YushÅ disease
Yusho disease, Yusho poisoning, Kanemi -oil or oil - poisoning disease is a complex of symptoms caused by poisoning with polychlorinated biphenyls ( PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans ( PCDF ) and other organochlorine compounds. The word comes from the Japanese name Yusho (Japanese油 症), literally " oil - symptom ".
The first time came in 1968 in the Japanese prefecture of Fukuoka at such a poisoning case. In February and March were observed respiratory problems in poultry. As later became clear, had added its feed rice oil from Kanemi Soko. In June came the first time in humans on skin rashes and problems with internal organs. In October, examined in the University of Kyushu, a rice oil sample which had provided one of the patients, and provided a contamination with PCBs and furans fixed. Upon investigation in the refining plant manufacturer was discovered two leaks in a heating coil, a smaller due to corrosion, greater as a result of faulty welding work in January 1968. About this leak came PCBs in the edible oil.
In about 2000 persons who prepared their food with this rice oil, it came to chloracne, skin and mucous membrane lesions, excessive lacrimation, Abmagerungen, liver, spleen and kidney damage. Also endocrinological disorders such as altered menstrual cycles and impaired immune responses were observed. The skin of newborns poisoned mothers was colored dark in 90 % of cases and led to the designation kuroi akachan ("black babies "). For those affected also an increased incidence of liver tumors was observed.
In Taiwan, there was a similar incident in 1979, for the one in the Chinese Yucheng ( pinyin: Youzheng ) read name from the Japanese took over.
The use of PCBs was banned in 1978 in open systems, generally forbidden in Germany since 1989.