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102-495: Between 1932 and 1968, Chisso's chemical factory in Minamata released large quantities of industrial wastewater that was contaminated with highly toxic methylmercury . This poisonous water bioaccumulated in local sea life that was then consumed by the immediate population. As a result of this contamination, 2,265 individuals in the area were afflicted with what is now known as Minamata disease . 1,784 of those victims died as

204-540: A WHO Collaborating Centre for Studies on the Health Effects of Mercury Compounds. The Institute seeks to improve medical treatment of Minamata disease patients and conducts research on mercury compounds and their impact on organisms as well as potential detoxification mechanisms. In April, 2008 the Institute invented a method for adsorbing gaseous mercury in order to prevent air pollution and enable recycling of

306-420: A mercury catalyst in the production of acetaldehyde . In 1969, patients sued Chisso for compensation. Many lawsuits were filed against Chisso after 1969, and some of them go on even now. Chisso president, later chairman Yutaka Egashira (later maternal grandfather of Masako, Empress of Japan ) used yakuza in order to threaten and silence patients and their supporters. Patients and their supporters started

408-435: A CWT plant, rather than perform treatment on site, due to constraints such as limited land availability, difficulty in designing and operating an on-site system, or limitations imposed by environmental regulations and permits. A manufacturer may determine that using a CWT is more cost-effective than treating the waste itself; this is often the case where the manufacturer is a small business. CWT plants often receive wastes from

510-544: A Nature-oriented Ecological Town, Development of The City for Environmental Learning. This target area has three main goals: Since August 1993, in order to promote recyclable household garbage through sorting, the residents of Minamata City have planned (before any other city in Japan) a detailed garbage classification system; garbage was divided into 21 categories in the fiscal year 1999, and has now reached 24 categories. The City has set up 300 garbage collection stations around

612-459: A capacity of 100.000 kilolitres/year capacity. The facility will run for the remainder of 2012 to consider the feasibility of the process. The second goal is to have safe and reliable production in Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. The emphasis in this project is on local food production to reduce food mileage. Local agriculture produces mostly rice, mandarins and local salad onions. After

714-612: A doctor at a Shin Nichitsu's company hospital, officially reported on May 1, 1956 an "epidemic of an unknown disease of the central nervous system", marking the official discovery of Minamata disease. In 1963, doctors at Kumamoto University concluded that the cause of Minamata disease was mercury emitted by Shin Nihon Chisso Hiryo. In 1965, the company changed its name to Chisso Corporation ( チッソ株式会社 , Chisso Kabushiki Kaisha ) . In May 1968, Chisso finally stopped using

816-411: A lifestyle by which they can conserve and improve the environment. The aim of this project is to make the actions as practical as possible, so children can easily implement that in their everyday life. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) established a training program in which participants can learn the lessons of Minamata. At the end of the program, the participants are expected to achieve

918-435: A lot of waste-waters such as paper and pulp production have created environmental concern, leading to development of processes to recycle water use within plants before they have to be cleaned and disposed. An industrial wastewater treatment plant may include one or more of the following rather than the conventional treatment sequence of sewage treatment plants: Brine treatment involves removing dissolved salt ions from

1020-602: A lubricant and coolant. Contaminants include hydraulic oils , tallow and particulate solids. Final treatment of iron and steel products before onward sale into manufacturing includes pickling in strong mineral acid to remove rust and prepare the surface for tin or chromium plating or for other surface treatments such as galvanisation or painting . The two acids commonly used are hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid . Wastewater include acidic rinse waters together with waste acid. Although many plants operate acid recovery plants (particularly those using hydrochloric acid), where

1122-445: A major source of industrial wastewater. Many of these plants discharge wastewater with significant levels of metals such as lead , mercury , cadmium and chromium , as well as arsenic , selenium and nitrogen compounds ( nitrates and nitrites ). Wastewater streams include flue-gas desulfurization , fly ash , bottom ash and flue gas mercury control. Plants with air pollution controls such as wet scrubbers typically transfer

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1224-494: A neurological disorder caused by mercury poisoning. The disease was discovered in 1956. A local chemical plant was blamed for causing the disease by emitting untreated wastewater into Minamata Bay. Lately, Minamata has focused on becoming a model environmental city. In 1999, the city obtained the ISO 14001 certification for Environmental Management. In 2001, Minamata became an official Japanese Eco-town. In 2004 and 2005, Minamata won

1326-817: A particular problem in treating waters generated in wool processing. Animal fats may be present in the wastewater, which if not contaminated, can be recovered for the production of tallow or further rendering. Textile dyeing plants generate wastewater that contain synthetic (e.g., reactive dyes, acid dyes, basic dyes, disperse dyes, vat dyes, sulphur dyes, mordant dyes, direct dyes, ingrain dyes, solvent dyes, pigment dyes) and natural dyestuff, gum thickener (guar) and various wetting agents, pH buffers and dye retardants or accelerators. Following treatment with polymer-based flocculants and settling agents, typical monitoring parameters include BOD, COD, color (ADMI), sulfide, oil and grease, phenol, TSS and heavy metals (chromium, zinc , lead, copper). Industrial applications where oil enters

1428-537: A plant in Kagami , Kumamoto Prefecture , using a nitrogen fixation process - a Japan first. Sales of ammonium sulfate were increasing year-on-year as were market prices. A new plant was opened at the Minamata factory in 1918 where it was able to produce ammonium sulfate for 70 yen per ton and sell it for five and a half times the cost. These massive profits enabled Nichitsu to survive the subsequent drop in prices after

