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Bioacculmulation

Bioaccumulation

Bioaccumulation refers to the accumulation of substances, such as pesticides, or other organic chemicals in an organism. [1] Bioaccumulation occurs when an organism absorbs a toxic substance at a rate greater than that at which the substance is lost. Thus, the longer the biological half-life of the substance the greater the risk of chronic poisoning, even if environmental levels of the toxin are not very high.[2]

Bioaccumulation explains why chronic poisoning is a common aspect of environmental science in the workplace. Repeated exposure to very low levels of toxins in these environments can be lethal over time.

An example of poisoning in the workplace can be seen from the phrase "as mad as a hatter". The process for stiffening the felt used in making hats involved mercury, which forms organic species such as methylmercury, which is lipid soluble, and tends to accumulate in the brain resulting in mercury poisoning.

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Mercury Poisoning

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Mad as a Hatter

The Story of MinaThe Story of Minamata

An outwardly healthy mother bathing her fetal-poisoned 16 year old daughter, Tomoko Uemura, physically crippled since birth. Photograph by William Eugene Smith early 1970s

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Minamata is located on the Western coast of Kyushu, Japan's southern most island and the residents relied almost exclusively on

fish and shelfish from the bay as a source of protein.

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• 1908 - 1908 - Chisso Corporation first opened a first opened a chemical fertiliser factory in Minamatachemical fertiliser factory in Minamata

• Branch out into production of Branch out into production of acetyleneacetylene, , acetaldacetaldehyde (used in plasted in plastic production), n), acetic acidacetic acid, , vinyl chloridevinyl chloride etc. etc.

• The MThe Minamata factory became ttory became the most advanced in all Japan, both before and after ed in all Japan, both before and after World War World War IIII bringing jobs and boosting economy bringing jobs and boosting economy

• The Chisso MinamThe Chisso Minamata factory first started first started acetaldehydeacetaldehyde production in 1932, producing 210 production in 1932, producing 210 tons that year. By 1951 produtons that year. By 1951 production had jumped mped to 6,000 tons per year: over 50% of Japan's total to 6,000 tons per year: over 50% of Japan's total output.output.

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• The waste products resulting from the manufacture of these chemicals were released into Minamata Bay in the factory wastewater.

• Mercury from the production process began to spill into the bay.

• The heavy metal became incorporated into methyl mercury chloride: an organic form that could enter the food chain

Minamata map illustrating Chisso factory effluent routes2

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The chemical reaction used to produce the acetaldehyde used mercury sulfate as a catalyst. A side reaction of the catalytic cycle led to the production of a small amount of an organic mercury compound, namely methyl mercury. This highly toxic compound was released into Minamata Bay from the start of production in 1932 until 1968 when this production method was discontinued.

• After World War II (around 1952), the production of acetaldehyde boomed

• Local economy boomed --and most residents welcomed their improved lifestyles

• About the same time, fish began to float in Minamata Bay.

• Chisso, as it had since 1925, continued to pay indemnity to local fishermen for possible damage to their fishing waters

The complexity...

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Already lame with Minamata disease, Yae Sato carries fresh fish home for her family's evening meal

The complexity...

• From around 1950 onwards, cats had been seen to have convulsions, go mad and die.

• Locals called it the "cat dancing disease" owing to their erratic movement.

• This bizarre behaviour sometimes resulted in theirfalling into the sea and dying,in what residents referred to as "cat suicides."

• Crows had fallen from the sky,seaweed no longer grew on the sea bed and fish floated dead on the surface of the sea.

Signs of things worsening

• People stumble while walking, not be able to write or button their buttons, have trouble hearing or swallowing, or tremble uncontrollably

• City government and various medical practitioners formed the Strange Disease Countermeasures Committee at the end of May 1956.

• Owing to the localised nature of the disease, it was suspected to be contagious and as a precaution patients were isolated and their homes disinfected.

• Unfortunately, this contributed to the stigmatisation and discrimination experienced by Minamata victims from the local community.

