Local residents' attitudes regarding ecological condition and pollution effects on human health and environment - case study of Veliki Bački Canal, Vojvodina, Serbia

Milana Pantelić, Vladimir Stojanović, Dragan Dolinaj, Stevan Savić, Dragoslav Pavić, Dragan Milošević

Abstract


Due to excessive pollution, Veliki bački Canal (VBC) was turned into an open collection system for wastewater from food industry, farms and settlements. This lead to classification of the canal as a pollution "black spot" in Danube basin. As there is high percentage of residents living alongside the canal, VBC could represent potential health risk. In order to conduct an environmental assessment of the region, local residents' attitudes are being investigated through questionnaire in ten settlements (500 respondents). The results are indicating that local residents perceive the canal as extremely polluted, mainly due to industry and its by-products. Respondents claim that current state of the canal could have harmful effects to their health, as there are frequent reports of oil spills, dead fish and odor. Extremely negative attitude is reported among the residents of Vrbas, where the most is polluted section of the canal. Questionnaire reveals that most of the respondents are willing to participate in actions of cleaning VBC, which indicates high environmental awareness.

Key words: local residents, pollution, human health, Veliki bački Canal, Serbia


Full Text:

PDF

References


Alvarez-Vázquezl.J., Martíneza.,Vázquez-Méndez M. E., Vilar M. A. (2009): An application of optimal control theory to river pollution remediation. Applied Numerical Mathematics, 59, 845–858.

Andrejev N. (1983): Study of the importance and valorization of the basic canal network of DTD, Novi Sad. [In Serbian]

Blanchet, H., Lavesque, N., Ruellet, T., Dauvin, J.C., Sauriau, P.G., Desroy, N., Desclaux,c., Leconte, M., Bachelet, G., Janson, A.L., Bessineton, C., Duhamel, S., Jourde, J., Mayot, S., Simon, S., de Mantaudouin, X. (2008): Use of biotic indices in semi enclosed coastal ecosystems and transitional waters habitats-Implications for the implementation of the European Water Framework Directive. Ecological Indicators, 8, 360–372.

Cabecinha, E., Cortes, R., Pardal, M.A., Cabral, J.A. (2009): A stochastic dynamic methodology (StDM) for reservoir’s water quality management: Validation of a multi-scale approach in a south European basin (Douro, Portugal). Ecological Indicators, 9, 329–345.

CeSID (2006): Research of Public Opinion Vojvodina, environmental problems and the problems of water pollution in Vojvodina, Public Opinion "hot spots," What do they think about environmental issues citizens of Srbobran, Vrbas and Kula, Belgrade.

Dekonta (2004): Recovery and revitalization of the Veliki Bački Canal in Vrbas, Serbia and Montenegro. Assessment of the risk to the environment and human health.

Đivuljski T. (2008): Revitalization of the Veliki Bački Canal move Vrbas-Kula. Water and Sanitary Engineering, 38 (4), 45-50.

Harris, G. P., Heathwaite, A. L. (2005): Inadmissible evidence: knowledge and prediction in land and rivers capes. Journal of Hydrology, 304, 3–19.

Huang F., Wang X., Lou L., Zhou Z., Wu J. (2010): Spatial variation and source apportionment of water pollution in Qiantang River (China) using statistical techniques. Water Research, 44 (5), 1562-1572.

Kowalkowski, T., Zbytniewski, R., Szpejna, J., Buszewski, B. (2006): Application of chemometrics in river water classification. Water Research, 40 (4), 744–752.

Maloschik E., Ernst A., Hegedűs G., Darvas B, Székács A., 2007. Monitoring water-polluting pesticides in Hungary. Microchemical Journal, 85, 88–97.

Murphy S. (2007): General information on dissolved Oxygen, www.bcn.boulder.co.us/basin. University of Colorado at Boulder, Colorado (retrieved 27.09.07).

Mustonen, S. M.,Tissari, S., Huikko, L., Kolehmainen, M., Lehtola, M. J., Hirvonen, A. (2008): Evaluating online data of water quality changes in a pilot drinking water distribution system with multivariate data exploration methods. Water Research, 42, 2421–2430.

Niva (2005): Revitalization of the Veliki Bački Canal, Socio-economic aspects.

Owens, J. E., Niemeyer, E. D. (2006): Analysis of chemical contamination withina canal in a Mexican border colonia. Environmental Pollution, 140, 506–515.

Pantelić M., Đurđev B., Stankov U., Dragićević V., Dolinaj D. (2012a): Water Quality as an Indicator of Local Residents' Attitudes Towards Tourism Development: A Case Study of Settlements Along Veliki Bački Kanal, Vojvodina, Serbia. Knowledge and Management of Aquatic Ecosystems, 404, 09.

Pantelić M., Dolinaj D., Savić S., Stojanović V., Nađ I. (2012b): Statistical Analysis of Water Quality Parametres of Veliki Bački Canal (Vojvodina, Serbia) in the Period 2000-2009. Carpathian Journal of Earth and Environmental Sciences, 7 (2), 255-264.

Pimpunchat B., Sweatmanl. W., Wake C.G., Triampo W., Parshotam A., 2009. A mathematical model for pollution in a river and its remediation by aeration. Applied Mathematics Letters, 22 (3), 304-308.

Ren, W., Zhong, Y., Meligrana, L., Anderson, B., Watt, W.E., Chen, J., Leung, H.L. (2003): Urbanization, land use, and water quality in Shanghai 1947-1996. Environment International, 29 (5), 649–659.

Sim L. K., Balamurugan G. (1991): Urbanization and urban water problems in Southeast Asia a case of unsustainable development. Journal of Environmental Management, 32 (3), 195-209.

Turjančanin, V., Čekrlija Đ. (2006): Basic Statistical methods and techniques in SPSS – Application of SPSS in human sciences. Centar za kulturni i socijalni popravak, Banjaluka, 151 pp. [In Bosnian].

Wang T., Khim J. S., Chen C., Naile J.E., Lu Y., Kannan K., Park J., Luo W., Jiao W., Hu W., Giesy J.P. (2012): Perfluorinated compounds in surface waters from Northern China: Comparison to level of industrialization. Environment International, 42, 37-46.

Williams J., Lawson R. (2001): Community issues and resident opinions of tourism. Annals of Tourism Research, 28 (2), 269-290.

Xian, G., Crane, M., Junshan, S. (2007): An analysis of urban development and its environmental impact on the Tampa Bay watershed. Journal of Environmental Management, 85 (4), 965–976.

Zhang Y. N., Xiang Y.R., Chan L.Y., Chan C.Y., Sang X. F., Wang R., Fu H.X. (2011): Procuring the regional urbanization and industrialization effect on ozone pollution in Pearl River Delta of Guangdong, China. Atmospheric Environment, 45 (28), 4898-4906.


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.