Bucharest
Bucharest - The Most Toxic Capital in Eastern Europe
For those who did not believe the ecologist slogans with ??A Man ?� A Tree?,
we can now witness that the main cause of the nightmare going on in Bucharest
is the massive clearing of green areas inside the city (the total amount
decreased to a half since 1989). Pollution, morbidity, mortality, deformed
infants, lead intoxication, long periods of critical exposure to toxicity ?�
these are the effects of every tree cut for standing in front of a newly
built garage or every square meter of grass lost under a boutique foundation.
Bucharest became the most crowded, most polluted, maybe the most dangerous
capital in this side of the world. And, in the very midst of this
devastation, the administration intends to cut down the park surface in order
to build more commercial and business centers.
The massive migration from rural to urban environments affected Bucharest in
many ways, the most important being the giant increase of population density.
The change in the economical climate after 1989 finally led to the increase
of the number of vehicles ?� almost six times more today than 12 years ago.
The effects of the pollution caused by these cars are to be presented in the
following.
The Most Crowded City in Eastern Europe
Beside the density of the population, another critical aspect for the
pollution was the disappearance of green areas, that noted a decrease from
34.7 million square meters in 1989 to 22.8 million in 1995 and only 17
million in 2001. The statistics for 2002 are not ready yet, but it sure hasn??t got any better.
The industrial pollution, although didn??t present any spectacular increase,
maintains it??s high level and presents high risks in several areas of the
city. The central media presented the Pantelimon area as ??ecological
catastrophe? since 1998, quoting the data obtained by the Governmental
Control Team: three large factories, Neferal, Acumulatorul and the
Non-ferrous Metals Institute polluted down to destruction the entire area, as
far as the villages of Cernica, Branesti and Pantelimon. The residuum consist
in lead, copper, zinc, aluminum, heavy metals and their oxides, cyanides,
sulfur oxides, suspended dust and so on. Some of the substances reach
neighboring homes, especially through the broken water pipes. The soil is so
contaminated that all the fruits and vegetables in the area carry toxic
charges (e.g. the vegetation in the area has 20 time more the maximum
accepted concentration ?� ??MAC? of lead and five times the carbon one). At
the time the study was conducted, the environmental lead concentration was
230 time more than the MAC at the factory gate and 7 times more on an 8 km.
Radius. The consequences are easy to imagine: increased mortality and
morbidity, intoxication, lower life expectation etc.
20 times less green space that necessary.
When referring to the population density, Bucharest is one of the cities you
don??t want to move in: 9009 inhabitants per square kilometer. The same figure
is 3905 in Berlin, 3850 In Vienna, 3674 in Budapest and 1226 in Bratislava.
Under the circumstances, a large part of Bucharest ?� 65% of the populace -
suffers every summer (and not only) from short term critical exposures to
high pollution levels. The most health-damaging neighborhoods are:
- Drumul Taberei blvd. ?�Timisoara blvd. ?�Iuliu Maniu blvd.;
- Dudesti ?� Liviu Rebreanu ?� Dristor ?� Baba Novac;
- Unirii Plaza?� George Cosbuc ?�Alexandriei blvd.;
- Timpuri Noi ?� Splaiul Independentei ?� Calea Vacaresti;
- Victoriei Plaza?� Dr. Felix ?�Ion Mihalache blvd. ?� Kiseleff blvd.;
- Stefan cel Mare ?� Tunari ?� Doamna Ghica;
- Sos. Pantelimon ?� Gara de Est ?� Electronicii;
- Calea Floreasca ?�Aviatiei ?� Poligrafiei ?� Romaero ?� Casa Presei Libere
?�
Sofitel.
After the study above was conducted, some of the areas mentioned above, the
richest in factories, that is, entered the category of long-term critical
pollution level exposure, affecting 10% of the Bucharest (some 284.000
people).
70% of the pollution comes from traffic
Even the best neighborhoods in Bucharest - such as Kiseleff ?� are extremely
polluted. But the main problem is at the edge of the city, where the green
spaces lack almost completely, and the pollution reigns in water, soil, air,
but one may also find also the stress-causing noise pollution. The concrete
factories, the abandoned buildings and the wind bring 273 tons of dust on
square kilometer every month. In 2001, 84 out of 147 children, aged 1 to 7,
presented signs of lead-intoxication, an affection that leads to both
physical and psychological problems.
The necessary amount of green space was estimated by urban professionals at
2794.5 hectares, the target in the city development for 2025. At this moment,
there are only 1,044 hectares. Still, instead of protecting it, the district
authorities have plans to cut off most of the parks, in order to build new
business centers and commercial sites.
Because of the high and dense buildings, the ??canyon effect? appears,
leading to blocking the toxic substances ?� including the recently appeared
ozone ?� at the breathing level. Sulfur oxides, carbon monoxide, lead, dust ?�
they are everywhere. One of the important problems related to the massive
amount of dust is the deforestation of protection curtains around Bucharest.
The forests that used to protect the city from the outside dust were cut, in
order to provide valuable terrain for villas in expensive neighborhoods. In
the northern side of the city, the Baneasa forest was one of the most
damaged, while the seed beds for new city vegetation in Nord, Toboc and
Pipera disappeared completely.
Effect on population
Because of the oxides and heavy metals pollution, Bucharest faces very often
acid and very acid rains. Between 1998 and 1999, 50% of the rains were acid.
NH3 concentration is 2 ?� 24% more than the maximum, while the NO- is
frequently above the MAC.
Under the circumstances, it??s easier to understand why the mortality rate (at
100,000 inhabitants) is increasing. As for the diseases, let??s just take a
glimpse at the death causes: respiratory diseases increased from 3.9 to 48.4
cases/oo,ooo, liver affections ?� from 0.2 to 1,7, other lung related causes
from 0.3 to 1.3, cancer increased from 2.1 to 8.5. Nose and ear tumors
increased 300%, toxicity ?� related brain affections appear 2.5 times more
often, and most of the other pollution related diseases are found twice as
often among the death causes.
Food poisoning comes naturally
A study conducted by the Public Health Institute, partially available on the
Internet, referred to the ??evaluation of the chemical and microbiologic
pollution degree of food products?. The conclusions were devastating: the
products in market places in Olt, Brasov, Giurgiu, Ialomita, Teleorman,
Mehedinti and Bucharest present content of toxic materials (lead, copper,
zinc), pesticides (DDT, DDE, HCH), nitrates, micotoxines and remains of
veterinarian medicine. The lead was found as main pollution agent, with
concentrations often above the maximum admitted.
Radu Rizea (Anchete.ro), (12.08.2002)
