What is the reason behind Minamata disease?
What is the reason behind Minamata disease?
Minamata disease is a poisoning disease that affects mainly the central nervous system and is caused by the consumption of large quantities of fish and shellfish living in Minamata Bay and its surroundings, the major causative agent being some sort of organic mercury compound.
Who signed the Minamata Convention?
The European Union and 86 countries signed the convention on the first day it was opened for signature. A further 5 countries signed the convention on the final day of the diplomatic conference, 11 October 2013. In total, the convention has 128 signatories.
How many countries are in the Minamata Convention?
The Minamata Convention now has 105 Parties and 128 Signatories. 1 March 2019: The Minamata Convention on Mercury has reached 105 ratifications. The Marshall Islands, Saint Lucia, Saudi Arabia and Uganda have deposited their instruments of ratification or accession between January and March 2019.
Which product is being banned under Minamata Convention?
From 2020, the Convention will ban the production, import and export of products that contain mercury, including blood pressure monitors, clinical thermometers, high-pressure mercury lamps, and topical antiseptic agents.
What are the symptoms of the Minamata disease?
The symptoms of Minamata disease include sensory disorders in the distal portion of the four extremities (loss of sensation in the hands and feet), ataxia (difficulty coordinating movement of hands and feet), concentric constriction of the visual field (narrowing of the field of vision), hearing impairment.
What is the cause and symptoms of Minamata disease?
Minamata disease is a methylmercury poisoning with neurological symptoms and caused by the daily consump- tion of large quantities of fish and shellfish that were heavily contaminated with the toxic chemical generated in chemical factories and then discharged into the sea.
Where was Minamata filmed?
Filming began in January 2019, with Bill Nighy, Minami Hinase, Hiroyuki Sanada, Tadanobu Asano, Ryo Kase and Jun Kunimura added to the cast. Filming took place in Japan, Serbia and Montenegro.
Is India signatory to Minamata Convention?
To minimize India’s contribution to global mercury pollution, it signed the MC on 30 September 2014 and ratified it on 18 June 2018.
What is Minamata disaster?
(It was later discovered that Chisso Corporation had dumped an estimated 27 tons of mercury compounds into Minamata Bay.) As the mercury dumping continued, poisoned women gave birth to poisoned babies. These children were born with severe deformities including gnarled limbs, mental retardation, deafness, and blindness.
Is mercury still used today?
Mercury is the only element to retain its alchemical name as its modern common name. Mercury is used in fluorescent lamps, thermometers, float valves, dental amalgams, in medicine, for the production of other chemicals, and to make liquid mirrors. Mercury(II) fulminate is an explosive used as a primer in firearms.
What is the treatment of Minamata disease?
The most important aspect of treatment is the removal of mercury from the body using chelating agents. Chelating agents prevent heavy metals like mercury from binding with body tissue, by reacting with and binding with it themselves.
