In the 1950s and 60s, which countrys people were severely affected by the Mercury pollution-related disease Minamata?

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Q: 289 (SSC/NA)
In the 1950s and 60s, which country’s people were severely affected by the Mercury pollution-related disease “Minamata”?

question_subject: 

Science

question_exam: 

SSC

stats: 

0,5,3,2,0,5,1

keywords: 

{'mercury pollution': [2, 0, 1, 0], 'malaysia': [0, 0, 2, 2], 'minamata': [3, 0, 0, 1], 'taiwan': [1, 0, 5, 3], 'japan': [0, 0, 1, 2], 'disease': [4, 2, 0, 0], '1950s': [1, 0, 0, 1], '60s': [1, 0, 0, 0]}

The correct answer is option 3: Japan. In the 1950s and 60s, the people of Japan were severely affected by the Minamata disease, which was caused by mercury pollution. Minamata disease is a neurological syndrome that affected thousands of people, causing symptoms such as numbness, muscle weakness, difficulty walking, and loss of coordination. The disease was named after Minamata Bay, a region in Japan where a chemical company dumped large amounts of mercury into the water. The mercury contaminated the fish and shellfish in the bay, which were then consumed by the local population. The long-term exposure to mercury resulted in the outbreak of the disease. The Minamata disease serves as a significant example of the devastating effects of industrial pollution on human health.