The hazards of methylmercury poisoning received modern international attention in 1956 when many of the residents of Minamata, Japan, became seriously ill, or died, after eating the fish and shellfish in Minamata Bay. A chemical plant that used methylmercury to manufacture plastic (acetaldehyde) was dumping methylmercury-contaminated wastes into Minamata Bay. The mercury built up or bioac- cumulated in the fish and shellfish, which were a major part of the residents’ diets. A similar tragedy unfolded in the nearby town of Nigata, Japan. Eventually, hundreds of people died, including many stillborn children, and thousands were made severely ill from eating the contaminated seafood. The official Japanese government estimate.
