Environmental changes in the city of Pančevo

Abstract

Pančevo is an old industrial center in the Banat region. The development of industry and the environment in this city are in the causa - effect relationship: industrialization follows increased degradation of the environment. This relationship was particularly disturbed in the second half of the 20th century, after the construction of a large chemical and petrochemical industrial complex, on the city periphery. The development of industry has negatively affected all elements of city environment. The saturation of air with harmful substances such as benzene, ammonia, sulfur dioxide, soot and suspended particles has become a daily occurrence. Increased concentration of harmful substances in the air directly affects the pollution of the soil - the most important natural resource of Pančevo. A chronic problem of excessive pollution of the surface waters is a consequence of insufficiently built and inefficient sewage system, as well as insufficiently purified industrial water discharged into the recipients. Also, it is necessary to conduct a complex and multidisciplinary research on the long - term consequences of the NATO bombardment, because the amount of harmful substances have melt in the water, air and soil during the two and a half months in 1999, indicate a significate negative changes in the environment of Pančevo.