Pollution-related illnesses are caused by environmental pollution. What is the relationship between the terms “pollution” and “pollution-related illness”?
The world’s major encyclopedia of Heibonsha refers to pollution-related illnesses as those caused or subsidized by air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution, noise and vibration. According to this, pollution-related illnesses are not included in the scope of pollution.
On the other hand, the cover of Masasumi Harada, one of the representative books on pollution-related Minamata Disease (Iwata Shoten, 1972) states, “Minamata Disease is one of the largest and most tragic pollution-related diseases.” It also states, “Minamata Disease is also said to be the starting point of pollution” in the “Introduction” section of the same book. Therefore, it can be understood that the same paper considers Minamata Disease, a pollution-related disease, to be a part of pollution.
Among the published books, Minamata Disease, Niigata Minamata Disease, Itai-itai Disease, and Yokkaichi Pollution are often referred to as the “Four Grand Pollution Diseases” (Mr. Atsuko Masano, Four Grand Pollution Diseases (Chuo Koron Shinsha, 2013)). However, some materials prepared by university teachers for students that can be viewed on the Internet are also known as “Fourth Grand Pollution.”
With regard to Minamata Disease, there is a document that mentions the “Minamata Disease Incident,” which includes the issue of compensation for the victims of Minamata Disease, a pollution-related disease, from the occurrence of Minamata Disease.
Article 2, Paragraph 3 of the Basic Environment Law defines “pollution” as damage to human health or the living environment… due to air pollution, water pollution…, soil contamination, noise, vibration, subsidence of the ground… and offensive odors that occur to a considerable extent in the course of business activities and other human activities.” Therefore, it is understood that “pollution” includes not only the condition of pollution of the natural environment such as air, water and soil, but also the social fact that a person suffering from pollution caused by pollution of human health is occurring.
