Question

Which metal poisoning caused Minamata disease which took place in Japan by eating contaminated fish in 1956?

• A. Lead
• B. Arsenic
• C. Mercury
• D. Thallium

Hint:

Associate key poisoning events with their cause:

\textbf{Minamata Disease} \(\rightarrow\) \textbf{Mercury} (from fish)
\textbf{Itai-itai Disease} \(\rightarrow\) \textbf{Cadmium} (from rice)

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understand Minamata disease. This neurological condition, first identified in Minamata, Japan, is the subject of this explanation.

Step 2: Determine the cause. The disease stemmed from severe heavy metal poisoning. A factory discharged industrial wastewater, contaminated with methylmercury, into Minamata Bay.

Step 3: Describe the process. The highly toxic methylmercury accumulated in the bay's fish and shellfish. Residents who consumed this seafood ingested the mercury, resulting in the disease's characteristic neurological symptoms.

Step 4: Summary. Mercury was the heavy metal responsible for Minamata disease.