56 1 19 Bull. Nara Univ. Educ., Vol. 56, No.1 (Cult. & Soc.), 2007 115 19 Why is Kidney Dysfunction Caused by Cadmium (Cadmium Nephropathy) not Officially Recognized as a Pollution-related Disease by the Japanese Government? WATANABE Shinichi (Department of Sociology, Nana University of Education, Nara 630-8528, Japan) (Received May 7, 2007) Abstract Environmental cadmium pollution causes cadmium poisoning. The first cadmium-polluted area ever discovered in the world was the Jinzu River basin in Toyama Prefecture in Japan. The most severe case of cadmium poisoning is Itai-itai disease (osteomalacia), which was officially recognized as a pollution-related disease by the Japanese government in 1968, and a less severe case is tubular kidney dysfunction. In other words, the occurrence of Itai-itai disease is only the "tip of the iceberg". The tubular kidney dysfunction is the earliest and most prevalent adverse result of chronic cadmium poisoning. The Japan Public Health Association Cadmium Research Committee, supported by the Environmental Agency, carried out health surveys in cadmium-polluted areas of 8 prefectures during the period of 1976-1984 and reported that many cases of tubular kidney dysfunction were found not only in Toyama but also in Ishikawa, Hyogo and Nagasaki prefectures. However, the Environmental Agency and the research committee have never certified this kidney dysfunction as a pollution-related disease. In 1970, the Japanese government set tentative acceptable standards of 1ppm for brown rice and enacted the Agricultural Land Soil Pollution Prevention Law in 1971. Based on this Law, restoration projects of polluted soils of rice paddies were started. If cadmium nephropathy was certified as a officially pollution-related disease, acceptable standards for brown rice must be more strict than 1ppm, because 1ppm is a standard to prevent habitants from suffering from Itai-itai disease. This new strict standard arrives at increases in polluted rice and soils. This means increases in the expenses to buy polluted rice and to restore polluted soils. To offer indemnity to farmers for any reduction in his rice crop is the responsibility of polluting industries and to pay expenses to restore polluted soils is the responsibility of polluting industries, the central government and local authorities. This paper concludes that the main reason why cadmium nephropathy has not been certified as an official pollution-related disease is that the decision-making of the Environmental Agency and the research committee reflects the intention of the polluting industries and the government who regard the expenses above as too heavy a burden. Key Words environmental cadmium pollution, cadmium nephropathy, the Environmental Agency
116 2 2 1992 2006 1 2 1999, 2001 2 1970 1ppm 1ppm 0.41ppm 1998 FAOWHO 0.2ppm 1ppm 2002 5 22 0.2ppm 15 1ppm 2 3 4 1957
117 1968 3 1968 5 1972 1971 61972 8 1974 1 2 3 1976 1979 11 198079 40 1 83 10 1989 No.56 89 79 7 79 1 12 3 202 179 1989 p.2 89 10 0.05 0.2ppm 0.4ppm 89 2 1 68
2 WHO ILO IPSC 1992 134 1975 700 1/5140 1992 p.292 0.2ppm 7592 WHO 1974 1998 p.214 1976 118
1976 p.30 1979 2004 1974 75 2 68 49 1975 3 15 49 1974 ( 1971 12 1974 p.75 2 2006 p.238 80 2 1994 p.92 2004 p.37 119
89 1989 2 1968 40 1988 p.137 74 1974 1971 p.2241976 1976 p.224 79 1992 0.2ppm 1998 120
1998 5 14 74 1975 1979 1968 1972 70 74 70 170 74 1974 1978 2001 p.89 2 76 1976 p.27 3 70 7935% 39%41% 33% 1998 pp.207 17 1ppm 1ppm 0.4ppm 71 76 1ppm4 1988 p.184 79 121
4 7479 1ppm 68 2001 p.126 76 1979 p.265 74 1968 1988 p.146 74 70 2000 p.104 2001 p.18 122
123 10 1ppm FAO WHOJECFA 2003 JECFA WHO 1989IPSC 2004 p.91 p.80 2004 11 27 23 2005 2003-2005 2007 134 1985 1992 1996 2 1999 Cd 1994 3 2001 2001 4 1ppm2001 pp.154 164 5 1988 pp.186 6 1962 1997 7 0.4ppm 2007 8 1999 20002002 0.2ppm 0.1 0.5ppm
124 2001 p.171 9 19681 2 (10) 1972 1999 p.90 (11)1989 (12) 199819992003 1993 (13) 2004 (14) 2002 10 30 FNS 1999 3128 (15) 2005 2 (16)75 50 2 26 (17) 36 1976 p.1 (18) pp.1 3 (19) 2000 11 (20) 2004 23 p.39 (21) 2004 (22) 1973 675 8 78 3 (23)87 54 03 29 (24) 1991 p.184 (25) 19992000 78 71 97 170 71 96 86220 39% 79 97 (26) (27) 2000 p.33 (28) 1988 p.4921999 3 6 1999 p.6 (29) 1997 (30) Cd Cd 2003 p.131 (31) 1955 JECFA 1997 p.157 (32) HP http://www.mhlw.go.jp/topics/bukyoku/iyaku/syokuanzen/suigin/index.html 2007 5 4 (33) 1997 2004 (34) 5 (35) 1995 1995 pp.173 90 2004 pp.115 47 68 2002 p.5 1994 Toxicology Todaypp.47 56 2001 1997 3 pp.53 74 2001 2 pp.1 28
1985 1995 2000 908 pp.103 123 2004 2 pp.73 96 1988 2000 6 pp.39 54 1999 2006 1974 19911969-1991 1976 1976 1 1997 1988 2 1998 pp.168 171 19761 pp.25 30 1979 2000 6 pp.23 38 2006 2001 35 7 pp.85 98 1992 1998 53 1pp.47 61 1999 1998 5 1316 1988 pp.167 211 1993 20 2 1994 8 pp.74 92 1996 1992 WHO= pp.291 293 1980 46 pp.72 110 1989 56 pp.1 4 2004 963 pp.140 163 2003 pp.129 137 1992 21 3pp.59 67 2001 2 pp.117 143 2004 2004 1999-2001 B1 2005 23 pp.7 23 2007 2003-2005C2 WHO,1992,Environmental Health Criteria 134 CADMIUM,WHO 1992 134 1998 125