Environmental Sociology on Damages and Struggle around Cadmium Pollution

Research Project

Project/Area Number	11410051
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Section	一般
Research Field	社会学(含社会福祉関係)
Research Institution	Nara University of Education (2001) Tokyo Metropolitan University (1999-2000)
Principal Investigator	WATANABE Shinichi (2001) Nara University of Education, Faculty of Education, Associate Professor, 教育学部, 助教授 (70270139) 飯島伸子 (1999-2000) 東京都立大学, 人文学部, 教授 (20010019)
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha)	FUJIKAWA Ken Meiji Gakuin University, Department of Sociology, Associate Professor, 社会学部, 助教授 (80308072) 渡辺伸一奈良教育大学, 教育学部, 助教授 (70270139)
Project Period (FY)	1999 – 2001
Project Status	Completed (Fiscal Year 2001)
Budget Amount *help	¥10,400,000 (Direct Cost: ¥10,400,000) Fiscal Year 2001: ¥2,800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,800,000) Fiscal Year 2000: ¥4,500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,500,000) Fiscal Year 1999: ¥3,100,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,100,000)
Keywords	Itai-itai disease / cadmium pollution / renal tubular dysfunction / Jinzu River Basin / Tsusima Island / Usui River Basin (Annaka city) / 公害 / 生活被害 / 富山県のイタイイタイ病 / 長崎県対馬のカドミウム中毒 / 群馬県安中町のカドミウム中毒 / 古典的な公害病 / 被害構造 / 環境差別
Research Abstract	This is a report of sociological case studies on environmental cadmium pollution. While Itai-itai disease, osteomalacia induced by cadmium pollution, is world-famous, it has been indicated that cadmium is toxic at lower concentrations than was anticipated about thirty years ago as a cause of renal tubular dysfunction. Medical disputes around the adverse effect in cadmium poisoning have been continued for more than thirty years in relation with the issues on the cadmium polluted rice and the restoration of polluted soil. This report reveals the socio-economical aspects of the disputes as well as the measures of victims, residents, medicines and national and local governments. Another main theme of this study is to describe the history of damages and struggle around cadmium pollution in Jinzu River Basin in Toyama Prefecture, Tsusima Island in Nagasaki Prefecture and Usui River Basin in Gunma Prefecture, based on interviews with patients, families of patients and other agents from the viewpoint of environmental sociology. We also consider the social extension of damages originated in cadmium pollution diseases.