1. Pollution and ecological problems humanity. Types of pollution and their distribution. Ways to solve environmental problems of humanity.

2. Agriculture. Composition, features of development in developed and developing countries. Agriculture and the environment.

3. Drawing up a comparative description of two industrial regions (at the teacher’s choice).

1. Environmental pollution and environmental problems of humanity. Types of pollution and their distribution. Ways to solve environmental problems of humanity.

Environmental pollution is an undesirable change in its properties, which leads or may lead to harmful effects on humans or natural systems. It suppresses nature’s ability to self-restore its properties.

An environmental problem is a problem of the relationship between society and nature, conservation of the environment.

The pressure on nature increased especially sharply in the second half of the 20th century.

Types of pollution:

1) chemical (release of harmful substances and compounds into the environment);

2) radioactive;

3) thermal (uncontrolled release of heat into environment);

4) noise.

Most environmental pollution is caused by human activities, but there are also emissions from natural phenomena.

Since the Earth is a single natural complex, all shells of the planet (lithosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere) are subject to pollution.

In the lithosphere (as well as soil cover): millions of hectares of disturbed land are formed during construction and mining.

For your information: the so-called badlands (“bad lands”), which have completely or almost completely lost their productivity, occupy 1% of the land surface.

Another cause of pollution is industrial and agricultural waste (metals and their compounds, radioactive substances), household waste etc.

For your information: already in 1970, the mass of waste amounted to 40 billion tons, and by the end of the 20th century - up to 100 billion tons. Particularly dangerous is the entry into nature of unknown substances and compounds created by the chemical industry.

In the hydrosphere: pollution occurs primarily as a result of the discharge of industrial, agricultural and domestic wastewater into rivers, lakes and seas.

For your information: by the beginning of the 90s. the total global volume of wastewater exceeded 1 thousand cubic meters per year, or 5% of the Earth’s “water ration”. But since diluting these waters to acceptable concentrations requires an average of 10 times more clean water, they actually pollute 10 thousand cubic meters of wastewater.

According to scientists' calculations, in beginning of XXI century, diluting wastewater may require 20-25 thousand cubic meters of fresh water or almost all the actually available resources of such flow!

Some of the most polluted rivers are: Rhine, Danube, Seine, Tiber, Mississippi, Ohio, Volga, Dnieper, Don, Dniester, Nile, Ganges, etc.

Accordingly, pollution of the World Ocean is growing.

For your information: every year up to 100 million tons of various substances enter the World Ocean.

The most polluted: Mediterranean, Northern, Irish, Baltic, Black, Azov, Japanese, Caribbean Sea, as well as the following bays: Biscay, Persian, Mexican and Guinea.

For your information: as a result of oil leakage during its production, transportation and processing, up to 16 million tons of oil and oil products enter the World Ocean annually; about 1/3 of the Ocean's surface is covered with an oily film, which reduces evaporation, inhibits the development of plankton, etc.

In the atmosphere: pollution occurs as a result of industry, transport, and heating plants.

The main air pollutants: carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO4), oxides of sulfur, nitrogen, phosphorus, lead, mercury, aluminum, etc.

For your information:

· as a result of acid rain only in the USA and Western Europe More than 30 million forests were destroyed, half of the forest vegetation in Germany was affected.

· due to the imbalance of CO2 in nature, the threat of the so-called greenhouse effect (climate warming, melting glaciers, rising sea levels) has arisen.

· destruction of the ozone layer, as a consequence of the sharply increased production and use of freons (chlorofluorocarbons) in refrigeration units, in the form of aerosols, etc.

In the biosphere: pollution occurs as a result of the destruction of the Earth's biological resources.

For your information: the world's forest area decreases annually by at least 25 million hectares or 0.6%. World timber harvesting should reach 5 billion tons by the beginning of the 21st century. This means that its annual forest growth will actually be completely used.

