A quiz question · medium
What caused Minamata disease, officially identified in Japan in 1956?
Chisso's own physician proved the cause by feeding factory wastewater to a cat in 1959. The company suppressed the result and kept dumping until 1968.
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Minamata Disease, the Mercury Poisoning That Chisso Denied for Twelve Years While It Kept Dumping From 1932 the Chisso Corporation discharged methylmercury into Minamata Bay, Japan. The neurological disease it caused was officially identified on 1 May 1956; Chisso's own physician proved the cause by 1959 and was silenced. The dumping continued until 1968. Thousands were certified as victims; the true number is far higher.
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