While Minamata disease in Japan was caused by wastewater from chemical factories handling mercury, in developing countries gold mining areas are being polluted by the same substance. Mercury used in the process of extracting gold from ore is not only damaging the health of miners but also finding its way into wastewater from mines and polluting the environment. As Japan’s experience of Minamata disease shows, prompt action to halt such pollution once it is found is indispensable. Japan needs to uphold the promise it made at the Kumamoto conference and contribute to efforts to eliminate mercury pollution and to the medical treatment of miners who have been poisoned by it.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2016/03/22/editorials/the-minamata-convention/#.VvE9mvkrK5g
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