scholarly journals The contents and chemical forms of mercury in sediments from Kagoshima Bay, in comparison with Minamata Bay and Yatsushiro Sea, southwestern Japan.

1995 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hayao Sakamoto ◽  
Takashi Tomiyasu ◽  
Norinobu Yonehara
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Forms ◽  
Kagoshima Bay ◽  
Yatsushiro Sea ◽  
Minamata Bay

A Case History; Minamata Mercury Pollution in Japan – From Loss of Human Lives to Decontamination

1991 ◽  
Vol 23 (1-3) ◽  
pp. 283-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akira Kudo ◽  
Shojiro Miyahara
Keyword(s):  
Mercury Concentration ◽  
Industrial Wastewater ◽  
Total Mercury ◽  
Surface Sediments ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Organic Mercury ◽  
Yatsushiro Sea ◽  
History Of ◽  
Minamata Bay

At Minamata Bay in Japan, more than 100 people lost their lives and many thousands more were permanently paralyzed from eating mercury contaminated fish. In the long history of water pollution, this was the first known case where the natural bioaccumulation (in fish) of a toxicant from an industrial wastewater killed a large number of human beings. The mercury, discharged from a factory, was deposited on the bottom of the Bay and has remained there since the 1950's. The fate of the mercury was traced by measuring 268 mercury concentrations in the surface sediments at Yatsushiro Sea (outside of the Bay) during the last 14 years. Twenty-four sampling stations were established to collect samples at the same location every year. Samples were analyzed for total mercury concentrations. The concentrations of mercury in the surface sediments at the Sea were not alarming. Only 33 samples exceeded a mercury concentration of 1 ppm. The dispersion of the mercury from the Bay, however, was clearly documented with the data. On average, 3.7 tons of the mercury was transported outside from the Bay every year. A decontamination project started in 1984 dramatically decreased the flow of mercury from the Bay to the Sea. A historic rainfall in 1982 also ‘purified' the surface sediments. Organic mercury concentration in the sea water was 5.1 ng/l while total mercury was 120 ng/l at the center of the Bay in 1985.

History of mercury migration from Minamata Bay to the Yatsushiro Sea

2000 ◽  
Vol 42 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 177-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Kudo ◽  
Y. Fujikawa ◽  
M. Mitui ◽  
M. Sugahara ◽  
G. Tao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Deposition Rate ◽  
Sediment Cores ◽  
Time Lag ◽  
Mercury Pollution ◽  
Yatsushiro Sea ◽  
History Of ◽  
Sediment Particles ◽  
Minamata Bay

Mercury concentrations were measured in sediment cores collected from the Yatsushiro Sea to clarify physical transport of mercury from Minamata, the site of major methylmercury pollution in Japan, to the surrounding sea. The results suggested that the mercury pollution in the Yatsushiro Sea sediment was caused by a slow migration of mercury-bearing sediment particles from Minamata Bay. The deposition rate of mercury observed at the Yatsushiro Sea was correlated with cumulative loss of mercury from an acetaldehyde facility in Chisso Minamata, with a certain time-lag.

Natural and Artificial Mercury Decontamination - Ottawa River and Minamata Bay (Yatsushiro Sea)

1992 ◽  
Vol 26 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 217-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Kudo
Keyword(s):  
Half Life ◽  
River System ◽  
Surrounding Area ◽  
Surrounding Water ◽  
Ottawa River ◽  
Natural Processes ◽  
Yatsushiro Sea ◽  
Polluted Sites ◽  
Minamata Bay ◽  
The Given