As a result of growing environmental pollution, many environmental problems arise, both at the local and regional levels, and at the global level.

Ways to solve environmental problems:

1st way: consists in the creation of various types of treatment facilities, in the use of low-sulfur fuel, in the destruction and processing of garbage, in the construction of chimneys with a height of 200-300 meters or more, in the reclamation of disturbed lands, etc.

2nd way: consists in the development and application of a fundamentally new environmental (clean) technology of enterprises, in the transition to low-waste and waste-free production.

3rd way: consists in a thoughtful, rational placement of “dirty” industries (chemical and petrochemical, ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, etc.).

In our time, the actions of individual countries are not enough to implement environmental policy. The efforts of the entire world community, which is coordinated by the UN (there is a special body in its system - the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)), are needed.

2. Agriculture. Composition, features of development in developed and developing countries. Agriculture and the environment.

Agriculture is the second leading branch of material production; one of the most ancient spheres of human activity.

Today it employs about half of the entire amateur population of the world.

Agriculture includes 2 sectors: crop production and livestock production.

Crop farming: its main industry is grain farming (growing wheat, rice, corn, barley, millet). Industrial crops include those that are used as raw materials for industry.

The main industrial crops: oilseeds (soybeans, peanuts, olives, sunflowers), sugar-bearing crops (sugar beets and cane), tonic crops (tea, coffee, cocoa), a source of natural rubber (hevea), fiber crops (cotton, flax).

Livestock: The main industries are livestock (cattle), pig, sheep and poultry.

Agriculture in developed countries is characterized by:

1) a small number of residents employed in this area (in Western Europe - 9%, in the USA - 7%, in Canada - 6%);

2) the predominance of high-intensity commercial agriculture;

3) the predominance of livestock products over crop production in conditions of widespread use of agricultural technology and the latest scientific achievements;

4) most of the land fund is concentrated in the hands of large landowners and the state.

Agriculture in developing countries has the following features:

1) a large number of employed people - up to 70-80%;

2) the predominance of traditional consumer agriculture, which lags far behind in terms of mechanization, chemicalization and selection;

3) predominance of crop products (except for countries with arid climates);

4) part of the land fund is concentrated in the hands of large landowners, part belongs to small producers, and sometimes to the community.

Agriculture and Environment:

1) the emergence of field and pasture anthropogenic landscapes;

2) plowing land and clearing forests;

3) environmental pollution with pesticides, fertilizers, etc.;

4) deterioration of soil structure due to the use of heavy equipment;

5) expansion of land erosion due to improper plowing of fields, etc.

3. Drawing up a comparative description of two industrial regions (at the teacher’s choice).

Let's compare 2 industrial regions: North and South of Italy.

Firstly: using the “Foreign Europe” map, we characterize the geographical location of the regions and name the industrial centers included in them:

· located in northern Italy;

· borders with France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia;

· washed by the Ligurian and Adriatic seas;

· industrial centers: Milan, Turin, Genoa, Florence, Venice.

· located in the south of the Apennine Peninsula, Italy;

· washed by the Tyrrhenian, Ionian, Adriatic, Mediterranean seas;

· industrial centers: Naples, Palermo, Taranto, Catania.

Secondly: we establish the leading sectors of the economy:

· ferrous metallurgy;

· electrical industry;

· automotive industry;

· shipbuilding;

· chemical;

· textile;

· food;

· electric power industry.

· ferrous metallurgy;

· mechanical engineering and metalworking;

· oil refining;

· chemical;

· textile;

· food.

Thirdly: we highlight industries that have developed in both regions, and industries that are present only in one of them:

General industries: ferrous metallurgy, mechanical engineering and metalworking, chemical, textile, food;

Characteristic only for the North of Italy: electrical engineering, automotive, shipbuilding, electrical power;

Peculiar only to the South: oil refining.

Fourth: based on the prevailing industries, we determine which group each district belongs to:

North: highly developed: a full range of industries, the presence of an “avant-garde troika” of industries - new branches of mechanical engineering, organic synthesis chemistry, energy.

