using nitric acid as an
oxidant was the normal practice in acetaldehyde production, which didn’t cause any
problem in other factories or companies in Japan. Nishimura fi nally found that the
high concentration of chlorine ions at the Chisso factory was the key difference.
When chlorine ion concentrations are low, during the normal process (using nitric
acid as an oxidant) only tiny amounts of methyl mercury are produced, but when the
chlorine ion concentration is high, methyl mercury is vaporized and easily discharged to the outside. That was the answer to question 2 [ 9 ]. Even though it took
40 years to answers these questions, they are still important examples of environmental scientifi c research, and worth studying.
3.3.1.7 Environmental Economics
Once the environment is polluted, it takes a long time and a huge cost for recovery.
When pollution diseases and victims appear, it is nearly impossible to recover from the
damage, and compensation can be enormous. From the viewpoint of environmental
economics, the cost for preventive measures, including wastewater treatment and developing production processes that don’t discharge wastewater, is cheaper than the cost of
compensation and recovery of the environment [ 10 ]. The quality of the environment
started to dramatically improve once this fact was widely recognized by industry, and
after environmental regulations were established. This is the Japanese government’s
message to other countries, especially those who are currently developing rapidly.
It is important to remember that for establishing the legal framework for
compensation and for developing environmental regulations we had to see victims suffering from the disease and being discriminated against, as well as having to experience lawsuits. How to reach the point of realizing that prevention is
cheaper than compensation without these bitter experiences is the most important point in the class.
3.3.1.8 Post-Modern Issues: Health Risks and Low-Level Exposure
As discussed above, most Japanese people consider the Minamata disease issue
solved and fi nished, and that it is full of lessons to be learned. However, the
Minamata disease issue has not yet been fi nalized. Since 1968, when the Japanese
government offi cially declared that Minamata disease was an industrial pollution
problem caused by Chisso and Chisso agreed to compensation payments, many
patients have been applying to be certifi ed as victims so that they can be paid.
However, many of these claims were rejected or were left pending. This is because
the criteria for Minamata disease certifi cation have been based on exhibiting the
symptoms of Hunter-Russell syndrome. Hunter-Russell syndrome was discovered
after methyl mercury poisoning was found in British factory workers who were
producing disinfectants for seeds. It is characterized by fi ve symptoms: numbness
M. Onuki and K.J. An
to nitric acid in 1951 was the cause of the sudden increase of methyl mercury discharge. This was the answer to question 1 (above). However, using nitric acid as an
oxidant was the normal practice in acetaldehyde production, which didn’t cause any
problem in other factories or companies in Japan. Nishimura fi nally found that the
high concentration of chlorine ions at the Chisso factory was the key difference.
When chlorine ion concentrations are low, during the normal process (using nitric
acid as an oxidant) only tiny amounts of methyl mercury are produced, but when the
chlorine ion concentration is high, methyl mercury is vaporized and easily discharged to the outside. That was the answer to question 2 [ 9 ]. Even though it took
40 years to answers these questions, they are still important examples of environmental scientifi c research, and worth studying.
3.3.1.7 Environmental Economics
Once the environment is polluted, it takes a long time and a huge cost for recovery.
When pollution diseases and victims appear, it is nearly impossible to recover from the
damage, and compensation can be enormous. From the viewpoint of environmental
economics, the cost for preventive measures, including wastewater treatment and developing production processes that don’t discharge wastewater, is cheaper than the cost of
compensation and recovery of the environment [ 10 ]. The quality of the environment
started to dramatically improve once this fact was widely recognized by industry, and
after environmental regulations were established. This is the Japanese government’s
message to other countries, especially those who are currently developing rapidly.
It is important to remember that for establishing the legal framework for
compensation and for developing environmental regulations we had to see victims suffering from the disease and being discriminated against, as well as having to experience lawsuits. How to reach the point of realizing that prevention is
cheaper than compensation without these bitter experiences is the most important point in the class.
3.3.1.8 Post-Modern Issues: Health Risks and Low-Level Exposure
As discussed above, most Japanese people consider the Minamata disease issue
solved and fi nished, and that it is full of lessons to be learned. However, the
Minamata disease issue has not yet been fi nalized. Since 1968, when the Japanese
government offi cially declared that Minamata disease was an industrial pollution
problem caused by Chisso and Chisso agreed to compensation payments, many
patients have been applying to be certifi ed as victims so that they can be paid.
However, many of these claims were rejected or were left pending. This is because
the criteria for Minamata disease certifi cation have been based on exhibiting the
symptoms of Hunter-Russell syndrome. Hunter-Russell syndrome was discovered
after methyl mercury poisoning was found in British factory workers who were
producing disinfectants for seeds. It is characterized by fi ve symptoms: numbness
M. Onuki and K.J. An