Yokkaichi Asthma
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Yokkaichi asthma occurred in the city of Yokkaichi in Mie Prefecture, Japan in the 1960s. The burning of petroleum and crude oil released large quantities of sulfur oxide that caused severe smog, resulting in severe cases of asthma and respiratory distress among the local inhabitants. The first cases of asthma which could be liked to the burning of petroleum were found in 1961.
A class action court case was brought against Showa Yokkaichi Oil and intially adjudicated in September 1970. The class was ruled to contain 544 individuals, but that number has increased over the ensuing years.
There were at least two deaths directly related to asthma, including a 15-year-old junior high school girl.
Initial attempts to alleviate the problem by raising the height of smokestacks to disburse the pollutants over a larger area proved ineffective. Eventually flue gas desulfurization was implemented on a large scale, leading to an improvement in the health of local populace.
Yokkaichi asthma has been identified in rapidly industrializing areas in the rest of the world, including mainland China.
