Yokkaichi asthma
| Yokkaichi asthma |
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Cause
Yokkaichi asthma occurred in the city of Yokkaichi in Mie Prefecture, Japan between 1960 and 1972. In 1955, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry began its policy to transition Japan's primary fossil fuel source from coal to petroleum. To accomplish that goal, construction of the Daichi Petrochemical Complex was begun in 1956. The complex contained an oil refinery, a petrochemical plant, and a power station. This was the first petrochemical complex constructed in Japan. Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page). Also in 1960, MITI announced that a second complex was to be constructed on reclaimed land in northern Yokkaichi. The second complex went online in 1963. As demand for ethylene and other petrochemicals rose, a third complex was constructed which began production in 1972. [1] Yokkaichi transferred its energy production from coal to oil more quickly than the rest of the nation. The oil used in Yokkaichi was primarily imported from the Middle East, which contained 3% sulfur dioxide, resulting in a white-colored smog developing over the city.
Symptoms
Beginning shortly after the opening of the first complex in 1956, severe cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic bronchitis, pulmonary emphysema, and bronchial asthma rose quickly among the local inhabitants. [2] Taller smokestacks were implemented, but these simply spread the pollution over a wider area and did not help alleviate the reported health issues. [2]
Fish caught in Ise Bay developed a bad taste, causing local fishermen to petition the government for compensation for their unsaleable fish 1960. [2] Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page).
A 2008 study by researchers from the Mie University Graduate School of Medicine and the Hiroshima University Natural Science Center for Basic Research and Development indicated a 10 to 20-fold higher mortality rates as a result of COPD and asthma in the affected populations of Yokkaichi versus the general population of Mie Prefecture.[3]
Initial attempts to alleviate the problem by raising the height of smokestacks to disperse the pollutants over a larger area proved ineffective. Eventually flue-gas desulfurization was implemented on a large scale, leading to an improvement in the health of local populace.
Yokkaichi asthma has been identified in rapidly industrializing areas in the rest of the world, including Mexico City and mainland China. [4] [5]
See also
References
- ^ "Industrial Pollution Control Measure in Yokkaichi, Mie Ken" (PDF). International Center For Environmental Technology Transfer.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|acccessdate=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c "Yokkaichi Asthma". Environmental Encyclopedia. Retrieved 15 July 2009. Cite error: The named reference "bookrags" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ "Mortality and life expectancy of Yokkaichi Asthma patients, Japan: Late effects of air pollution in 1960–70s". Environmental Health Journal. Retrieved 15 July 2009.
- ^ "Asthma on the rise in Asia due to mounting urbanisation, pollution". TerraDaily.com.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|access date=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ Rebecca Jablonski. "Petrochemicals - The Real Weapons of Mass Destruction".
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External links
- Japan's Post-Second World War environmental problems
- Atmospheric Pollution Due to Mobile Sources and Effects on Human Health in Japan