Some Case Studies

Blue baby syndrome:

"blue baby syndrome" is also called methemoglobinemia. It is believed to be caused by
nitrate contamination in groundwater resulting in decreased oxygen carrying capacity of
hemoglobin in babies leading to death.
The groundwater can be contaminated by leaching of nitrate generated from fertilizer used in
agricultural lands, waste dumps or pit latrines. Cases of blue baby syndrome have for
example been reported in villages in Romania and Bulgaria where the groundwater has been
polluted with nitrate leaching from pit latrines.Other insults in neonates, such as respiratory
distress syndrome, can also produce a "blue baby syndrome".

Itai-Itai Disease:
Itai-Itai Disease Itai-itai disease was caused by cadmium poisoning due to mining in
Toyama Prefecture, Japan, starting around 1912. The term "itai-itai disease" was coined by
locals for the severe pains (Japanese: itai) victims felt in the spine and joints.
Cadmium poisoning can also cause softening of the bones and kidney failure. The cadmium
was released into rivers by mining companies in the mountains, which were successfully sued
for the damage. Itai-itai disease is known as one of the Four Big Pollution Diseases of Japan.

Minamata disease:
Minamata disease (M. d.) is methylmercury (MeHg) poisoning that occurred in humans who
ingested fish and shellfish contaminated by MeHg discharged in waste water from a chemical
plant (Chisso Co. Ltd.). It was in May 1956, that M. d. was first officially "discovered" in
Minamata City, south-west region of Japan's Kyushu Island. The marine products in
Minamata Bay displayed high levels of Hg contamination (5.61 to 35.7 ppm). The Hg content
in hair of patients, their family and inhabitants of the Shiranui Sea coastline were also
detected at high levels of Hg (max. 705 ppm). Typical symptoms of M. d. are as follows:
sensory disturbances (glove and stocking type), ataxia, dysarthria, constriction of the visual
field, auditory disturbances and tremor were also seen. Further, the fetus was poisoned by
MeHg when their mothers ingested contaminated marine life (named congenital M. d.). The
symptom of patients were serious, and extensive lesions of the brain were observed. While
the number of grave cases with acute M. d. in the initial stage was decreasing, the numbers of

chronic M. d. patients who manifested symptoms gradually over an extended period of time
was on the increase. For the past 36 years, of the 2252 patients who have been officially
recognized as having M. d., 1043 have died.

Bhopal Gas Tragedy:

The Bhopal disaster, also referred to as the Bhopal gas tragedy, was a gas leak incident in
India, considered the world's worst industrial disaster. It occurred on the night of 2-3
December 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal,
Madhya Pradesh. Over 500,000 people were exposed to methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas and
other chemicals. The toxic substance made its way in and around the shanty towns located
near the plant.
Estimates vary on the death toll. The official immediate death toll was 2,259.
The government of Madhya Pradesh confirmed a total of 3,787 deaths related to the gas
release. A government affidavit in 2006 stated the leak caused 558,125 injuries including
38,478 temporary partial injuries and approximately 3,900 severely and permanently
disabling injuries. Others estimates 8,000 died within two weeks and another 8,000 or more
have since died from gas-related diseases.
The cause of the disaster remains under debate. The Indian government and local activists
argue slack management and deferred maintenance created a situation where routine pipe
maintenance caused a backflow of water into a MIC tank triggering the disaster. Union
Carbide Corporation (UCC) contends water entered the tank through an act of sabotage.