South: depressed: the range of industries is narrower, the predominance of “old industries” (metallurgy, textiles, etc.).

As a result of the above, we draw a general conclusion:

The north of Italy is a highly developed region of the country. This is explained by the old industrial development of the area, proximity to the leading industrial powers of Europe, and the abundance of land and sea routes.

The south of Italy is a depressed region of the country. This can be explained by the fact that it is somewhat distant from the developed countries of Europe (peripheral position); there has been little industrial development here throughout history; most of the population is employed in agriculture; the sparseness of land roads is higher compared to the North, etc.

To answer the 3rd question in this ticket, it is better to use a country that has a sufficient extent in its area to redistribute economic sectors, which is usually associated with both external and internal factors of development in the course of history.

Ticket number 13

Environmental pollution problems

Introduction

In recent years, we have often heard and used the word “ecology,” but it can hardly be assumed that everyone understands the same thing by it. Even experts argue about what meaning should be put into this concept. The term “ecology” (from the Greek “oikos” - house, habitat, and “logos” - science). This concept, quite narrow, was later expanded; for some time, ecology developed as one of the biological sciences, which studies not individual organisms, but the structure and functioning of biological systems - populations, species, communities - and their interactions with each other and with the environment.

But now the concept of “ecology” has already gone far beyond what was put into it. Now this is an independent science about the environment (its interactions with living organisms and, above all, with people). Modern ecology puts human interaction with ecological systems and the entire environment at the forefront of its interests.

In recent years, we have begun to realize the unity and finitude of the entire environment, the responsibility of humanity for its own destiny, the fate of the entire planet. While, in addition to naturally increasing environmental problems, people continue to create more and more new difficulties that will inevitably have to be overcome, spending great effort and money. All environmental problems can be attributed to two main factors connected with each other: climate change and environmental change.

Climate change, whether natural or caused by human activity, occurs relatively slowly, covers vast regions and can therefore represent serious problem for humanity. The increase in pollution is turning into a danger for all humanity.

The very fact of the appearance and spread of man on Earth is called one of the largest environmental disasters. This event caused environmental consequences. Never - in millions, billions of years - has any species had such a distribution. It was then that a hitherto insoluble contradiction arose between the catastrophically rapidly developing biological consumer species natural resources and the natural environment itself - between man and the nature that gave birth to him.

Evidence of the barbaric destruction of forests comes from not even that long ago - which is especially valuable.

The main problem of nature in the development of technogenic civilization, among the first environmental disasters, is the consequences of such a clean and harmless activity as the most ordinary hunting. It is precisely the result of the predatory extermination of entire species of animals (archaeologists find giant accumulations of animal bones at the sites of former hunting victories), as well as the human impact on natural complexes in general, that in many regions of the world the preconditions have been created for a crisis in the hunting industry, appropriating natural biological resources practically without their conscious renewal.

And although the previous level of economic development has been maintained, the exploitation of natural resources biological resources caused consistent degradation of the surrounding landscapes, a decrease or qualitative deterioration of the biological resources used. The destructive impact of man on the environment stimulated the development of civilization - in search of new resources, humanity gradually moved from an appropriating economy to a producing one. Created by primitive methods, the new natural environment is extremely fragile, quickly depletes the soil and is unviable in normal conditions(being abandoned by a person after exhaustion). Burning vegetation, loosening the surface of the earth in combination with the destruction of trees and bushes causes significant damage to the soil.

The need for access to natural resources, complicated, among other things, by human activities that destroy nature. Humanity has passed along with its natural environment side by side through tens, hundreds of millennia - fighting with the world for existence and creating for itself only more and more new problems through victories in this struggle.

