GB No. 3, winter 1990/91
... is inhabited by about 3,5 million people. 70% of them live in harmful health conditions. There are constantly about one million inhabi- tants of this region in the zone of strong influence of cancerigenic substances. The intensity of tumour occurrence is higher by 34% here than on the average in Poland and of breathing system's diseases by 47% higher.
In Katowice province the emission of gases and dusts taken together according to official data amounted to 300 tons/km in 1985 with 21,5 tons/ km for the whole of Poland. 25% of dusts and 30% of gases emitted in our country arise in Upper Silesia. Zabrze is the town with the most polluted air. The concentration of 17 toxic substances reaches exceptionally high values. In Zabrze, Ruda ¦l±ska, Bytom, Chorzów and Trzebinia the fall of dusts exceeds 1000 tons/km yearly (the norm amounts to 250 tons/km ). In Szopienice the twenty four hours norm of lead in the air are exceeded even 1000 times. Only 15 by 227 factories admitted as strenuous for health have the equipment for reduction of gas pollution.
Only 19% of industrial sewage and 11% of communal one is cleared away. Eight big towns have no sewage treatment plant at all.
Intensive excavation of raw materials (mainly coal, zinc and lead cress, sand and building materials) leads to devastation of the earth's surface. Over 50% of environmentally strenuous industrial fall arises in Silesia.
The state of forests is awful. 80% of them are in danger of industrial emissions.
Andrzej Szelka