Problems of Heavy Metal Pollution in Hungary - “State-of-the-Art” -

Abstract

During the last 40 years the social and economic structure of Hungary has changed radically: rapid industrialization and urbanization, as well as the intensification of agricultural production were characteristic of this era. Both the sector and spatial structure of the society were transformed. Most of these rapid changes occurred without taking their environmental consequences into account. As a result, environmental pollution has become an increasingly stressing problem. The country’s hazardous waste load has increased in proportion with the expansion of heavy industry. Due to economic development and urbanization Hungary’s natural environment can be characterized by heavy industrialization, the growth of urban centers, the large-scale mechanization of agricultural production and the expansion of the transport and energy sectors. After the Second World War, Hungary expanded its industrial base at a rapid rate. The policy forcing industrialization (between 1950 and 1960) did not consider environmental aspects. During this period, industrial output grew 10% annually. The territorial distribution of industry was also altered. In pre-war Hungary nearly 60% of the industrial labor force was concentrated in the capital. By the end of the 1960s this rate decreased to 44%, dropping to 22% by 1986. This was due mainly to a centralized restructuring of the country’s industrial and manufacturing sectors. Modern Hungary is divided into industrial regions, which were created during the restructuring of the economy from 1950 to 1970.