1530-678: A policy to amend relations between victims of the Minamata Disease and the other citizens and to give an end to prevailing social divisions. On 1 April 1992 the first Memorial Service for the Victims of Minamata Disease was organized and has taken place annually ever since. Moreover, the Minamata Disease Municipal Museum was founded in January 1993 in order to collect, preserve and pass on information about

1632-1156: A pre-treatment system to remove some pollutants (e.g., toxic compounds), and then discharge the partially treated wastewater to the municipal sewer system. Most industries produce some wastewater . Recent trends have been to minimize such production or to recycle treated wastewater within the production process. Some industries have been successful at redesigning their manufacturing processes to reduce or eliminate pollutants. Sources of industrial wastewater include battery manufacturing, chemical manufacturing, electric power plants, food industry , iron and steel industry, metal working, mines and quarries, nuclear industry, oil and gas extraction , petroleum refining and petrochemicals , pharmaceutical manufacturing, pulp and paper industry , smelters, textile mills , industrial oil contamination , water treatment and wood preserving . Treatment processes include brine treatment, solids removal (e.g. chemical precipitation, filtration), oils and grease removal, removal of biodegradable organics, removal of other organics, removal of acids and alkalis, and removal of toxic materials. Industrial facilities may generate

1734-503: A result of the poisoning and/or the disease. Those who were afflicted with the disease developed skeletomuscular deformities and lost the ability to perform motor functions such as walking. Many also lost significant amounts of vision, as well as hearing and speech capabilities. Severe cases presented with insanity, paralysis, coma and then death within weeks of the onset of symptoms. As of March 2001, over 10,000 individuals had received financial remuneration from Chisso to compensate them for

1836-752: A result, in December 1997, 16 women's groups, which have great interest in waste reduction, met together and organized the "Women's Liaison Conference on Waste Garbage" with the slogan of "Let's reduce the increasing garbage from each household!" They actively encourage residents not to bring home items that are not absolutely required which may result in waste, to repair broken items and to buy recycled products when possible. Major activities of "Women's Liaison Meeting for Reducing Waste" are: The municipal office of Minamata City obtained ISO 14001, international standard for environmental management, in February 1999. Under

1938-564: A system for certifying craftsmen who attach much importance to the environment in their production activities. This is called the Environment Master System, and commenced in fiscal 1998, before any other city in Japan. This is to improve the status and consciousness of craftsman and promote the creation of safe and sound commodities in consideration of environment and health, reflecting their experience with Minamata disease. In

2040-578: A version of ISO, for various service businesses for citizens, such as an office, home, preschool and hotel. The city has the authority to do the assessment, the certification and the promotion of the ISOs. All of the 16 elementary and junior high schools in the city work on the school version of ISO to achieve the following goals: At the first school that implemented the school version of environmental ISO, teachers and students made an action plan. Every two weeks, they reflect on their conduct, in order to achieve

2142-412: A wastewater rich in hardness ions which are readily precipitated out, especially when in admixture with other wastewater constituents. Wood preserving plants generate conventional and toxic pollutants, including arsenic, COD, copper, chromium, abnormally high or low pH, phenols, suspended solids, oil and grease. The various types of contamination of wastewater require a variety of strategies to remove

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2244-562: A wide variety of manufacturers, including chemical plants, metal fabrication and finishing; and used oil and petroleum products from various manufacturing sectors. The wastes may be classified as hazardous , have high pollutant concentrations or otherwise be difficult to treat. In 2000 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency published wastewater regulations for CWT facilities in the US. The specific pollutants discharged by organic chemical manufacturers vary widely from plant to plant, depending on

2346-500: Is a city located in Kumamoto Prefecture , Japan . It is on the west coast of Kyūshū and faces Amakusa islands. Minamata was established as a village in 1889, re-designated as a town in 1912 and grew into a city in 1949. As of March 2017, the city has an estimated population of 25,310 and a population density of 160 persons per km . The total area is 162.88 km . Minamata is known due to Minamata disease ,

2448-409: Is generated and what type of treatment is required. Reducing solids such as waste product, organic materials, and sand is often a goal of industrial wastewater treatment. Some common ways to reduce solids include primary sedimentation (clarification), dissolved air flotation (DAF), belt filtration (microscreening), and drum screening. Minamata, Kumamoto Minamata ( 水俣市 , Minamata-shi )

2550-481: Is globally accepted by policymakers and resulted in the UNEP Minamata Convention. The first patient with previously unseen neurological symptoms was reported in Minamata in 1956. In 1959, a researcher from Kumamoto University suspected that an organomercury compound could be the cause. However, paths of transformation of inorganic to organic mercury were unknown or uncertain at that time and so

2652-405: Is producing biomass energy from regional resources. The resources they want to use are citrus fruit, bamboo and food waste , to produce bio-ethanol and E3. But in the environmental report of the city from 2011. It is not stated that biomass energy is used and most of the energy is purchased (48%) or made from oil (44%). In January 2012 a test facility to make Bio-ethanol from bamboo was opened with

2754-494: Is similar for other highly scaling industrial wastewaters. Wastewater generated from agricultural and food processing operations has distinctive characteristics that set it apart from common municipal wastewater managed by public or private sewage treatment plants throughout the world: it is biodegradable and non-toxic, but has high Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) and suspended solids (SS). The constituents of food and agriculture wastewater are often complex to predict, due to