Signs of things worsening

Consequences & finding the causeTitle; Reappraisal of the Historic 1959 Cat Experiment in Minamata by the Chisso Factory. Author; ETO K (National Inst. Minamata Disease, Minamata)   YASUTAKE A(National Inst. Minamata Disease, Minamata)   NAKANO A(National Inst. Minamata Disease, Minamata)   AKAGI H(National Inst. Minamata Disease, Minamata)   TOKUNAGA H(Kumamoto Univ. School Of Medicine, Kumamoto)   KOJIMA T(Teramoto General Welfare Center, Osaka)    Journal Title;Tohoku J Exp Med VOL.194;NO.4;PAGE.197-203(2001)

Abstract;Autopsy specimens from the historic cat experiment were recently discovered in a storage area at the Kumamoto University School of Medicine. The specimens were from an experiment prompted by physicians in the Chisso Minamata Plant following the announcement made by the Study Group for Minamata disease. On July 14, 1959 the Group announced that the disease was most likely caused by a kind of organic mercury. In order to prove or disprove that industrial waste from the Chisso Factory was the culprit in Minamata disease, a total of ten cats were fed food mixed with industrial waste produced in the acetaldehyde-producing plant. One of the ten cats, No. 717, was subsequently autopsied but the autopsy findings have never been published or recorded in the literature despite their historic significance. The rediscovered specimens were studied pathologically and bio-chemically, and were analyzed chemically with currently available techniques. Characteristic lesions of methylmercury poisoning were observed in the central nervous system, and the mercury levels in the cerebrum, cerebellum, liver and kidney were found to be markedly elevated in this animal. (author abst.)http://sciencelinks.jp/j-east/article/200210/000020021001A1066726.php

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• Children were also born with the "disease."

• The geographical distribution of cases widened.

• Direct evidence that mercury from the Chisso plant was responsible, however, did not emerge until 1959 by Dr. Hajimé Hosokawa

• In 1963, Public Health Service researchers traced the disease to mercury from Chisso.

• It was not until 1970 that a district court ruled that Chisso make payments totalling $3.2 million to the original group of patients; others soon received payment by negotiating directly with Chisso.

Consequences & finding the cause

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In 1963, Public Health Service researchers traced the disease to mercury from Chisso after almost 30 years of pollution

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It was not until 1970 that a district court ruled that Chisso make

payments totalling $3.2 million to the original group of patients; others

soon received payment by negotiating directly with Chisso.

• Chisso still operates in Minamata and now produces chemicals, fertilizer and floppy discs.

• the disease affected growing children more severely than adults. In fact, five children, ages 5-11, who had collected shellfish from the shore while playing, were the first documented cases.

Summary

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Voyage to the Future - journey to Minamata

QuickTime™ and aYUV420 codec decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

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The Treasure Child of the Sea

Task1.Read through the articles about Minamata. Pick one of the point of view of the following stake holder.

2.Present the case clearly to the class bearing in mind who you are.

✴Chisso company✴Minamata disease victim✴Mother/Caregiver of victims✴Father/ Employee of Chisso✴Dr. Hajimé Hosokawa

The Story of Minamata

are there similar stories today?

http://www.s-t.com/daily/07-98/07-20-98/b03wn056.htm

http://www.american.edu/TED/MINAMATA.HTM

http://www1.umn.edu/ships/ethics/minamata.htm

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1986 - although even today, sheep in parts of Wales are not allowed to be sold. This was just from fallout dust.

Agent Orange(A defoliant used in the vietnam war)

Some of Vietnam's discarded thousands, two boys (far right) with birth defects attributed to Agent Orange languish at Tu Du Obstetric and Gynecological Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon. Vietnam has some of the world's highest recorded incidences of birth defects and many are attributed to genetic damage caused by U.S. spraying of Agent Orange chemical defoliant during the Vietnam War.

Time & Life PicturesA U.S. Air Force plane spraying a delta area 20 miles from Saigon with Agent Orange during the Vietnam War

A path lined with bare palm trees in Ben Tre, South Vietnam, after the area was sprayed with Agent Orange during the Vietnam War.

Bopal - IndiaPlease read the article in Moodle

“World’s worst industrial accident”

Other things to research:Toxic “Ghost Ships”Ocean plastic IslandContamination from oil spillsRead the powerpoint on “Pesticide facts”