Contaminação por chumbo em Santo Amaro desafia décadas de pesquisas e a morosidade do poder público

Abstract

A contaminação por chumbo em Santo Amaro (BA) é estudada há quase 40 anos, desde as evidências encontradas no Rio Subaé e em amostras de sangue de trabalhadores da Companhia Brasileira de Chumbo (Cobrac), e de urina e cabelo de pescadores. A persistência da contaminação continua motivando novas pesquisas, mesmo após 20 anos do fechamento da Cobrac, o que evidencia a falta de políticas públicas para afastar o risco de contaminação da população exposta, principalmente crianças e mulheres adultas. Este artigo apresenta uma análise cronológica e crítica da produção científica sobre o caso, e discute a pouca participação das Ciências Sociais na discussão, assim como a necessidade de inclusão dos afetados, baseada na perspectiva da ampliação da comunidade de pares (FUNTOWICZ; RAVETZ, 1997). A partir da percepção de que as pesquisas não retornaram à comunidade (DI GIULIO, 2010), constatou-se em levantamento bibliográfico nas bibliotecas que apenas 6,45% da produção científica estavam disponíveis.

Segurança alimentar e nutricional e contaminação ambiental: tabu e estigma

“…Disbelief is alive in the population, due to the discontinuous comprehensive health care protocols actions, the complexity of issues that transcend the health sector and slow compliance with the recovery of contaminated areas 4,14 . While studies 4,14,28 identified the need to adopt procedures for risk governance and health surveillance of the population at risk, only income-generating social projects, donation of staples, few compensations and social housing programs for members of the Association of Victims of Contamination by Lead, Cadmium, Mercury and other chemical elements (AVICCA) 14 have been covered so far. However, it should be emphasized that there are no environmental recovery programs in the natural areas of shellfish production or food consumption studies of this population of shellfish gatherers and anglers identified at risk.…”

“…The carcinogenic effect was reported by Baxtel 2 and in the protocol of the State Health Secretariat 3 . Research [4][5][6][7] and official records 8 on this environmental tragedy that contaminated the location revealed lead, cadmium, copper and zinc concentrations at levels higher than the limits established by the World Health Organization (WHO).…”

“…This fear of talking about the subject leads to complete silence on the chemical contamination of the Subaé River, the tide and the mangrove. According to several studies [3][4][5]8 , this is one of the largest lead contaminations ever recorded in the country.…”

Soil Contamination by a Lead Smelter in Brazil in the View of the Local Residents

“…Until 2013, at least 110 items have been published: 36 articles, 40 technical reports, 5 Ph.D. theses, 15 MSc dissertations, 6 undergraduate monographies, and 8 others items [15]. …”

“…The initiative was firstly supported by the State Environmental Agency, with technical support of researchers from the School of Engineering of the Federal University of Bahia and from CETREL, the company responsible for water supplying, the treating and disposal of industrial debris, and the environmental monitoring of the Petrochemical Hub of Camaçari, State of Bahia [18]. In 2008, this proposal was refused by the State Environmental Council, reverting to a first approval by the State Environmental Agency after fierce political opposition from the representatives of the ecological movements [15]. …”