Itai-itai disease instance of pollution related disease
Causes
Itai-itai disease was caused by cadmium poisoning due to mining in Toyama Prefecture. Regular mining for silver started in 1589, and soon thereafter, mining for lead, copper, and zinc began. The earliest records of mining for gold in the area date back to 1710. Cadmium is a metal byproduct of mining that is toxic to most organisms.
Recent animal studies have shown that cadmium poisoning alone is not enough to elicit all of the symptoms of itai-itai disease. These studies are pointing to damage of the mitochondria of kidney cells by cadmium as a key factor of the disease.Cadmium pollution in Jinzū river
Over time, the cadmium that was released as industrial waste began to accumulate in the soil, algae and river organisms. This resulted in the local phytoplankton and algal species absorbing it in high quantities. Cadmium was subsequently passed through the food web to fish consumers. Fish also bioaccumulated cadmium through passive transport in the gills. Cadmium adversely affected fish, causing endocrine disruption and inhibited reproduction, and sometimes mortality.Due to the residents being unaware of the cadmium and its dangers, they used the water from the Jinzū to irrigate their rice fields. Cadmium is highly water-soluble and the rice paddies' prolonged exposure led to the rice quickly becoming contaminated and toxic. The local resident's consumption of this rice and drinking water then resulted in elevated cadmium body burdens – leading directly to symptoms characteristic of itai-itai disease. Cadmium is now considered one of the most dangerous toxic metals due to its ability to threaten food safety through being easily be absorbed into the rice paddies, then subsequently the rice.
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