Skip to main content
Log in

Influence of Consumption of Cadmium-Polluted Rice or Jinzu River Water on Occurrence of Renal Tubular Dysfunction and/or Itai-itai Disease

  • Published:
Biological Trace Element Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The aim of this study was to clarify whether consumption of cadmium (Cd)-polluted rice or Jinzu River water exerted any influence on the occurrence of renal tubular dysfunction and/or Itai-itai disease. From the participants of health examinations conducted in 1967 and 1968, 3,078 subjects who had resided for >30 years in the present hamlet and were aged >50 years were selected as the target population and were divided according to their residence in 55 hamlets. In a multiple regression analysis, the regression coefficients between rice-Cd concentration and prevalence of abnormal urinary findings (proteinuria, glucosuria, or proteinuria with glucosuria) or patients with Itai-itai disease were statistically significant between both sexes. The correlation between the prevalence of users of Jinzu River water and the occurrence of glucosuria in men as well as abnormal urinary findings in women was not statistically significant. We surmise that eating Cd-polluted rice and drinking and/or cooking with Jinzu River water influenced the occurrence of Itai-itai disease. The occurrence of renal tubular dysfunction is likely to have also been influenced by both factors, with eating Cd-polluted rice having a greater impact on the occurrence of renal tubular dysfunction as compared to drinking and/or cooking with Jinzu River water.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Nogawa K (1981) Itai-itai disease and follow-up studies. In: Nriagu JO (ed) Cadmium in the environment, part 2 Health effects. Wiley, New York, pp 1–37

    Google Scholar 

  2. Ministry of Health and Welfare (1972) Opinion of the Welfare Ministry with regard to “Itai-itai” disease in Toyama Prefecture,. in Environmental Agency 3, May 8, 1968 (Japanese)

  3. Nogawa K, Ishizaki A (1979) A comparison between cadmium in rice and renal effects among inhabitants of the Jinzu River basin. Environ Res 18:410–420

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Nogawa K, Yamada Y, Honda R, Ishizaki M, Tsuritani I, Kawano S, Kato T (1983) The relationships between Itai-itai disease among inhabitants of the Jinzu River basin and cadmium in rice. Toxicol Lett 17:263–266

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Osawa T, Kobayashi E, Okubo Y, Suwazono Y, Kido T, Nogawa K (2001) A retrospective study on relation between renal dysfunction and cadmium concentration in rice in individual hamlets in the Jinzu River basin, Toyama Prefecture. Environ Res 86:51–59

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Watanabe Y, Kobayashi E, Okubo Y, Suwazono Y, Kido T, Nogawa K (2002) Relationship between cadmium concentration in rice and renal dysfunction in individual subjects of the Jinzu River basin determined using a logistic regression analysis. Toxicology 172:93–101

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Ogawa T, Kobayashi E, Okubo Y, Suwazono Y, Kido T, Nogawa K (2004) Relationship among prevalence of patients with Itai-itai disease, prevalence of abnormal urinary findings, and cadmium concentrations in rice of individual hamlets in the Jinzu River basin, Toyama prefecture of Japan. Int J Environ Health Res 14:243–252

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Tsuchiya K, Iwao S (1978) Results and evaluation on cadmium intake of Cd-exposed inhabitants in Akita, Ishikawa and Nagasaki Prefectures. Kankyo Hoken Report 44:86–115 (in Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Kagamimori S, Naruse Y, Hagino S (1990) The history of water supply in cadmium-polluted districts, Toyama prefecture. Kankyo Hoken Report 52:133–137 (Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

  10. Fundamental study group for Itai-itai disease (1972) Fundamental studies for various factors of occurrence of Itai-itai disease. In: Toyama Prefecture (ed.) Reports of study in Itai-itai disease. Toyama, pp. 3–30 (Japanese)

  11. Kawano S, Nakagawa H, Toga H, Okumura Y, Yamagami T, Yamamoto S (1981) An epidemiological study of Itai-itai disease. J Kanazawa Med Univ 6:51–59 (Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

  12. Toyama Prefecture Department of Health (1976) Current status of pollution of soil and its countermeasure. In: Toyama Prefecture (ed.) An interpretation of White Paper on Environmental Pollution, Toyama, pp. 128–135 (Japanese)

  13. Kagamimor S, Naruse Y (1995) Prevalence of Itai-itai disease and suspected patients among the hamlets of the Jinzu river basin. Kankyo Hoken Report 62:248–259 (Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

  14. Fukushima M, Sakamoto M (1974) Studies on some urinary screening tests for renal dysfunction induced by cadmium exposure. 2. Examination of the urinary protein determination by Kingsbury-Clark’s turbidity method. J Juzen Med Assoc 83:733–748 (Japanese)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Fukushima M, Sakamoto M (1974) Studies on some urinary screening tests for renal dysfunction induced by cadmium exposure. 1. Determination of glucose in urine by o-toluidine boric acid method. J Juzen Med Assoc 83:733–748 (Japanese)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Fukushima M, Ishizaki A, Nogawa K, Sakamoto M, Kobayashi E (1974) Epidemiological studies on renal failure of inhabitants in “Itai-itai” disease endemic district (Part 1) Some abnormal urinary findings of inhabitants living in and around the endemic district of the Jinzu River basin. Jpn J Pub Health 21:65–73 (Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

  17. Fukushima M, Ishizaki A, Nogawa K, Sakamoto M, Kobayashi E (1975) Epidemiological studies on renal failure of inhabitants in “Itai-itai” disease endemic district (Part 2) Observations on urinary abnormalities and cadmium excretion of the inhabitants selected for the close examination of “Itai-itai” disease. Jpn J Pub Health 22:217–224 (Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

  18. Study group for Itai-itai disease. An etiological study of Itai-itai disease. pp 1–58. Association of Japanese Public Health, Tokyo (1968) (Japanese)

  19. Kjellstrom T, Shiroishi K, Evrin PE (1977) Urinary β2-microglobulin excretion among people exposed to cadmium in the general environment. Environ Res 13:318–344

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yasushi Suwazono.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kobayashi, E., Suwazono, Y., Dochi, M. et al. Influence of Consumption of Cadmium-Polluted Rice or Jinzu River Water on Occurrence of Renal Tubular Dysfunction and/or Itai-itai Disease. Biol Trace Elem Res 127, 257–268 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-008-8239-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-008-8239-z

Keywords

Navigation