Contaminação química: Respostas das instituições responsáveis e ações das populações atingidas no Brasil e em Portugal

Abstract

Chemical contamination generates environmental pollution and health problems, among other direct and indirect impacts. This article focuses on two particular contaminated contexts in two countries: Brazil and Portugal. One case is Cidade dos Meninos, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a rural area, where there was industrial activity in the past and currently is a contaminated area. Another case study is Estarreja, city in the center of Portugal, an active chemical industry complex with past contamination by different toxics for health and present impacts of its activity. The article discusses the actions of the affected communities and the responses (and also the lack of response) of the institutions in charge of controlling and minimizing the effects of contamination in the local, regional and national levels. The analysis is based in an integrated approach relating processes usually separated into the domains of “environment,” “health,” “social,” “economics,” “politics” and “justice,” while maintaining close attention to the specificities of each case and context.