Contents:
- Medical Video: Dangers Of Mercury Poisoning | Well.org
- What happens if someone is poisoned by mercury?
- How can all Minamata residents be mercury poisoned?
- Can Minamata's disease be cured?
- Preventing mercury poisoning from seafood
Medical Video: Dangers Of Mercury Poisoning | Well.org
Mercury (mercury) is a heavy metal that has a high risk of causing damage to the nerves and organs of the human body. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mercury is one of the most dangerous chemicals that threatens public health in the world. It's dangerous, mercury poisoning has claimed thousands of lives in the city of Minamata in Japan in the 1950s and early 2000s.
In this fatal disaster, more than 2,000 people also suffered permanent disability and severe disorders which eventually became known as Minamata's disease. Want to know more clearly about Minamata's disease? Check out the following review.
What happens if someone is poisoned by mercury?
Mercury can actually be found in the wild naturally. You yourself may have consumed it unconsciously. However, new mercury poisoning will occur if you consume mercury that has been contaminated with bacteria so that the structure changes to methyl mercury. Exposure to large amounts of methyl mercury will cause poisoning.
Minamata disease caused by mercury poisoning attacks the brain and nervous system of a person. Symptoms include muscle spasms, numbness in the hands and feet, weakened muscles, narrowed vision, and hearing and speech disorders. In severe cases, mercury poisoning in Minamata city caused paralysis, mental disorders, coma, and death. Mercury poisoning in pregnant women also results in fetal disability, miscarriage, or stillbirth.
How can all Minamata residents be mercury poisoned?
At first Minamata's disease only attacked cats. For years residents in the city of Minamata observed changes in suspicious behavior in cats in the city. The cats in Minamata experience seizures, paralysis, and even death. It was only in the 1950s that this disease was first suffered by humans.
Apparently, there is a plastic factory that dumps waste carelessly into Minamata Bay. The waste is contaminated with very high levels of methyl mercury. In fact, Minamata Bay is a waters rich in fish and marine animals. Fish and marine animals such as shrimp and squid from Minamata Bay which have been contaminated with mercury are consumed by Minamata residents daily for years. As a result, Minamata residents began to show various symptoms of serious mercury poisoning.
After the Japanese government conducted a series of investigations, the plastic factory which disposed of mercury waste was forcibly closed in 1968. The factory was also required to pay compensation to the government and all residents of Minamata city who were harmed due to this disaster.
Can Minamata's disease be cured?
Until now there has been no special bidder that can directly treat methyl mercury poisoning. Handling given usually focuses on alleviating symptoms and removing mercury toxins from the body. Patients may be asked to detoxify and be given active charcoal (activated charcoal) which is able to prevent absorption of toxins in the body.
Preventing mercury poisoning from seafood
Even though the antidote hasn't been found, you can prevent this heavy metal poisoning. As recommended by WHO, avoid consumption of large fish with high mercury content such as sharks, groupers, swordfish and mackerel. We recommend that you choose smaller fish, baronang, barracuda, salmon, tuna and milkfish.
Also pay attention to where the seafood you buy comes from. Do not eat fish and seafood originating from waste-contaminated waters or under government investigation.
