Industrial pollution: a network of causes
Copyright 2000 SHEafrica.com
September 7, 2000
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - Urban areas such as Harare and Lusaka are facing serious problems of air pollution mainly caused by industrial activity and the over-dependence on fossil fuels.
Depending on circulation patterns, the situation may influence neighbouring areas, while the pollution figures for the Gauteng and Mpumalanga areas do not herald fairer tides.
The urban air pollution statement was made in the recently published book “State of the Environment Zambezi Basin 2000”, reiterating the fact that pollution is threatening the Zambesi basin, and calling for tighter environmental measures in the basin states.
SHEafrica.com asked environmentalist Nicky Robins what bearing the situation has for South Africa.
Robins says pollution issues need to be dealt with regionally, and adopting tighter measures is a good start.
Referring to the circulation patterns, she says, “Where there is uncertainty, scientists will tend to adopt the precautionary principle, which states that until one has proof that it is not impacting directly on South African air pollution levels, one would tend to assume it might and take action accordingly.
“Nature does not abide by geographical boundaries. Personally, I would say that any increase in levels of atmospheric contaminants poses a problem for the South African region.”
Sources of industrial pollution in the Zambezi basin range from pulp-and-paper mills to fertiliser factories and granulation plants, abattoirs, textile manufacturing, the use of dyes and noxious cleaning chemicals, various other chemical industries as well as steel plants.Robins says it would make sense to ascertain who actually owns the industrial firms contributing to the pollution.
Although the severity and impacts of some of the pollution in the basin are not well researched and documented, it is believed that the quality of vegetation, soils and water is being adversely affected by the pollution.
Robins says the border issue intensifies when water quality is assessed, and shared borders need to be managed. “Water is a critical issue for the South African region, and in some instances even more alarming than the atmospheric pollution.”
She applauds the regional (SADC) initiative that convened the environmental ministers to tackle the issue, and says South Africans need to appeal to the government to move environmental issues up the priority ladder.
“Given the recent developments in establishing a free trade zone for the SADC countries, I think NGOs and other pressure groups should be making this into a campaign,” says Robins.
Sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and lead, are the most common and most harmful air pollutants in the basin.
The book states that if the growth in demand for energy and vehicles is to be met using current technologies, the basin will witness emissions from thermal power stations increasing 11-fold and from vehicles five-fold by the year 2003.
The use of mainly leaded fuel in vehicles throughout the basin is a major concern which, coupled with the ageing fleet, is worsening the levels of lead pollution in the basin.
The authors state that there is evidence to indicate that trunk paralysis in elephants at Lake Kariba could be due to lead poisoning.
Cadmium, whose toxicity levels are below the World Health Organisation's permissible limits, is said to be emanating from the steel manufacturing industries in the Kwekwe/Redcliff areas of Zimbabwe.
Lee Furter
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