2856-558: Is striving to implement new and natural energy measures. Sources of natural energy: wind and solar. Wind and solar energy is mostly used for providing energy for buildings and infrastructure. Sources of new energy: bioethanol from bamboo, citrus fruit extract, thinned wood, and other plants. Bioethanol is mostly used for transportation and shipping. JNC Corp is one such bioethanol plant that was established in early 2012 that will produce 100,000 kiloliters/ year of bioethanol from bamboo. In this target area, Minamata eco-town committed itself to

2958-484: Is to maximize, protect, and integrate the town with the environment. Programs to foster and maintain ecosystems began in 1998. One specific goal is to have forests cover 75% of the city area. Other generalized goals serve to maintain and improve absorption levels of carbon dioxide, and revitalize the sea with abundant marine plant life. Several districts have implemented projects to help create an environmentally symbiotic region: Utilizing New and Natural Energy: Minamata

3060-789: Is used as a regulatory parameter in some discharge permits. Metal pollutant discharges may include chromium , copper , lead , nickel and zinc . The inorganic chemicals sector covers a wide variety of products and processes, although an individual plant may produce a narrow range of products and pollutants. Products include aluminum compounds; calcium carbide and calcium chloride; hydrofluoric acid; potassium compounds; borax; chrome and fluorine-based compounds; cadmium and zinc-based compounds. The pollutants discharged vary by product sector and individual plant, and may include arsenic, chlorine, cyanide, fluoride; and heavy metals such as chromium, copper, iron, lead, mercury, nickel and zinc. Fossil-fuel power stations , particularly coal -fired plants, are

3162-547: The Japanese Diet became remembered as the "Pollution Diet," as the Japanese government took action under the pressure of civil society movements provoked by Minamata disease as well as other two major environmental catastrophes - Yokkaichi Asthma and Itai-itai disease. Fourteen new environmental laws were passed in a single session, giving Japan what at the time were the most stringent environmental protection laws in

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3264-692: The United Nations Conference on the Human Environment held in Stockholm. The official report presented to the Conference by the Japanese government did not mention the disease at all; this lack of honesty resulted in a second report being put together by Japanese citizens. Minamata disease patients were sent to Stockholm to hand in the citizens' report. Evidence of the misery caused by heavy environmental pollution revealed

3366-705: The Yalu River . In 1927, the fertilizer subsidiary built a huge chemical complex in Hungnam . The hydroelectric power plants supplied electricity for the chemical plant, in the same way as the Ōkuchi power plant had done so for the Minamata chemical factory. Nichitsu invested in Korea more aggressively than any other Japanese company. It and its subsidiaries grew rapidly in Korea, and came to be recognized as an emerging zaibatsu . The difference between Nichitsu's zaibatsu and established zaibatsu like Mitsubishi and Mitsui

3468-851: The pulp and paper industry is generally high in suspended solids and BOD. Plants that bleach wood pulp for paper making may generate chloroform , dioxins (including 2,3,7,8-TCDD ), furans , phenols and chemical oxygen demand (COD). Stand-alone paper mills using imported pulp may only require simple primary treatment, such as sedimentation or dissolved air flotation . Increased BOD or COD loadings, as well as organic pollutants, may require biological treatment such as activated sludge or upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactors . For mills with high inorganic loadings like salt, tertiary treatments may be required, either general membrane treatments like ultrafiltration or reverse osmosis or treatments to remove specific contaminants, such as nutrients. The pollutants discharged by nonferrous smelters vary with

3570-468: The "single shareholder" movement by buying one share of Chisso each, which was aimed at accusing the executives of Chisso in its general meeting. A thousand of the single shareholders participating in the movement gathered in front of a hall in Osaka to attend the general meeting called on November 28, 1970, but the company prevented them from entering the hall by asking yakuza to become shareholders and occupy

3672-594: The 50s, exposing effluent to cats by mixing it in with their food. Despite Hosokawa's discoveries and public disclosures in 1959 the company did not release their experimental findings and continued to release effluent. The shack used during the animal experimentation was later obtained by The Supporting Center for Minamata Disease(Soshisha) in 1974 and is on display at the Minamoto Disease Museum in Kumamoto Prefecture . Industrial wastewater treatment Industrial wastewater treatment describes

3774-631: The Bath ", depicted the severe deformation of a child in her mother's arms after the child was exposed to the effects of Chisso's contamination of the water supply. In response to Chisso's beating of W. Eugene Smith for dissemination of the photographs, Smith was awarded the Robert Capa Gold Medal in 1974 for "best published photographic reporting from abroad requiring exceptional courage and enterprise". The company's "historical overview" in its current website makes no mention of their role in

3876-486: The City. Each area's assigned recycling volunteers take turn in groups of two or three to assist the residents who bring in garbage for sorting out recyclable materials by themselves. Once a month the residents work together to classify garbage, an activity which revives the community spirit, and creates a place for residents to get together. Profits from the sale of recyclable garbage are distributed to each district according to

3978-495: The Japanese Top Eco-City contest. The city is best known as the former site of an environmental disaster caused by industrial pollution of the bay with mercury . From 1932 to 1968, the chemical company Chisso discharged effluent containing methyl mercury from their plant in Minamata. Methyl mercury contaminated Minamata Bay and accumulated in fish, which were then consumed by the local population. In 1968

