Mohammed Rashid Al-Sulaiti
There is no doubt that we as human beings have harnessed our resources to useful and constructive tools. If we failed on harnessing them, we would not have able to reach the moon, building universities and developing industry and transportations, we indeed have succeeded much more than what can be stated in this article. However, our one and only problem is absence of crucial concepts such as studying the long-term effect of our wrong and current practices which thereby, unfortunately, allow problems to sneak to our world.
Epidemic is danger, but what is more danger is lack of control on human-made epidemic. Yes, human creates epidemic and it is more dangerous than the traditional epidemic. Perhaps all of us have heard about the Minamata disease. If not, which I guess will be the probable answer in our Arab World, this article will help you to explore the hidden secrets of environmental science.
Methylmercury is a type of mercury, a metal that is liquid at room temperature and a heavy metal with many industrial uses. It is very well-known and scientifically proofed that most compounds containing mercury are poisonous.
Our irresponsible practices may lead to health crisis. Minamata disease is one of many examples that shows the utmost importance of building constructive environmental policy to preserve the planet from inevitable risk.
Minamata disease - sometimes referred to as Chisso-Minamata disease — is a chronic neurological syndrome caused by severe myth-lmercury poisoning. As per medical sources, symptoms include ataxia, numbness in the hands and feet, general muscle weakness, narrowing of the field of vision and damage to hearing and speech. In extremes cases, insanity, paralysis, coma and death follow within weeks of the onset of symptoms.
First manifestation of Minamata disease was in Minamata City in Kumamoto prefecture in Japan 1956. The dangerous disease was emerged from wrong industrial practice by the release of methylmercury in the industrial waste water from Chisso Corporation’s chemical factory, which continued for three decades period from 1932 to 1968. Unfortunately, through the food chain the toxic chemical penetrated and threatened peoples’ life and it has bioaccumulated in shellfish and fish in Minamata Bay and the Shiranui Sea.
Poor decision making is an enteral problem in environmental science world. For example, implications of the Chernobyl accident were declared months after the accident. Most people do not know that the same scenario had been repeated three decades just before Chernobyl accident.
Since the discovery of Minamata disease, investigation of the main cause has been made, and finally in 1968 and after 12 years passed, the government announced its opinion that Minamata disease was caused by the consumption of fish and shellfish contaminated by methylmercury compound discharged from a chemical plant.
I agree that it is important to investigate before announcing danger, however, it is much important to set thoughtful measures in the same period of investigation.
Global organizations have done commendable efforts to address Minamata disease. As a matter of fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) rates mercury as one of the top 10 chemical or groups of chemicals of major health concern to public. Politicians and scientists believe Minamata Convention is such an important milestone as it forms essential building block for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Yet, concerns were raised as large number of people around the world are still at risk, while a few people even know that mercury can be found in everything from artisan gold mining and coal fired power generation.
Here we suffer from the lack of knowledge and this is the greatest danger in this regard. On top of this, a few nations are equipped to deal with this deadly and indestructible element that can seep into our air, land, water and more importantly food chain.
Unfortunately, studies esti-mate that damages can reach our children before they can even draw their first breath, that means we are in serious risk and we must address it together.
The good news that as long as we alive we have very good chance to scale up awareness and action. As per a speech delivered at First Meeting of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury there are stories about people who have realised the danger of dumping mercury to cause dangerous levels of pollution in environment.
For instance, Dr Mercedes Zarlenga and her team in Buemous Aires, have realised they were dumping enough mercury in a single week to cause dangerous levels of contamination in lake of Nahuel Hupai one of the largest lakes in Patagonia, for a whole year.
The instruments were meant to improve health were actually damaging it. We salute them that they quickly switched to digital alternatives, followed by the rest of the hospitals and medical facilities across Argentina.
Even better, they also realised that not only the alternative just as accurate, but they are also cheaper in the long term.
What we can abstract from this example that as soon as Dr Zarlenga and her team knew what they were doing to their health, their environment and their communities, they acted. Their efforts didn’t benefit their communities only but will benefit generations to come.
In conclusion, thinking about the coming generations, we have the responsibility to ensure their sources are both safe and sustainable. Minamata diseases is one of a lot of environmental crises we suffer from.
Only together we can address this danger, only together we can take the transparency as main principle to deal with environmental problems, only to-gether we can help each other to live sustainably, and only together we can offer the voice many individual citizens around the world.
The writer is Environmental Scientist graduated from the University of Nottingham.
