December 1, 1958
POLLUTION IN ATHENS: Atmospheric pollution in urban centers, particularly in the municipalities of Athens and Piraeus, is increasing on a daily basis, also raising the risks to public health and safety, mainly due to the dangerous gases emitted by factories and cars. For the moment, the risks from large-scale industrial pollution are not immediate, since we do not have any major industrial centers in this country. Yet the proximity of certain industries to Athens and Piraeus is becoming a problem due to the migration of people into the cities from the provinces, expanding the urban boundaries to the point where they are swallowing up the industrial areas. This is particularly evident in the areas between Moschato and Piraeus and in Amfiali, as well as in the districts around the port of Piraeus, which is also being polluted by toxic emissions from ships. The pollution is apparent from the smells and the reduction in visibility. The Supreme Health Council has decided to collect data and set up a laboratory to analyze the results. In Greece, the problem has not been investigated as in Yugoslavia and Italy, where it has been given serious attention for the past three years.