Over the past millennia, civilization and technology have made a noticeable leap in their development. The appearance of human settlements has changed, the languages ​​of antiquity have sunk into oblivion, appearance“Homo sapiens” has changed beyond recognition. But one thing in human life has remained unchanged: everything that civilization is capable of collecting in its barns is stored behind the high fences of special bases. And the entire rhythm of human life, both in past eras and today, was determined by one thing - the possibility of access to certain natural resources. Over the years of such coexistence, natural resource reserves have noticeably decreased. True, nature itself took care to provide man, the eternal dependent, with an almost inexhaustible resource base.

Atmospheric air is the most important life-supporting natural environment and is a mixture of gases and aerosols of the surface layer of the atmosphere, which developed during the evolution of the Earth, human activity and is located outside residential, industrial and other premises. results environmental research, both in Russia and abroad, clearly indicate that the pollution of the surface atmosphere is the most powerful, constantly active factor impacts on humans, the food chain and the environment. Atmospheric air has unlimited capacity and plays the role of the most mobile, chemically aggressive and pervasive interaction near the surface of the components of the biosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere. In recent years, data have been obtained on the significant role of the ozone layer of the atmosphere in preserving the biosphere, which absorbs ultraviolet radiation from the Sun, which is harmful to living organisms, and forms a thermal barrier at altitudes of about 40 km, preventing the cooling of the earth's surface. The air in homes and work areas has great importance due to the fact that a person spends a significant part of his time here.

The atmosphere has an intense impact not only on humans, but also on the hydrosphere, soil and vegetation cover, geological environment, buildings, structures and other man-made objects. Therefore, the protection of atmospheric air and the ozone layer is the most main problem ecology and it is given close attention in all developed countries. The polluted ground atmosphere causes cancer of the lungs, throat and skin, disorders of the central nervous system, allergic and respiratory diseases, defects in newborns and many other diseases, the list of which is determined by the pollutants present in the air and their combined effect on the human body. The results of special studies carried out in Russia and abroad have shown that there is a close connection between the health of the population and the quality of atmospheric air.

The main effects of the atmosphere on the hydrosphere are precipitation in the form of rain and snow, in to a lesser extent smog, fog. Surface and underground waters of land are mainly fed by the atmosphere; as a result, their chemical composition depends mainly on the state of the atmosphere. According to ecological-geochemical scale data, melt (snow) water of the Russian Plain, in comparison with surface and groundwater in many areas, is noticeably (several times) enriched in mercury, lead, tungsten, beryllium, chromium, nickel, and manganese. This is especially clear in relation to groundwater. Siberian ecologists-geochemists have identified enrichment of mercury in snow waters compared to surface waters in the Katun basin where the mercury ore zone Gorny Altai. Calculation of the balance of the amount of heavy metals in the snow cover showed that most of them are dissolved in snow water, i.e. are in a migratory and mobile form, capable of quickly penetrating surface and underground waters, the food chain and the human body.

The negative impact of a polluted atmosphere on soil and vegetation cover is associated both with the deposition of acidic atmospheric precipitation leaching calcium and microelements from soils, and with disruption of photosynthesis processes, leading to a slowdown in plant growth and death. The high sensitivity of trees (especially birch and oak) to air pollution has been identified for a long time. Acid precipitation is now considered as a powerful factor not only in the weathering of rocks and the deterioration of the quality of load-bearing soils, but also in the chemical destruction of man-made objects, including cultural monuments and ground communication lines. Many economically developed countries are currently implementing programs to address the problem of acid precipitation. As part of the National Program for Assessing the Impact of Acid Precipitation, approved in 1980. Many US federal agencies have begun to fund research into the atmospheric processes that cause acid rain to assess the impact on the ecosystem and develop appropriate environmental measures. It turned out that acid rain has a multifaceted effect on the environment and is the result of self-purification of the atmosphere.

