Environmental Health

Abstract

The rapid industrial development that began in the 1950's created environmental problems which consequently led to health hazards among residents of heavily polluted areas in Japan, such as Minamata Disease and Yokkaichi Asthma. Faced with these situations, the Japanese national government and local environmental authorities exerted much efforts to control pollution as well as to provide solutions to health problems. Many studies, including environmental epidemiology, have been conducted, aiming at determining relations between health problems and pollution. The results of environmental epidemiologic studies were prone to conclude associations with pollution and targeted health damages. In the case of the air-pollution related diseases, the government compensated individuals with non-specific respiratory diseases who are residents in the designated special high level air pollution areas. Epidemiological studies played an important role in designating pollution-related diseases and polluted areas. J Epidemiol, 1996 ; 6 : S121-S124.