4080-437: The Minamata disease scandal local farmers wanted to show that their products were safe, so they changed their way of production by: not using pesticides anymore, use 70% less fertilizer and instead started using a special fertilizer from Chisso. In the 2011 environmental report the local production was stable for the last 10 years and the advice was to promote local production. Fishing was not possible from 1970 till 1997, because

4182-563: The Sogi Electric Company ( 曾木電気株式会社 , Sogi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha ) which operated a hydroelectric power station in Ōkuchi , Kagoshima Prefecture . The power station supplied electricity for the gold mines in Ōkuchi but had overcapacity. To make use of the surplus power, in 1908, Noguchi founded the Japan Carbide Company ( 日本カーバイド商会 , Nihon Kaabaido Shōkai ) which operated a carbide factory in

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4284-402: The Victims of Minamata Disease and to so demonstrate regret on behalf of the national government. Minamata Eco-Town constitutes a set of environmental goals and initiatives, which seek to turn the town's negative legacy into a positive present and future. The idea dates back to 1992. In that year, the municipal government of Minamata announced "Moyai Naoshi" (meaning "Repairing social bonds") -

4386-533: The base metal ore. Bauxite smelters generate phenols but typically use settling basins and evaporation to manage these wastes, with no need to routinely discharge wastewater. Aluminum smelters typically discharge fluoride , benzo(a)pyrene , antimony and nickel , as well as aluminum. Copper smelters typically generate cadmium , lead, zinc, arsenic and nickel, in addition to copper, in their wastewater. Lead smelters discharge lead and zinc. Nickel and cobalt smelters discharge ammonia and copper in addition to

4488-628: The base metals. Zinc smelters discharge arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, selenium and zinc. Typical treatment processes used in the industry are chemical precipitation, sedimentation and filtration. Textile mills , including carpet manufacturers, generate wastewater from a wide variety of processes, including cleaning and finishing, yarn manufacturing and fabric finishing (such as bleaching , dyeing , resin treatment, waterproofing and retardant flameproofing ). Pollutants generated by textile mills include BOD, SS, oil and grease, sulfide, phenols and chromium. Insecticide residues in fleeces are

4590-415: The bay was closed with a net to prevent the catching of contaminated fish. During this period fishers were compensated by the local government. When the nets were removed sardine catching started to flourish and there now are full-time and part-time fishers, who combine fishing with other jobs. Finally the last goal for the industry is Development of a Second Eco-Industrial Housing Complex. With this program

4692-632: The bioaccumulation of strontium by Scenedesmus spinosus ( algae ) in simulated wastewater. The study claims a highly selective biosorption capacity for strontium of S. spinosus, suggesting that it may be appropriate for use of nuclear wastewater. Oil and gas well operations generate produced water , which may contain oils, toxic metals (e.g. arsenic , cadmium , chromium , mercury, lead), salts, organic chemicals and solids. Some produced water contains traces of naturally occurring radioactive material . Offshore oil and gas platforms also generate deck drainage, domestic waste and sanitary waste. During

4794-416: The captured pollutants to the wastewater stream. Ash ponds , a type of surface impoundment, are a widely used treatment technology at coal-fired plants. These ponds use gravity to settle out large particulates (measured as total suspended solids ) from power plant wastewater. This technology does not treat dissolved pollutants. Power stations use additional technologies to control pollutants, depending on

4896-425: The city of Minamata. Each district develops their own environmental agreement system by allowing the local residents to establish "lifestyle rules" for their district. The Kagumeishi District Residents' Association (Environment Department) has developed one of the most extensive environmental agreement systems seen below: Creating an Environmentally Symbiotic Region: Part of the goal of Minamata becoming an eco town

4998-517: The city wants to build an industrial park mostly filled with companies that focus on the environment and the park is now filled with companies like: The different companies in the park vary in size and capacity and some companies only process products from Minamata city, while others process products from the region or the country. Part of this park is made possible by subsidies,. Natural environment preservation sector: Goals: District Environmental Agreement System: There are 26 districts within

5100-588: The coastal town of Minamata , Kumamoto Prefecture , about 30 km northwest of Ōkuchi. In the same year he merged the two companies to form the Japan Nitrogenous Fertilizer Company ( 日本窒素肥料株式会社 , Nihon Chisso Hiryō Kabushiki Kaisha ) - usually referred to as Nichitsu . In 1909, Noguchi purchased the rights to the Frank-Caro process , whereby atmospheric nitrogen was combined with calcium carbide (a key product of

5202-581: The company also reported total compensation liabilities of over US$ 170 million. Their 2000 accounts also show that the Japanese and Kumamoto prefectural governments waived an enormous US$ 560 million in related liabilities. Their FY2004 and FY2005 reports refer to Minamata disease as " Mad Hatter's Disease ", a term coined from the mercury poisoning experienced by hat-makers of the last few centuries (cf Mad Hatter ). After initial reports of Minamata Disease emerged Chisso secretly conducted animal experiments in

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5304-511: The contamination. Most industrial processes, such as petroleum refineries , chemical and petrochemical plants have onsite facilities to treat their wastewaters so that the pollutant concentrations in the treated wastewater comply with the regulations regarding disposal of wastewaters into sewers or into rivers, lakes or oceans. Constructed wetlands are being used in an increasing number of cases as they provided high quality and productive on-site treatment. Other industrial processes that produce

