Discharge disasters cause water pollution in the world

The discharge of chemicals into rivers and oceans or oil spills in the sea causes long-term consequences for humans and the habitats of many aquatic species.

Japan

In 1932 - 1968, a tainted sea disaster occurred in Japan because the Chisso chemical factory discharged untreated mercury-containing wastewater directly into Minamata Bay and Shiranui Sea.

According to Med.org.jp, waste has bioaccumulated in seafood in this sea area, causing local people and animals to eat mercury poisoning. The disease caused by mercury poisoning here is called Minamata disease.

Japan's Chisso chemical factory directly discharges waste water containing mercury into the sea.(Photo: MED).

The first poisoning was discovered in 1956 but it was not until 1968 that the new government officially concluded that the cause of Minamata disease was caused by the Chisso plant polluting the pollutant.

Its consequences lasted for 36 years. The poisoned person has convulsions, limbs are convulsive, unable to speak. The fetus is born deformed. Nearly 2,000 people died, 10,000 people affected. Poisoned dogs and cats also went crazy and died. Dead sea fish fill the shore, covering the sea surface.

By 2004, Chisso Corporation paid $ 86 million in compensation to victims and was required to clean up contaminated areas. Minamata disease is still one of the 4 most serious diseases caused by environmental pollution in Japan.

Its consequences still last until today, when the victims are out of 40-50 years, can only stay indoors, separate from the community and take care of their families. Chisso lawsuits and regional governments are continuing.

The discharge causes the fish in the bay to be contaminated with mercury, human and animal feed that affect the nerves. (Photo: Wikipedia
China)

A similar case of mercury poisoning in Japan also occurred in China. According to a 2010 study by the Environmental Institute, Tongji University in Shanghai, Jilin Industrial Chemical Company, now known as Jilin Petroleum, discharged 114 tons of mercury and 5.4 tons of methylmercury. entering the Tung Hoa River starting from 1958 to 1982.

The first cases of neuropathy due to mercury poisoning appeared in 1965. In 1973, the amount of mercury measured in fishermen upstream of Jilin City was 52.5 mg / kg. In July 1973, Jilin government opened an investigation to pollute the Songhua River. The maximum level of mercury in human hair is allowed to be 1.8 mg / kg, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) standard.

In 1976, the Chinese government admitted that people were infected with Minamata disease. After this event, the factory only reduced the amount of mercury discharge, not completely stopped. At this time, the factory started to treat water. Along 100km in the downstream of the river running through the territory of Jilin city, there are no shrimp and fish.

Songhua River, China.(Photo: China Daily).

In 1978, the government required Jilin Chemical Plant to clean up pollution within three years. The river cleaning began in March 1979 and was completed by the end of 1980, processing a total of 192,000 tons of water. In 1979 - 1988, the government compensated fishermen in polluted areas of nearly 4 million yuan (about 2.56 million USD at the exchange rate in 1979).

However, China still did not publish specific data on the number of people infected with Minamata disease in the Songhua area. According to a study by the American Library of Medicine (PMC) in September 2010, although the concentration of mercury in the river water has decreased, it takes several decades or 100 years for mercury levels in the river water to return. original. The concentration of mercury in fish decreased more than 90% compared to 1975, but still higher than normal 2-7 times and is expected to recover at least 10 years to normal level.

America

In 2010, the rig explosion of BP, off the coast of Louisiana, USA, caused the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, according to the New York Times.

Disaster occurred when the Horizon deepwater mobile rig drilled crude oil at a depth of 1,500 m at the Macondo Prospect oil field. The gas escaping from the oil well has a very high pressure, exploding, causing 11 deaths and 17 others injuries.

The rig caught fire and sank into the sea, nearly 5 million barrels of oil spilled into large areas of the Gulf of Mexico, destroying ecosystems, affecting the fisheries and tourism sectors of the region's countries. This is the biggest environmental incident in American history.

The oil spill affected more than 400 species of creatures living in this sea. Five years after the disaster, according to the US Meteorological and Hydrology Agency (NOAA), the measured crude oil levels in Gulf fish are still higher than normal, causing congenital heart defects in fish, causing them to die prematurely.

According to NOAA, the long-term impact of the oil spill on the environment is "more than we expected". "Among 32 observed dolphins, many are low birth weight, anemia, lung disease and liver disease. Hormone levels reduce stress and regulate metabolism also halved."

The oil spill can be observed from zero through NASA satellite imagery in 2010. (Photo: NASA).

White River, USA

According to Herald Bulletin, in December 1999, a pollution occurred on the White River, Indiana state, the United States destroyed aquatic life lasting more than 90km and killing 4.6 million fish, equivalent to 187 tons. On December 28, the local environmental agency said it traced the source of pollution to the Guide Group's auto manufacturing plant at Anderson.

On January 11, 2000, Indiana Governor Frank O'Bannon asked the FBI, the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Justice Department to investigate.

On June 18, 2001, the Governor of O'Bannon announced that the Guide Group had pleaded guilty and paid more than $ 13.9 million including fines, legal costs and environmental treatment costs, of which 6, 25 million USD is used to restore the river.

The survey results show that the company discharged about 1.6 million gallons (more than 6 million liters) of wastewater containing toxic concentrations of dimethyldithiocarbamate, the active ingredient of HMP-2000 wastewater treatment compound, as well as decomposition products such as carbon disulfide . These substances then cause foam on the White River.

Researchers found that after a period of time, toxins that polluted the river were gone but not accumulated. Many animals living in mud are not affected by chemicals. In March 2000, some fish species returned to the affected area themselves.

Dead fish on the White River.(Photo: HB).

Indiana Department of Natural Resources in April 2000 launched a fish stocking program to revive the aquatic system. Anderson City in 2002 announced it invested millions of dollars to improve its wastewater treatment system. 10 years after the mass death of the fish, environmental officials say the White River is in a better condition than before the environmental disaster occurred. However, stone along the river bank is still bleached, as a reminder of the discharge of toxic chemicals.