The processes and sources of pollution of the surface atmosphere are numerous and varied. Based on their origin, they are divided into anthropogenic and natural. Hazardous processes include combustion of fuel and waste, nuclear reactions upon receipt atomic energy, tests nuclear weapons, metallurgy and hot metal working, various chemical production, including processing of oil and gas, coal. During fuel combustion processes, the most intense pollution of the surface layer of the atmosphere occurs in megacities and major cities, industrial centers with a wide distribution of vehicles, thermal power plants, boiler houses and other power plants running on coal, fuel oil, diesel fuel, natural gas and gasoline. The contribution of motor transport to total air pollution here reaches 40-50%. A powerful and extremely dangerous factor in air pollution are disasters at nuclear power plants (Chernobyl accident) and testing of nuclear weapons in the atmosphere.

The high danger of chemical and biochemical production lies in the possibility of emergency releases into the atmosphere of extremely toxic substances, as well as microbes and viruses, which can cause epidemics among the population and animals. There are currently many tens of thousands of pollutants in the atmosphere. With the continued growth of industrial and agricultural production, new chemical compounds, including highly toxic ones. The main natural process of air pollution is the volcanic activity of the Earth. Special studies have established that the flow of pollutants occurs not only in areas of modern volcanic activity, but also in such stable geological structures as the Russian Platform. Large volcanic eruptions lead to global and long-term atmospheric pollution, as evidenced by chronicles and modern observational data (the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines in 1991). This is due to the fact that huge amounts of gases are instantly released into the high layers of the atmosphere, which are picked up at high altitudes by moving air currents and quickly spread throughout the globe. The duration of the polluted state of the atmosphere after large volcanic eruptions reaches several years.

The atmosphere is now viewed as a huge chemical cauldron, which is under the influence of numerous and variable anthropogenic and natural factors. The toxic values chemical substances and other standard indicators of air quality are given in many reference books and manuals. For Europe, in addition to the toxicity of pollutants, their prevalence and the ability of the human body in the food chain are taken into account. There are few air monitoring posts and they do not allow assessing its condition in large industrial centers.

Government Russian Federation A draft law on atmospheric air protection has been developed and is currently being discussed. Improving air quality in Russia is of great socio-economic importance. This is due to many reasons and, above all, the unfavorable state of the air basin of megacities, major cities and industrial centers, where the bulk of the working-age population lives.

Water is one of the most important life-supporting natural environments formed as a result of the evolution of the Earth. She happens to be integral part biosphere and has a number of anomalous properties that affect the physical, chemical and biological processes occurring in ecosystems. In addition, water is characterized by an increased migration ability, which is important for its interaction with adjacent natural environments. Due to the continuously increasing pollution of surface waters, groundwater is becoming practically the only source of household and drinking water supply for the population. Therefore, their protection from pollution and depletion and rational use are of strategic importance.

Pollution danger groundwater is that the underground hydrosphere is the ultimate reservoir for the accumulation of pollutants of both surface and deep origin. Pollution of drainless water bodies on land is long-term, and in many cases irreversible. Of particular danger is contamination of drinking water by microorganisms, which can cause outbreaks of various epidemic diseases among the population and animals. Human exposure to water with high concentrations of heavy metals and radionuclides is shown in the sections devoted to these environmental pollutants.

The most important processes of water pollution are runoff from industrial and agricultural areas. On continents, the greatest impact is on the upper aquifers (ground and pressure), which are used for domestic and drinking water supply. Oil pipeline accidents can be a significant factor in the sharp deterioration of the environmental situation. There has been a tendency for these accidents to increase in the last decade. On the territory of the Russian Federation, the problem of pollution of surface and groundwater with nitrogen compounds is becoming increasingly urgent.

As you know, land currently makes up 1/6 of the planet, the part of the planet where humans live. . Soil protection for humans is one of most important tasks humans, since any harmful compounds found in the soil sooner or later enter the human body. There is a constant leaching of contaminants into open water bodies and groundwater, which can be used by humans for drinking and other needs. These contaminants from soil moisture, groundwater and open water bodies enter the bodies of animals and plants that consume this water, and then enter the human body through food chains. Many compounds harmful to the human body have the ability to mutate in tissues, and, above all, in bones. If we generalize and highlight the main thing, then the following picture of soil pollution is observed: garbage, emissions, sediment; heavy metals; radioactive substances.

