The role of Information and Computer Science when discussing major environmental issues is very significant, especially in the fast growing and technological world we live in today. This paper highlights the important environmental problems in need of immediate attention in the country of Hungary and one specific step taken by scientists with the aid of ICS to potentially help solve one of its most fundamental issues.
Hungary sits on the central eastern side of Europe and is bordered by Austria, Croatia, Romania, and Slovakia. Hungary is landlocked and divided in two lowland regions. The Balatan Lake, Hungary’s largest body of water, is drained by the Sió River which then drains into the Danube River. The Danube River crosses over both regions and is Hungary’s largest river.
The environmental issues in Hungary, including climate change and endangered species, affect these large waters and are also affected by them. Soil pollution, air pollution, and water pollution are the three biggest and pressing issues currently receiving the most attention by Hungarian officials in the European Union (EU) (Land, Resources, and Environmental Issues). In Hungary’s history, rapid industrialization beginning in the late 1800’s and into the turn of the century is what scholars believe to be one of the main attributes to these environmental threats. Unfortunately, factors such as poor industrial practices, poor agricultural practices, and lack of an affective waste management system are said by environmentalists to be adding to these serious issues, threatening the livelihood of the Hungarian people and those surrounding them. Acid rain, run-off, soil erosion and desertification are but some consequences of the growing concerns for the EU.
Currently, the main contributors to Hungary’s air pollution are car emissions and electric power plants. They emit dangerous amounts of sulfur-dioxide into the air by burning high-sulfur coals, diesel, and other sulfur-containing fuels. Sulfur-dioxide is especially toxic to people with asthma and to small children (Cars, Trucks, & Air Pollution). Emissions from power plants and cars tend to rise very high into the atmosphere and dissolve easily into the water in it, forming acid rain (What Causes Acid Rain). Sulfur-dioxide is also very light and can travel in the air, as it does in Hungary and to as well as from its neighboring countries.
Additionally, soil pollution is also a major issue. One contributor is hypothesized to be poor agricultural techniques practiced by many farmers along with the obvious contributor, namely industrial waste. In reference to agricultural practices, four specific pesticides are commonly used and contribute most to run-off and soil pollution: Atrazine, Acetolchlor, Propizochlor, and Chlopyrifos (Ferenczi 211). These chemicals which are applied to pure and otherwise fertile soils seep into the earth and into the groundwater, also affecting the water pollution. Run-off occurs as a result of acid rain and deforestation eroding the soils, affecting the lands around the bodies of water the most. The polluted soil then runs into the various water sources. The connection between air and soil pollution then contributes to the very dangerous water pollution issue.
Perhaps the most important environmental issue addressed by Hungarian officials and felt across the country is water pollution. The causes and effects of the other two issues relates to the problem with water. Water pollution is more difficult to fix because it requires more time and proper care. Moreover, it cannot be fixed unless the soil is cleansed and the air is detoxified. The Balatan Lake is the largest lake in the Eastern European region and is a very popular tourist destination. But Lake Balatan is also very heavily polluted. Because it is indirectly drained by the Danube River, which not only crosses through Hungary but many other countries, the river flow brings in polluted soil run-off and polluted water from those surrounding countries as well. Run-off is only a minor cause of soil and water pollution as a result of agricultural pesticides and is a bit more prominent in careless industrial waste disposal but as simulated in the experiment documented by Judit Ferenczi, simulating farm run-off, a heavy amount of rain water can cause commonly used pesticides to seep into one of Hungary’s most crucial water supply, the Balatan lake (211). Furthermore, industrial plants are continually releasing toxic chemicals into the air, polluting the moisture in the atmosphere. Acid rain then falls onto and destroys the forests and soil. The rivers running through Hungary’s lands carry these polluted soils and waters, spreading the pollution across the country (Land, Resources, and Environmental Issues). This makes the water unusable and threatens the water supply presently sustaining the population. Currently, sewage treatment is not optimal and is another major cause of pollution in the water. The Hungarian government has implemented treatises to try to improve sewage treatment specific to the pollutants infecting their major water sources (Ferenczi 220). In this sense, since Hungary is a landlocked country, the health of the water supply carried by their lakes and rivers is obviously the main concern. However, as mentioned before, these major rivers and lakes are heavily polluted and remain so with the help of the other issues (air and soil pollution) and if left untreated can devastate the lives of the many people reliant on them. This is why one might see water pollution in Hungary as the most important issue the EU must focus on and try to find a solution to in the coming years.
