SOCIO-ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF RESIDENT POPULATION IN THE SURROUNDINGS OF A STEEL ENTERPRISE

Abstract

Industrialization provided new production modes, including the steel industry, enabling the evolution of the world, as it is known today; nevertheless, it has caused negative impacts to the environment and the quality of life of populations. The objective of this research was to verify the socioenvironmental impact from the perspective of the residents of the surroundings of a steel enterprise in a municipality in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul (Brazil), particularly in a region known as the Pantanal Portal. The research uses quantitative and qualitative, descriptive and exploratory approach as well as a survey. The residents of the same neighborhood where the steel enterprise is located were interviewed with predominantly closed questions whose data were mostly analyzed with the descriptive analysis by frequency. The main socio-environmental impacts are noise and air pollution, damage to health, and contamination of soil and water. The study presents suggestions for the enterprise and for future research, such as the clinical verification of the residents’ health and laboratory analysis of the soil.