Solid household waste(MSW) is extremely dangerous and diverse in composition: food residues, paper, scrap metal, rubber, glass, wood, fabric, synthetic and other substances. Food leftovers attract birds, rodents, and large animals, whose corpses are a source of bacteria and viruses. Precipitation, solar radiation and heat generation in connection with surface, underground fires, fires, contribute to biochemical processes, the products of which are numerous toxic chemical compounds in liquid, solid and gaseous states.

Wastewater is no less dangerous. Despite the construction of treatment facilities and other measures, reducing the negative impact on the environment is important issue all urbanized areas. A particular danger in this case is associated with bacterial contamination of the habitat and the possibility of outbreaks of various epidemic diseases. A comprehensive, comprehensive assessment of all parameters of the impact of waste on all life-supporting natural environments is necessary, allowing us to elucidate the ways and mechanisms of penetration of pollutants into the food chain and the human body.

Not each of the global problems discussed has its own options for partial or more complete solution, . In addition, over the last century, humanity has developed a number of ways to combat its own shortcomings. Among such methods ( possible ways The solution to the problem can be attributed to the emergence and activities of various kinds of “green” movements and organizations. Wildlife Foundation, for example. All environmental organizations exist in one of the forms: public, private state or mixed type organizations.

In addition to various types of associations that defend civilization’s rights to the nature it is gradually destroying, there are a number of state or public environmental initiatives in the sphere of solving environmental problems. There are national and even regional “Red Books”. Among the most important ways to solve environmental problems are also the introduction of environmentally friendly, low- and waste-free technologies, the construction of treatment facilities, the rational location of production and the use of natural resources. This is proven by the entire course of human history - the most important direction for solving the environmental problems facing civilization is the increase in human ecological culture, serious environmental education and upbringing, everything that eradicates the main environmental conflict - the conflict between the savage consumer and the rational inhabitant of the fragile world that exists in human consciousness.

Thus, if we talk about environmental rehabilitation, meaning the systematic processing of waste (primarily especially hazardous), then costs of tens and hundreds of billions of dollars will be required

Conclusion

In this work, I examined the main environmental problems and came to the conclusion that the global environmental crisis has already gone so far that its catastrophic consequences are almost inevitable, and we can only talk about mitigating them. Mitigation can only be achieved if there are highly educated people in the world who understand the essence of the problem and are able to influence public opinion.

Shchuchyeva N.A.

Bibliography

1. Lavrov S.B., Global problems modernity: parts 1, part 2. – St. Petersburg, 1993.

2. Voznyak V.Ya., Faitelman N.G., Arbatov A.A. et al., Ecological improvement of the economy., M., Nauka, 1994.

3. Danilov-Danilyan V.I., Ecology, nature conservation and environmental safety. MNEPU, 1997

4. Korableva A.I. Assessment of pollution of aquatic ecosystems with heavy metals / Water resources. 1991.

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If we consider environmental problems, one of the most pressing is air pollution. Environmentalists are sounding the alarm and calling on humanity to reconsider its attitude to life and consumption of natural resources, because only protection from air pollution will improve the situation and prevent serious consequences. Find out how to solve such a pressing issue, influence the environmental situation and preserve the atmosphere.

Natural sources of clogging

What is air pollution? IN this concept includes the introduction and entry into the atmosphere and all its layers of uncharacteristic elements of a physical, biological or chemical nature, as well as changes in their concentrations.

What pollutes our air? Air pollution is caused by many reasons, and all sources can be divided into natural or natural, as well as artificial, that is, anthropogenic.

