SOCIO-ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE: CASE STUDY OF DISEASES IN RESPIRATORY HEALTH OF POPULATIONS NEAR BLENDEIRAS DE MAGÉ

Abstract

Socio-environmental injustice occurs when the largest share of environmental damage from development goes to low-income, marginalized and vulnerable populations and discriminated racial groups. In Magé, in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro, the blending units – a space where different residues are mixed for later burning in cement manufacturing ovens – are located in areas of social vulnerability, where a population with low education and income, with little or no access to basic services and very low mobilization. The research aimed to identify the socio-environmental injustice suffered by the populations neighboring the blending units in the municipality of Magé in the State of Rio de Janeiro, since they are forced to live with the atmospheric pollution arising from the activity mentioned above. For this, air quality data provided by INEA, data on hospitalizations for respiratory diseases, provided by the DATASUS website and application of the British Medical Research Council Respiratory Symptoms questionnaire were collected to extract socioeconomic data from the population and other information about health. The results showed the existence of constant atmospheric pollution and health problems for workers and the populations living near these facilities and, at the same time, the consent of the public authorities for such degradation, justifying the existence of sacrifice zones in favor of development. economic.