5406-642: The differences in BOD and pH in effluents from vegetable, fruit, and meat products and due to the seasonal nature of food processing and post-harvesting. Processing of food from raw materials requires large volumes of high grade water. Vegetable washing generates water with high loads of particulate matter and some dissolved organic matter . It may also contain surfactants and pesticides. Aquaculture facilities (fish farms) often discharge large amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus, as well as suspended solids. Some facilities use drugs and pesticides, which may be present in

5508-453: The discharge of poisonous effluent was ceased due to discontinuation of acetaldehyde production at the Chisso factory. However, the sea sediment as well as fish remained contaminated and so measures were taken to counteract the effects. In 1975, the bay was fenced by fishing nets. A sludge dredging project was initiated in 1977 and continued until 1990. During the project, 784,000m of sludge

5610-566: The disease and related issues. Apart from exhibitions, the Museum offers story-telling sessions by Minamata disease patients. Additional Minamata Disease archives were opened in 2001. In respect of envisaged sustainable development, the municipal government addressed environmental challenges along the social ones; A Declaration of the Construction of Eco-City Model was launched in 1992. Subsequently, waste separation by citizens became one of

5712-644: The disposal of FOG in the sewer system. Food processing activities such as plant cleaning, material conveying, bottling, and product washing create wastewater. Many food processing facilities require on-site treatment before operational wastewater can be land applied or discharged to a waterway or a sewer system. High suspended solids levels of organic particles increase BOD and can result in significant sewer surcharge fees. Sedimentation, wedge wire screening, or rotating belt filtration (microscreening) are commonly used methods to reduce suspended organic solids loading prior to discharge. Glass manufacturing wastes vary with

5814-481: The downside of Japan's post-war rapid economic development to the global public. In 1978, the National Institute for Minamata Disease was established in Minamata. It consists of four departments: The Department of Basic Medical Science, The Department of Clinical Medicine, The Department of Epidemiology and The Department of International Affairs and Environmental Sciences. In 1986, The Institute became

5916-593: The dreadfulness of environmental pollution and because of this, they can now produce truly safe and harmless products. Before the establishment of the master system, Minamata products were simply products produced with confidence by people who were particularly concerned about the environment. In the future, however, they will be traded as brand products produced by the renowned environmental masters of Minamata City. There are six qualification criteria to become an environmental master: Minamata tries to develop environmentally friendly industries with three goals. The first topic

6018-671: The drilling process, well sites typically discharge drill cuttings and drilling mud (drilling fluid). Pollutants discharged at petroleum refineries and petrochemical plants include conventional pollutants (BOD, oil and grease, suspended solids ), ammonia, chromium, phenols and sulfides. Pharmaceutical plants typically generate a variety of process wastewaters, including solvents, spent acid and caustic solutions, water from chemical reactions, product wash water, condensed steam, blowdown from air pollution control scrubbers, and equipment washwater. Non-process wastewaters typically include cooling water and site runoff. Pollutants generated by

6120-432: The effluent from Chisso was not identified as the sought source. It took 9 more years until the government officially acknowledged mercury-containing effluent from local acetaldehyde chemical plants to be the cause of Minamata disease. Since then, victims of Minamata disease have been compensated by Chisso and both local and national governments, due to the lawsuits won and official relief programs. The 1970 session of

6222-435: The environment in every part of their processes, including materials selection, production, processing, selling, and disposal of waste. "Products produced by environmental masters" mean safe and sound products certified by the municipal office. For some time in the past, Minamata-made products were not favorably accepted on the market due to the bad image of the city. Nonetheless, people in Minamata have learned through experience

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6324-457: The ever increasing discharge standards, there has been an emergence of the use of advance oxidation processes for the treatment of brine. Some notable examples such as Fenton's oxidation and ozonation have been employed for degradation of recalcitrant compounds in brine from industrial plants. Reverse osmosis may not be viable for brine treatment, due to the potential for fouling caused by hardness salts or organic contaminants, or damage to

6426-408: The exposure to air and water that inevitably occurs when the tailings are disposed of in large impoundments. The resulting acid mine drainage , which is often rich in heavy metals (because acids dissolve metals), is one of the many environmental impacts of mining . The waste production from the nuclear and radio-chemicals industry is dealt with as Radioactive waste . Researchers have looked at

6528-416: The first year, fiscal 1998, nine craftsmen engaged in the activities of paper making, and the production of tea leaves, bread, tangerine oranges, vegetables, rice or eggs were certified. In fiscal 1999, five craftsmen including a tatami-maker were additionally certified, making the current total of certified environmental masters fourteen. All of them produce products with confidence and pay careful attention to

6630-857: The following industrial wastewater flows: Industrial wastewater could add the following pollutants to receiving water bodies if the wastewater is not treated and managed properly: The specific pollutants generated and the resultant effluent concentrations can vary widely among the industrial sectors. Battery manufacturers specialize in fabricating small devices for electronics and portable equipment (e.g., power tools), or larger, high-powered units for cars, trucks and other motorized vehicles. Pollutants generated at manufacturing plants includes cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, cyanide, iron, lead, manganese, mercury, nickel, silver, zinc, oil and grease. A centralized waste treatment (CWT) facility processes liquid or solid industrial wastes generated by off-site manufacturing facilities. A manufacturer may send its wastes to

