Environmental Sociology on Damages and Struggle around Cadmium Pollution

本文是一篇关于环境镉污染的社会学个案研究报告。虽然由镉污染引起的骨软化症Itai-itai病是世界著名的，但已经表明，镉在低于约30年前预期的浓度下是有毒的，是肾小管功能障碍的原因。围绕镉中毒不良反应的医疗纠纷，围绕镉污染大米和污染土壤修复问题，已持续了三十多年。本研究的另一个主题是，通过对患者的访谈，描述富山县的金足川流域、长崎县的津岛岛和群马县的江流域的镉污染损害和斗争的历史。从环境社会学的角度来看，病人和其他代理人的家庭。我们还考虑了镉污染疾病损害的社会延伸。

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.