Itai-itai is a disease that results from long-term cadmium poisoning. The name comes from Japan, where large numbers of people in the 1950s developed the condition because of the widespread presence of cadmium in one province’s water; itai-itai means ouch-ouch in Japanese. Itai-itai disease, or ouch-ouch sickness, gets its name from the cries of pain sufferers emit. The condition is quite painful, affecting the bones, kidneys and liver where the cadmium is stored.
Cadmium is a metal that has several modern applications, including some dyes, certain types of batteries and electronics, some plastics and paints and in the protective coating applied in steel and iron manufacturing. Even at a low dose, it is extremely poisonous to humans. Cadmium was discovered in 1817, but widespread use didn’t occur until the early 20th century. Around this time in Japan, cadmium contaminated the water in a river basin. It was released into the water as a byproduct of mining concerns.