6732-535: The following: In Minamata itself, there are several environmental learning programs. At the Kumamato Prefecture Environmental Center, visitors can gain knowledge and understanding about environmental problems at facilities. This program focuses on daily life. There is also a program about aquatic environment, a program about pollution in rivers and several programs regarding recycling. According to Japanese census data, this

6834-421: The foundation of the parent company: Korea Hydroelectric Power Company ( 朝鮮水力電気株式会社 , Chōsen Suiryoku Denki Kabushiki Kaisha ) and Korea Nitrogenous Fertilizer Company ( 朝鮮窒素肥料株式会社 , Chōsen Chisso Hiryō Kabushiki Kaisha ) . Noguchi wanted to repeat his success in Ōkuchi and Minamata, but on an even greater scale in Korea. The power company constructed hydroelectric power plants along rivers draining into

6936-540: The four following goals: In 1998, Minamata City set up an original certification system to support producers, which is called the "Environmental Meister Programme". The "Environmental Meister Programme" certification focuses on environment and health, but not on a specific field of production, which is quite unique. This system guarantees that certain products are safe to use. In 2000, Minamata City obtained ISO14001 certification to reduce environmental burdens associated with service businesses for citizens. The city drew up

7038-433: The geologic formations that harbour economically valuable metals such as copper and gold very often consist of sulphide-type ores. The processing entails grinding the rock into fine particles and then extracting the desired metal(s), with the leftover rock being known as tailings. These tailings contain a combination of not only undesirable leftover metals, but also sulphide components which eventually form sulphuric acid upon

7140-406: The hall. The meeting ended in five minutes with all the bills submitted by the board approved. In addition, Chisso had American photographer and photo-journalist W. Eugene Smith beaten by yakuza goons after Smith published a highly regarded photo-essay showing the caustic injuries and birth defects Chisso had caused the Minamata population. The centerpiece of the work, titled " Tomoko and Mother in

7242-554: The harm caused by the chemical release. By 2004, Chisso Corporation had paid $ 86 million in compensation, and, in the same year, the company was ordered to clean up its contamination. However, the incident remains controversial for not only the poisoning itself but also for the tactics that the company used to suppress the negative aftermath. Chisso is a member of the Mizuho keiretsu . In 1906, Shitagau Noguchi , an electrical engineering graduate of Tokyo Imperial University , founded

7344-409: The industry include acetone , ammonia, benzene, BOD, chloroform, cyanide, ethanol , ethyl acetate , isopropanol , methylene chloride , methanol , phenol and toluene. Treatment technologies used include advanced biological treatment (e.g. activated sludge with nitrification), multimedia filtration , cyanide destruction (e.g. hydrolysis ), steam stripping and wastewater recycling. Effluent from

7446-639: The key activities; today, 24 different kinds of waste are separated. A Prize for the Environment was established to promote sustainability across Japan and South-East Asia and a prefectural environmental centre was built in Minamata. Other major events and achievements: Currently, Minamata employs a plan of reducing greenhouse gases by 32% in 2020 and by 50% in 2050 compared to 2005. Four major target areas are designated to achieve these reductions: Activities for Environmentally Friendly Living, Development of Environmentally Friendly Industries, Development of

7548-478: The mass contamination of Minamata and the dreadful aftermath, although a separate section of the website, accessed from the same list as the overview, is devoted to the subject. This section, however, is absent from the English version of the website. Additionally, their 2004 Annual Report reports an equivalent of about US$ 50 million (5.82 billion yen) in "Minamata Disease Compensation Liabilities". From 2000 to 2003,

7650-464: The metal. For an overview of research in 2012, see website list of research Despite the fact that anti-pollution measures and patient-support programmes started in the 1970s, it took four more decades for the Government to fully admit responsibility and apologize on-site; on 1   May 2010 Prime Minister Hatoyama was the first Prime Minister to participate in a yearly-held Memorial Service for

7752-695: The militarism government. In 1950, the New Japan Nitrogenous Fertilizer Company ( 新日本窒素肥料株式会社 , Shin Nihon Chisso Hiryō Kabushiki Kaisha ) , usually referred to as Shin Nichitsu , was founded as a successor of the old company. Other successor companies include Asahi Kasei and Sekisui Chemical . Nichitsu had started production of acetaldehyde using a mercury catalyst at its Minamata plant in May 1932, and Shin Nichitsu continued production after

7854-1751: The mineral acid is boiled away from the iron salts, there remains a large volume of highly acid ferrous sulfate or ferrous chloride to be disposed of. Many steel industry wastewaters are contaminated by hydraulic oil, also known as soluble oil. Many industries perform work on metal feedstocks (e.g. sheet metal, ingots ) as they fabricate their final products. The industries include automobile, truck and aircraft manufacturing; tools and hardware manufacturing; electronic equipment and office machines; ships and boats; appliances and other household products; and stationary industrial equipment (e.g. compressors, pumps, boilers). Typical processes conducted at these plants include grinding , machining , coating and painting, chemical etching and milling , solvent degreasing , electroplating and anodizing . Wastewater generated from these industries may contain heavy metals (common heavy metal pollutants from these industries include cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, nickel, silver and zinc), cyanide and various chemical solvents, oil, and grease. The principal waste-waters associated with mines and quarries are slurries of rock particles in water. These arise from rainfall washing exposed surfaces and haul roads and also from rock washing and grading processes. Volumes of water can be very high, especially rainfall related arisings on large sites. Some specialized separation operations, such as coal washing to separate coal from native rock using density gradients , can produce wastewater contaminated by fine particulate haematite and surfactants . Oils and hydraulic oils are also common contaminants. Wastewater from metal mines and ore recovery plants are inevitably contaminated by