Most assuredly, the people of Hungary understand just how devastating water pollution can be since, in at time of unmanageable waste was being produced by industries, some 773 villages and towns were without a clean water supply (Hungary – Environmental Issues). Sewage treatment in water supply of smaller villages is the most problematic situation and needs to be addressed before it becomes untreatable all together (Szekely, abstract). This is a very widely known issue that many scientists and environmentalists have conducted simulations and experiments to determine the levels of toxicity in the untreated and treated water supplies. Also, many scientists have concerned themselves with trying to find the best method of treating the sewage-infested and polluted waters. One experiment suggests that, if best conditions apply and if it is at all possible, the capabilities of the natural biological breakdown of sewage should be encouraged. One would do this mostly by maintaining the natural processes and planting uliginal plants that would help cleanse the waters (Szekely, 94). The problem with this, however, is that it is a short-term solution and considers fairly non-toxic everyday sewage, not chemically polluted waters by industries. Industries account for much of the sewage and chemical pollution of the waters and were only beginning to be regulated in the late 1980s and early 1900s and when Hungary joined the EU in 2000s. Prior to this, Hungary had practiced poor industrial protocol and had been producing, and importing from other countries for money, about 5 million tons of toxic waste (Hungary – Environmental Issues). Industrial sewage waste consists mainly of rubber, iron, and paper wastes. Sulfur-dioxide produced by industry emissions account for the major chemical pollutant in the water system (Hungary – Environmental Issues). With this in mind, scientists have tried to find ways to regulate and treat the chemical waste and sewage produced by these industries.
As a result, scientists have made this issue and important topic of experiments and papers in order to help aid one another in finding a viable and permanent solution. Consequently, during their experiments these scientists not only experiment with the conditions of the problems, they experiment with IT to better their own research as well. One example of the methods used to determine the best approach to this problem is an ecotoxicological-based experiment done by Andrea Torokne and Karoly Toro. Their goal was to measure the impact of toxins in certain areas. Their experiment began by first collecting fifteen samples from three known sewage-affected rivers and brooks. They tested the sludge for toxins and proceeded to test the sewage on two different larvae. The importance of their experiment is the different methodologies used throughout the process. Ecological indicators, bioassays, and biosensors were the most significant types of methods used, along with various methods to keep track of their calculations (505). Whereas, ecological indicators and bioassays are more observational-based and do not require as much science-based knowledge, biosensors are most useful in the amount of information they provide to the scientist for interpretation. They can affectively measure and analyze biological and chemical elements in organisms in ways that make it easy for scientists to assess. In turn, this technological addition to their method affects the speed at which the data can be collected and interpreted. Torokne and Toro used these methods to measure the health impact on both of their distinct organisms and found one was more affected by chemical and sewage waste than the other, which correlates with the findings of other scientists that involved these organisms and this amount of toxicity. Their results also yielded an important fact that, in order to receive the best knowledge of the environmental issues affecting an area, one must combine observations and forms of technological devices to ensure and support one another’s findings. Using both observational techniques and biosensors, Torokne and Toro were able to assess the levels of toxic sludge in the areas they collected from and concluded that, in the amount currently present in the rivers and brooks, the sewage and chemical pollutants were very harmful to the health of the two organisms used. Their findings and methods can also be used in future experiments to not only successfully reach a conclusion but do so more effectively with highly anticipated stable and accurate results. A combination of methodology and technology have been an important and trusted way of conducting experiments and has proven to be yielding very strong results for Hungarian scientists to present to officials and implement new laws, standards, and goals expected to be met in the near future.
As a result of widespread knowledge and outrage over the polluted waters, soils, and air, the Hungarian government has taken steps to recover from these harmful environmental issues. Funding for these experiments is undoubtedly expensive in itself, but to implement regulations is arguably even more economically impactful. These experiment and results are very costly and can make people stray away from living more eco-friendly lives. However, living in such a chemically polluted area, one must consider if one could really put a price on the health of their families and the health of their home.