Which of the following diseases are caused by the consumption of water contaminated by mercury and nitrate ?

Water contamination by mercury and nitrate leads to distinct health conditions. Minamata disease is a severe neurological syndrome caused by mercury poisoning, specifically methylmercury [5]. It was famously identified in Japan after residents consumed fish from Minamata Bay, which had been contaminated by industrial wastewater [5]. On the other hand, high nitrate levels in groundwater, often from fertilizer leaching or waste, cause methemoglobinemia, commonly known as Blue Baby Syndrome [4]. This condition occurs when nitrates reduce the oxygen-carrying capacity of hemoglobin, particularly in infants, leading to cyanosis or a bluish skin tint [4]. While cadmium contamination is linked to Itai-Itai disease (affecting bones), osteoporosis is generally associated with aging or calcium deficiency rather than direct mercury or nitrate poisoning [2]. Therefore, the correct pair is Minamata disease and Blue Baby Syndrome.

Sources

1. [2] Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 29: Environment Issues and Health Effects > a) Minamata disease > p. 415
2. [5] https://egyankosh.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/7022/3/Unit-5.pdf
3. [4] https://www.epa.gov/privatewells/potential-well-water-contaminants-and-their-impacts