And when or it seems bright, and the street is clean, the air can be full of dangerous particles. These are tiny particles that we cannot see, feel, or "smell", but they pass through the nose, enter deep into our lungs and can cause serious health consequences.
Pollution is not limited to a pile of garbage on the side of the road. There are also invisible pollutions, such as the smoke billowing from the factory chimney, the black river that stinks and distracts the eyes. Some of the most dangerous pollutions are precisely those that cannot be seen with the naked eye, cannot be smelled or heard. Nevertheless, they affect our health, the environment and the quality of life in general on a daily basis, even though we don't even notice them.
We often live right next to the problem without even seeing it, or we accept it as something "normal". It's like we get used to the discomfort and stop asking ourselves if it's right. These are invisible pollutions that we do not feel, see, or smell, but they silently and persistently threaten us. And nature, and ourselves.
SMOKE-FREE AIR POLLUTION
Even when the sky seems clear and the street clear, the air can be full of dangerous particles. These are tiny particles that we cannot see, feel, or "smell", but they pass through the nose, enter deep into our lungs and can cause serious health consequences. It is a misconception that only large factories are to blame for pollution. In reality, significant sources of these dangerous particles are: old fireplaces and coal-fired boiler rooms; cars, especially with diesel engines without the necessary filters; burning of plastics and tires (often in landfills); wood heating in dense settlements, especially when there is no wind.
In many settlements in Serbia, excessive concentrations of pollutants in the air have been recorded for years, but this is rarely talked about, and the reason is usually "because it is not visible". What cannot be seen is difficult to perceive as a problem, and it is even more difficult to find a solution. In accordance with the Air Protection Act, the Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for monitoring air quality in Serbia.
POLLUTED WATER
The tap water is clear, cold, odorless - everything seems fine. Unfortunately, most people do not know the quality of the water they drink - or they simply get used to drinking bottled water without asking "why". This indifference allows problems to go unsolved for years. In accordance with the Law on Water, the competent Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management can temporarily limit the right to use certain water, if due to natural phenomena, the provision of water quantities is called into question or its quality is threatened, as well as if the use of water results in its pollution and the endangering of aquatic and coastal ecosystems.
Groundwater pollution can occur as a result of: improper disposal of waste; leaks from septic tanks; excessive and irresponsible use of pesticides and fertilizers in agriculture.
The consequences are not immediately visible, but the pollution builds up for years before anyone does an investigation or speaks up. The Law on Agricultural Land provides for the testing of agricultural land and irrigation water in order to determine the amount of hazardous and harmful substances, according to the program adopted by the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management.
NOISE AND LIGHT POLLUTION
There is no smoke, no stench - but our heart rate increases every time a motorbike passes by. We can't sleep because the light from the advertisement is shining on our window all night. Or the neighbor's music vibrates through the walls. These are examples of pollution that we often do not recognize as such. Noise and light pollution are silent but serious sources of chronic stress and health problems: insomnia and chronic fatigue, concentration disorders in children, disturbed behavior of animals, especially birds that orient themselves using light. Unlike other forms of pollution, we often cannot "escape" from noise and light - they come through walls, windows, from the neighboring building, from the street. Noise and light pollution are invisible stress for humans and animals. From 2021, the Law on Protection from Noise in the Environment is in force in Serbia, which regulates subjects of environmental protection from noise; measures and conditions of noise protection in the environment; measurement of noise in the environment; access to noise information; supervision and other issues of importance for environmental protection and human health.
WHY INVISIBLE POLLUTION IS DANGEROUS
Because we do not recognize the mentioned invisible pollution as pollution. We don't see them as a threat, we don't report them, we don't look for solutions. Pollution that cannot be seen, does not leave a mark on the wardrobe, nor an odorous trace, becomes invisible even to our understanding. Because, until we realize that pollution is not only what leaves soot and dirt, we will not even try to solve it.
WHAT CAN WE DO??
We can get information and follow reports on the quality of air and water in our place; we can report suspected sources of pollution, even if there are no visible traces; we can ask the local government for measurements - for noise, water, light; we can not normalize discomforts such as noise and light; we can get involved in civic initiatives that deal with environmental protection.
To conclude: although something is not visible, it does not mean that it does not exist. But it doesn't have to be that way. The right to a healthy environment also includes what is not immediately visible. Because nature does not shout, but "suffers silently". And our task is to hear her and protect her - while we still can.
The author is a lawyer
