Rethinking the Minamata Tragedy: What Mercury Species Was Really Responsible?

Abstract

Industrial release of mercury into the local Minamata environment with consequent poisoning of local communities through contaminated fish and shellfish consumption is considered the classic case of environmental mercury poisoning. However, the mercury species in the factory effluent has proved controversial, originally suggested as inorganic, and more recently as methylmercury species. We used newly available methods to re-examine the cerebellum of historic Cat 717, which was fed factory effluent mixed with food to confirm the source. Synchrotron high-energy-resolution fluorescence detection-X-ray absorption spectroscopy revealed sulfur-bound organometallic mercury with a minor β-HgS phase. Density functional theory indicated energetic preference for α-mercuri-acetaldehyde as a waste product of aldehyde production. The consequences of this alternative species in the “classic” mercury poisoning should be re-evaluated.

Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms Mediating Methylmercury Neurotoxicity and Neuroinflammation

“…The deadly consequences of organic mercury compounds have been demonstrated by mass-poisonings of human populations [29]. A severe MeHg intoxication occurred in Minamata and neighboring communities in Japan between the 1950s and 1960s [6,28,30].…”

“…A severe MeHg intoxication occurred in Minamata and neighboring communities in Japan between the 1950s and 1960s [6,28,30]. This was the first and most famous event of severe MeHg poisoning caused by anthropogenic activities, later known as Minamata Disease [7,29,31]. The pollutant was produced from mercury as a by-product of acetaldehyde and vinyl compounds manufacturing by Chisso Co. Ltd. in Minamata City and discharged into the Minamata Bay [7,28,30].…”

“…This way, the population of the Minamata area that largely depended on fish and shellfish consumption from the Minamata Bay was contaminated with MeHg [7,28,31,32]. The Minamata disaster was a stereotypical case of biomagnification of MeHg through trophic levels that ended up in human exposure [29].…”

Adsorption and Desorption Behaviors of Hg²⁺ by <i>Microcystis aeruginosa</i>

“…Mercury, a toxic heavy metal, is present naturally in ecosystem. The toxicological effects of mercury are strongly dependent on its chemical species [2]. Once inorganic mercury species transformed into methylmercury, it will pose a detrimental threat to fish-eating animals and humans because methylmercury is a potent neurotoxin and can be accumulated by aquatic biota [3].…”

“…Once inorganic mercury species transformed into methylmercury, it will pose a detrimental threat to fish-eating animals and humans because methylmercury is a potent neurotoxin and can be accumulated by aquatic biota [3]. "Minamata disease" is the notorious incidents caused by mercury contamination in the 1950s and 1960s in Japan [2].…”