Mercury Poisoning: The Case of Minamata City

Mercury and many compounds containing mercury, are often released by industries. If not properly treated and processed, these compounds can lead to water pollution.

Minamata City in Japan is very commonly cited as an example of what can happen when mercury is released into the environment. To find out about what happened in Minamata City in the late 20th Century, visit this link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minamata_disease*

For more information on what eventually became known as Minamata Disease, the following links are also very helpful:

• Minamata Disaster


• The Poisoning of Minamata


• Minamata Disease Archives


• Minamata disease


• Minamata Disease The History and Measures

*(Note: Because Wikipedia can be edited by anybody with Internet access and plenty of spare time, Wikipedia is not always the most accurate and reliable source of information. Vandalism and even blatant planting of misinformation can occur in any article. I would recommend that before immediately accepting the contents of any Wikipedia entry as fact, one should check the article for references, and verify the accuracy of the information first)