Chemical Contamination Case Studies

Published: 4/5/2018

Case I

In May of 1956, The Minamata disease was first identified in Minamata City, south-west region of Japan's Kyushu Island. The Minamata disease is caused by methylmercury poisoning that occurred in humans who ingested contaminated fish and shellfish displaying high levels of mercury contamination (5.61 to 35.7 ppm). The methylmercury found in the fish was discharged in wastewater from a chemical plant owned by Chisso Co. Ltd. into Minamata Bay. Symptoms of the disease include sensory disturbances, ataxia, dysarthria, constriction of the visual field, auditory disturbances and tremors. During the study period of 36 years, of the 2,252 patients diagnosed with Minamata disease, 1,043 have died.

Harada, Masazumi. "Minamata disease: methylmercury poisoning in Japan caused by environmental pollution." Critical reviews in toxicology 25.1 (1995): 1-24.

Case II

In the summer of 2006, a ship called Probo Koala unloaded a waste shipment at Abidjan, in the Ivory Coast. The ship was owned and chartered by a Dutch international petroleum trader called Trafigura. The Probo Koala first attempted to discharge the waste at the port of Amsterdam but was threatened with an additional handling charge due to the waste’s toxicity. The ship then left the port of Amsterdam and discharged its waste in Abidjan. People living near the discharge sites began to suffer from a range of illnesses including nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, breathlessness, headaches, skin damage, and swollen stomachs. Many people have died as a result of exposure to this waste with more than 100,000 seeking medical attention.

Trafigura sent two of its executives to Abidjan to investigate this case, but they were arrested by Ivorian authorities and imprisoned. After much negotiation, the Government of the Ivory Coast signed a $198 million settlement agreement with Trafigura and released the prisoners. The funds were used towards the construction of waste treatment plant recovery operations. Sadly, the company never admitted liability and stressed that the payment was not for damages.

Trafigura lawsuits (re Côte d’Ivoire). Business and Human Rights Resource Center. https://business-humanrights.org/en/trafigura-lawsuits-re-c%C3%B4te-d%E2%80%99ivoire