Māris kļaviņŠ, azamat azizov, JĀnis zaļoksnis environment, pollution, development: the case of uzbekistan

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Figure 7.4. 
Emissions of 
pollutants from mobile 
pollution sources in 
Uzbekistan
Figure 7.5. 
Average 
monthly pollutant 
concentrations in Riga 
air 

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ENVIRONMENT, POLLUTION, DEVELOPMENT:  THE CASE OF UZBEKISTAN
The  discovery  of  fire  led  ancient  man  to  be  confronted  with 
air pollution. From today’s perspective there is no doubt that the 
ancient humans’ health and even lives were threatened by such 
pollutants in the air as high carbon monoxide (CO) content that 
could be released both as a result of the variety of geothermal 
processes,  and  as  incomplete  combustion  of  fuel.  Along  with  the 
development of livestock breeding, the elevated ammonia and 
amine content in the facilities where the animals were kept became 
a  certain  factor  of  danger.  A  drastic  increase  in  air  pollution 
hazards was caused by the development of the early production and 
mining processes. 
The high-tech industry in the 20
th
 century was marked first of all 
by the factory chimney smoke «tails». However, some manufacturing 
processes, such as soda production, were associated with release 
of a large amount of highly aggressive and toxic substances into 
the  environ ment.  The  first  air  pollution  victims  were  the  people 
working in their respective factories as well as the people living 
nearby. Industrial accidents, too, claimed their share of victims. 
Thus,  a  few  thousand  people  suffered  and  about  60  people  died 
of the industrial air pollution in Meuse Valley (Belgium), in 1930. 
In  1984,  in  Bhopal  (India),  as  a  result  of  poisonous  substance  – 
methyl  isocyanate  –  escaping  into  air,  about  20 000  people  died. 
Since occupational health and safety was one of the issues actively 
addressed alongside other social protection issues of the workers, 
with time a certain progress in this area was achieved. However, 
the overall development of production reached such levels that the 
protection of workforce could not provide safety for a person in his 
or her living environ ment, since emission of harmful substances 
had reached huge dimensions. In 1952, as a result of bad weather, 
smog enveloped London and lasted for several weeks. Around 4000 
people suffered. A similar situation was registered in 1956. At this 
time,  formation  of  photochemical  smog  in  the  U.S.  (Los  Angeles), 
and Japan was initially observed. Today, smog is observed in China 
(Figure 7.6), Mexico and other countries. In the seventies, the 
attention was drawn to changes in pH of precipitation – precipitation 
acidification problem. At the beginning of the 80s there came the 
awareness of the stratospheric ozone layer structure changes – the 
formation of an ozone hole.
In response to new environ mental problems and growing of local 
pollution manifestations into global ones, methods were developed 
to overcome them, both as technological answers to particular 
problems and as solutions for public and industrial management 
(Figure 7.7).
Industrial and anthropogenic pollution predominantly occurs in 
North American, European and Asian industrially developed regions.
The harmful effects 
of lead and mercury 
deposits were observed 
already in ancient Rome. 
The negative influence of 
soot and dust resulting 
from burning coal 
exposure was noted 
already in medieval 
London. As early as in 
1273 the King of England 
Edward the First passed a 
law aimed at limiting air 
pollution resulting from 
the burning of coal.
In 1661, John Evelyn 
described the London 
air: «It is a dirty and thick 
fog with a terrible smell 
that leaves people with 
a thousand troubles and 
poisons not only the 
lungs, but also the entire 
body, so that in this city 
the pulmonary catarrh, 
cough and dizziness 
spreads increasingly.»