This
summer most of my fellow-citizens felt jeopardized by the pollution
of the atmosphere. It was reported not once but twice - 2nd
June and 6th August - that the region of Stara Zagora was
highly contaminated with sulfur dioxide. What is worse, the cause
turned out to be difficult to determine; thus the problem was
difficult to solve although foreign experts from the independent
ecological institute of Stuttgart also participated in the
investigation.
Some asserted that the pollutant was produced by the biggest Bulgarian Thermal Power Plant Complex ”Marica Iztok”. About 20 000 people work daily in the region and more than 2 000 live in 3-5 km distance from the proposed incinerator site, which sounds quite threatening when the possible hazards are considered.
However, there were still others who maintained that the pollution was generated at the firing ground of Zmeevo. Such a thesis also sounds reasonable, given that the rockets ‘SS23’, ‘Scud’ and ‘Frog’ were destroyed at that very place just two years ago. Furthermore, the minister of energy Milko Kovachev stated: “It is irresponsible and inaccurate to inculcate the idea that ‘Marica Iztok’ is the only responsible for the pollution.”
After
all, it was finally declared that the cloud of pollution had quickly
dispersed. Nevertheless, we should have in mind that the greatest
impact of sulfur dioxide on human health comes from short-term
exposure to large doses. What is more, sulfur dioxide is harmful to
breathing and may aggravate existing heart diseases. In the
atmosphere, sulfur dioxide mixes with water vapor producing sulfuric
acid, which can be transported by wind over hundreds of miles, and
deposited as acid rain. Thus the issue of sulfurous pollution should
not be overlooked. |
