How do the people involved perceive the risk? Are their perceptions accurate?
Possible answers: At first, Minamata residents did not know of the risk or worry about it. Once they began to see the effects of mercury poisoning, they perceived the risk as very serious. Their perceptions were accurate: Their primary food source was contaminated by industrial pollution, and that pollution was having a direct effect on the health of the community. Middle school students should perceive their risk as minimal. If a student perceives his or her risk as high, that perception would not be accurate according to the risk assessment above. • Who is responsible for the harmful substance and its presence in the environment? What role does the responsible party have in any cleanup? Allow time for students to discuss who they think was responsible for the situation in Minamata and what they think the responsible party should have done. Then, instruct them to unfold the last fold on Master 5.2 and read Part IV. The Chisso Corporation was responsible for discharging polluted efflue