7956-476: The minerals present in the native rock formations. Following crushing and extraction of the desirable materials, undesirable materials may enter the wastewater stream. For metal mines, this can include unwanted metals such as zinc and other materials such as arsenic . Extraction of high value metals such as gold and silver may generate slimes containing very fine particles in where physical removal of contaminants becomes particularly difficult. Additionally,

8058-472: The particular wastestream in the plant. These include dry ash handling, closed-loop ash recycling, chemical precipitation , biological treatment (such as an activated sludge process), membrane systems, and evaporation-crystallization systems. Technological advancements in ion-exchange membranes and electrodialysis systems has enabled high efficiency treatment of flue-gas desulfurization wastewater to meet recent EPA discharge limits. The treatment approach

8160-410: The pollutant concentrations in the treated wastewater comply with the regulations regarding disposal of wastewaters into sewers or into rivers, lakes or oceans . This applies to industries that generate wastewater with high concentrations of organic matter (e.g. oil and grease), toxic pollutants (e.g. heavy metals, volatile organic compounds ) or nutrients such as ammonia . Some industries install

8262-576: The prime mover is concentrated salt water. As a result, evaporation systems typically employ titanium or duplex stainless steel materials. Brine management examines the broader context of brine treatment and may include consideration of government policy and regulations, corporate sustainability , environmental impact, recycling, handling and transport, containment, centralized compared to on-site treatment, avoidance and reduction, technologies, and economics. Brine management shares some issues with leachate management and more general waste management . In

8364-451: The process was proved a success, the Minamata plant was converted to the process and began mass production. Nichitsu grew steadily, invested its profits in new technology and expanded production into new areas and slowly became a large conglomerate of many different companies. In 1924, Shitagau Noguchi expanded Nichitsu into Korea , a colony of Japan . In 1926, he established two companies in Korea as subsidiaries of Nichitsu, mirroring

8466-527: The processes used for treating wastewater that is produced by industries as an undesirable by-product. After treatment, the treated industrial wastewater (or effluent) may be reused or released to a sanitary sewer or to a surface water in the environment. Some industrial facilities generate wastewater that can be treated in sewage treatment plants . Most industrial processes, such as petroleum refineries , chemical and petrochemical plants have their own specialized facilities to treat their wastewaters so that

8568-468: The recent years, there has been greater prevalence in brine management due to global push for zero liquid discharge (ZLD)/minimal liquid discharge (MLD). In ZLD/MLD techniques, a closed water cycle is used to minimize water discharges from a system for water reuse . This concept has been gaining traction in recent years, due to increased water discharges and recent advancement in membrane technology. Increasingly, there has been also greater efforts to increase

8670-882: The recovery of fresh water or salts. Brine treatment systems may also be optimized to reduce electricity consumption, chemical usage, or physical footprint. Brine treatment is commonly encountered when treating cooling tower blowdown, produced water from steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD), produced water from natural gas extraction such as coal seam gas , frac flowback water, acid mine or acid rock drainage , reverse osmosis reject, chlor-alkali wastewater, pulp and paper mill effluent, and waste streams from food and beverage processing. Brine treatment technologies may include: membrane filtration processes, such as reverse osmosis ; ion-exchange processes such as electrodialysis or weak acid cation exchange ; or evaporation processes, such as brine concentrators and crystallizers employing mechanical vapour recompression and steam. Due to

8772-516: The recovery of materials from brines, especially from mining, geothermal wastewater or desalination brines. Various literature demosntrates the vaibility of extraction of valuable materials like sodium bicarbonates, sodium chlorides and precious metals (like rubidium, cesium and lithium). The concept of ZLD/MLD encompasses the downstream management of wastewater brines, to reduce discharges and also derive valuable products from it. Most solids can be removed using simple sedimentation techniques with

8874-582: The return of foreign competition into the Japanese market after the end of World War I in Europe in September 1918. After the war, Noguchi visited Europe and decided Nichitsu should pioneer an alternative synthesis of ammonium sulfate in Japan. In 1924, the Nichitsu plant at Nobeoka began production using the Casale ammonia synthesis which required the use of extremely high temperatures and pressures. Once

8976-425: The reverse osmosis membranes from hydrocarbons . Evaporation processes are the most widespread for brine treatment as they enable the highest degree of concentration, as high as solid salt. They also produce the highest purity effluent, even distillate-quality. Evaporation processes are also more tolerant of organics, hydrocarbons, or hardness salts. However, energy consumption is high and corrosion may be an issue as

9078-534: The solids recovered as slurry or sludge. Very fine solids and solids with densities close to the density of water pose special problems. In such case filtration or ultrafiltration may be required. Although flocculation may be used, using alum salts or the addition of polyelectrolytes . Wastewater from industrial food processing often requires on-site treatment before it can be discharged to prevent or reduce sewer surcharge fees. The type of industry and specific operational practices determine what types of wastewater

9180-400: The system, the city intends to redouble efforts for the realization of "an environmental model city" making the most of the lessons from Minamata disease and fulfill the roles local governments should play in the preservation and revival of the global environment. There were multiple effects the city hoped to achieve with the implementation of ISO throughout the city: Minamata City established