Everyday, man creates new processes and materials whose properties are not fully known and are sometimes toxic to him and the environment. One of the worst cases was in Minamata Bay, Japan where a fatal accident occurred due to mercury pollution. The accident was unique in many aspects thus forcing the establishment of a new decontamination process for polluted areas. Two mercury polluted sites, the Ottawa River, Canada and Minamata Bay (Yatsushiro Sea), Japan, have been investigated to establish a fundamental approach for decontamination with special emphasis on natural and artificial processes and their problems. Artificial decontamination on bottom sediments has primarily cleaned-up Minamata Bay and the near-by Yatsushiro Sea considerably, an acceleration of the natural processes by 31.5 years. The surrounding area will be fully cleaned-up by natural forces, following the artificial work, by 2011 AD (or 20 years from now). This means that the natural decontamination has a half-life of 9.5 years in Yatsushiro Sea. For the Ottawa River, only natural processes were applied to clean-up the river system. It took 5 years for physical components to be decontaminated (a half-life of 1.20 years) while it took a longer period for biological components. This last finding was also true for Minamata Bay. This delay may be due to the longer life span of the biota and their efficient processes of bioaccumulation from diluted surrounding water. Based on the findings herein, a combination of both artificial and natural decontamination methods is recommended in consideration with the given environmental conditions.

scholarly journals Studies on chemical forms of the mercury compound in the mud of Minamata Bay.

1985 ◽  
pp. 976-985
Author(s):  
Kooji TAJIMA ◽  
Fumiaki KAI ◽  
Yutaka OSAJIMA
Keyword(s):  
Mercury Compound ◽  
Chemical Forms ◽  
Minamata Bay

scholarly journals Impact of Reclamation Project on Mercury-Contaminated Sediment Transport from Minamata Bay into the Yatsushiro Sea

2016 ◽  
Vol 72 (2) ◽  
pp. I_1285-I_1290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edistri Nur FATHYA ◽  
Shinichiro YANO ◽  
Akito MATSUYAMA ◽  
Akihide TADA ◽  
Herawaty RIOGILANG
Keyword(s):  
Sediment Transport ◽  
Contaminated Sediment ◽  
Yatsushiro Sea ◽  
Reclamation Project ◽  
Minamata Bay

scholarly journals Acoustic Equipment and ROV Investigations of Mercury Diffusion in Minamata Bay, Yatsushiro Sea, Japan

2013 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
pp. 174-181
Author(s):  
Kazumi Akimoto ◽  
Kiyoshi Takikawa ◽  
Koichi Yakita ◽  
Takaomi Hokamura ◽  
Yukihide Shimasaki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Yatsushiro Sea ◽  
Minamata Bay

Mercury dispersion from Minamata Bay to the Yatsushiro Sea during 1975–1980

1984 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 507-510 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akira Kudo ◽  
Shojiro Miyahara
Keyword(s):  
Yatsushiro Sea ◽  
Minamata Bay

Twelve Years of Observations of Mercury Concentrations in Yatsushiro Sea (Japan)

1988 ◽  
Vol 20 (6-7) ◽  
pp. 193-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Miyahara ◽  
M. Schintu ◽  
T. Kauri ◽  
A. Kudo
Keyword(s):  
Surface Sediment ◽  
Total Mercury ◽  
Considerable Increase ◽  
Surface Sediments ◽  
Organic Mercury ◽  
Minamata Disease ◽  
River Waters ◽  
Yatsushiro Sea ◽  
Minamata Bay

The fate of the mercury which caused the tragedy of Minamata disease has been monitored for a period of 12 years determining mercury contents in the surface sediment of Yatsushiro Sea. Twenty-four sampling stations were selected over an area of 636 km2. Mercury concentrations, both organic and inorganic, in water were also determined within the Bay and the Sea in 1985. Mercury has been dispersing from the Bay to the Sea. From 1975 to 1986 there was a considerable increase of mercury contents in the surface sediments. However, there is no alarming level of mercury in the sediments of Yatsushiro Sea and the level is mostly less than 1 ppm. Mercury concentrations in the water of Minamata Bay were as much as 6 times higher compared to those of Yatsushiro Sea. The highest level in the Bay was 125.3 ng/l (total mercury) whereas the highest level in the Sea was 25.8 ng/l. The proportion of organic mercury in the total mercury ranged from 0.9% to 13.7 % in the Sea. The proportion was lower than those found in river waters.

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