| Abstrakt: |
Introduction and objective: Air pollution is a serious problem and a proven health risk factor, especially for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. In the context of "unpleasant odors" perceived in the environment, studies are valuable as they enable a detailed analysis of various factors associated with odor perception and of the subsequent physical reactions in some people. This study aims to present summarized data from a survey on the health risks of polluted air and industrial odors, as well as to provide recommendations based on these findings to help municipal and government institutions with future analyses aimed at resolving air quality issues. Materials and methods: The study employed survey, statistical, and analytical methods. An electronic survey was developed and distributed via social media to gather opinions from residents of Ruse regarding the city's air quality. The survey included 598 respondents, of whom 75.1% were women and 25.9% were men. Results: The survey indicated that 64% of the respondents felt that the air in September 2023 was much more polluted, and 26.8% found it more polluted. The most frequently noted odor was a "cocktail" of chemical smells (58.2%), along with "bakelite," "yeast and animal waste processing," "smoldering fires," "ink," and "petroleum products." The common physical symptoms reported by the respondents when exposed to these odors included throat irritation and coughing (50%), a sensation of suffocation (34.9%), headaches (28.8%), anxiety (20.2%), eye irritation (13.7%), dizziness (7.7%), and palpitations (6%), along with nausea, breathing difficulty and sleep disturbances. A majority of respondents (71.6%) felt that the health of Ruse residents was gradually deteriorating, with 10.5% reporting a sharp decline in their health. Conclusion: According to respondents, the institutions in Ruse are not just expected but demanded to do more to control potential polluters and address this longstanding issue. Citizens are not just calling but clamoring for effective measures: continuous monitoring, fines proportional to the company's annual turnover, and even the temporary or permanent closure of offending enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