9282-626: The type of glass manufactured, which includes fiberglass , plate glass , rolled glass , and glass containers, among others. The wastewater discharged by glass plants may include ammonia, BOD, chemical oxygen demand (COD), fluoride , lead, oil, phenol, and/or phosphorus. The discharges may also be highly acidic (low pH) or alkaline (high pH). The production of iron from its ores involves powerful reduction reactions in blast furnaces. Cooling waters are inevitably contaminated with products especially ammonia and cyanide . Production of coke from coal in coking plants also requires water cooling and

9384-444: The types of products manufactured, such as bulk organic chemicals, resins, pesticides, plastics, or synthetic fibers. Some of the organic compounds that may be discharged are benzene , chloroform , naphthalene , phenols , toluene and vinyl chloride . Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), which is a gross measurement of a range of organic pollutants, may be used to gauge the effectiveness of a biological wastewater treatment system, and

9486-459: The use of water in by-products separation. Contamination of waste streams includes gasification products such as benzene , naphthalene , anthracene , cyanide, ammonia, phenols , cresols together with a range of more complex organic compounds known collectively as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). The conversion of iron or steel into sheet, wire or rods requires hot and cold mechanical transformation stages frequently employing water as

9588-431: The war. The plant discharged wastewater from its acetaldehyde plant into Minamata Bay via Hyakken Harbour . The wastewater contained many pollutants and poisonous substances including methylmercury, a highly toxic chemical. This chemical was absorbed by fish and shellfish and bioaccumulated up the food chain . People who unknowingly ate the fish over many years suffered from severe mercury poisoning . Hajime Hosokawa ,

9690-442: The waste stream. Although similarities to seawater or brackish water desalination exist, industrial brine treatment may contain unique combinations of dissolved ions, such as hardness ions or other metals, necessitating specific processes and equipment. Brine treatment systems are typically optimized to either reduce the volume of the final discharge for more economic disposal (as disposal costs are often based on volume) or maximize

9792-908: The wastewater stream may include vehicle wash bays, workshops, fuel storage depots, transport hubs and power generation. Often the wastewater is discharged into local sewer or trade waste systems and must meet local environmental specifications. Typical contaminants can include solvents, detergents, grit, lubricants and hydrocarbons. Many industries have a need to treat water to obtain very high quality water for their processes. This might include pure chemical synthesis or boiler feed water. Also, some water treatment processes produce organic and mineral sludges from filtration and sedimentation which require treatment. Ion exchange using natural or synthetic resins removes calcium , magnesium and carbonate ions from water, typically replacing them with sodium , chloride , hydroxyl and/or other ions. Regeneration of ion-exchange columns with strong acids and alkalis produces

9894-756: The wastewater. Dairy processing plants generate conventional pollutants (BOD, SS). Animal slaughter and processing produces organic waste from body fluids, such as blood , and gut contents. Pollutants generated include BOD, SS, coliform bacteria , oil and grease, organic nitrogen and ammonia . Processing food for sale produces wastes generated from cooking which are often rich in plant organic material and may also contain salt , flavourings , colouring material and acids or alkali . Large quantities of fats, oil and grease ("FOG") may also be present, which in sufficient concentrations can clog sewer lines. Some municipalities require restaurants and food processing businesses to use grease interceptors and regulate

9996-735: The weight of each district's recyclable garbage; large districts receive up to 600,000 yen a year and smaller districts about 70,000-80,000 yen. Besides classification, the Recycling Volunteers Committee promotes Taking-Back-Home- Garbage Campaign, Recycling Campaign, and organizes recycling fairs such as flea markets where reusable goods are sold. Because of its effort to classify garbage, Minamata City has successfully reduced its waste output significantly, from 10,000 tons in 1992 to 8,000 tons in 1994. However, it has become necessary to move beyond garbage classification to garbage reduction due to increasing garbage generation. As

10098-588: The world. These new laws included a Water Pollution Act and nationwide regulations of toxic discharges. The polluter pays principle was introduced. A national Environmental Agency, which later developed into the Ministry of Environment, was founded in 1971. National governmental expenditures on environmental issues almost doubled between 1970 and 1975 and tripled on the local government level. Business investments in clean technologies rose dramatically, too. Minamata disease attracted global attention in 1972 during

10200-586: The young company) to produce calcium cyanamide , a chemical fertilizer . Nitrogenous fertilizers were key to boosting agricultural production in Japan at the time, due to its lack of arable land and the small-scale nature of its farms, so the company found a ready market for its product. Nichitsu also branched out into other products produced from calcium carbide , beginning production of acetic acid , ammonia , explosives and butanol . Production of ammonium sulfate (another chemical fertilizer) started in 1914 at

10302-420: Was dredged and 582,000 m of land was reclaimed. On July 29, 1997, a Minamata Bay Safety Declaration was issued, nets had been removed and the environment was pronounced safe. By 2007, a total of 2,668 people were certified as Minamata disease patients, 639 of whom are alive today. Since Minamata mercury contamination event, the toxic burden of anthropogenic mercury (Hg) pollution for human and ecosystem health

10404-527: Was that Nichitsu did not have its own bank and insurance company. Hence, Nichitsu relied on government-controlled banks. As Japan lost the Second World War in 1945, Nichitsu and its zaibatsu collapsed and was forced to abandon all properties and interests in Korea. Furthermore, the US -controlled Allied occupation of Japan ordered the dismissal of the company, regarding it as a company that adhered to

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