It’s worth starting with the first group, which includes pollutants generated by nature itself:

1. The first source is volcanoes. When they erupt, they emit huge quantities of tiny particles of various rocks, ash, poisonous gases, sulfur oxides and other equally harmful substances. And although eruptions occur quite rarely, according to statistics, as a result of volcanic activity, the level of air pollution increases significantly, because up to 40 million tons of hazardous compounds are released into the atmosphere every year.
2. If we consider natural causes of air pollution, then it is worth noting such as peat or forest fires. Most often, fires occur due to unintentional arson by a person who is negligent about the rules of safety and behavior in the forest. Even a small spark from a fire that is not completely extinguished can cause the fire to spread. Less often, fires are caused by very high solar activity, which is why the peak of danger occurs in the hot summer.
3. Considering the main types of natural pollutants, one cannot fail to mention dust storms, which arise due to strong gusts of wind and mixing of air currents. During a hurricane or other natural phenomenon Tons of dust rise, causing air pollution.

Artificial sources

Air pollution in Russia and other developed countries is often caused by anthropogenic factors caused by the activities that people carry out.

Let us list the main artificial sources causing air pollution:

• Rapid development of industry. It’s worth starting with chemical air pollution caused by the activities of chemical plants. Toxic substances released into the air poison it. Metallurgical plants also cause atmospheric air pollution with harmful substances: metal processing is a complex process that involves huge emissions as a result of heating and combustion. In addition, small solid particles formed during the manufacture of building or finishing materials also pollute the air.
• The problem of air pollution from motor vehicles is especially pressing. Although other types also provoke, it is cars that have the most significant negative impact on it, since there are many more of them than any other vehicles. The exhaust emitted by motor vehicles and generated during engine operation contains a lot of substances, including hazardous ones. It's sad that emissions are increasing every year. An increasing number of people are acquiring an “iron horse”, which, of course, has a detrimental effect on the environment.
• Operation of thermal and nuclear power plants, boiler installations. The life of humanity at this stage is impossible without the use of such installations. They supply us with vital resources: heat, electricity, hot water. But when any type of fuel is burned, the atmosphere changes.
• Household waste. Every year the purchasing power of people increases, and as a result, the volumes of waste generated also increase. Their disposal is not given due attention, but some types of waste are extremely dangerous, have a long decomposition period and emit fumes that have an extremely adverse effect on the atmosphere. Every person pollutes the air every day, but waste from industrial enterprises, which is taken to landfills and is not disposed of in any way, is much more dangerous.

What substances most often pollute the air?

There are an incredibly large number of air pollutants, and environmentalists are constantly discovering new ones, which is associated with the rapid pace of industrial development and the introduction of new production and processing technologies. But the most common compounds found in the atmosphere are:

• Carbon monoxide, also called carbon monoxide. It is colorless and odorless and is formed during incomplete combustion of fuel at low volumes of oxygen and low temperatures. This compound is dangerous and causes death due to lack of oxygen.
• Carbon dioxide is found in the atmosphere and has a slightly sour odor.
• Sulfur dioxide is released during the combustion of some sulfur-containing fuels. This compound provokes acid rain and depresses human breathing.
• Nitrogen dioxides and oxides characterize air pollution from industrial enterprises, since they are most often formed during their activities, especially during the production of certain fertilizers, dyes and acids. These substances can also be released as a result of fuel combustion or during operation of the machine, especially when it is malfunctioning.
• Hydrocarbons are one of the most common substances and can be contained in solvents, detergents, and petroleum products.
• Lead is also harmful and is used to make batteries, cartridges and ammunition.
• Ozone is extremely toxic and is formed during photochemical processes or during the operation of transport and factories.

Now you know which substances pollute the air most often. But this is only a small part of them; the atmosphere contains a lot of different compounds, and some of them are even unknown to scientists.

Sad consequences

The scale of the impact of air pollution on human health and the entire ecosystem as a whole is simply enormous, and many people underestimate it. Let's start with the environment.

1. Firstly, due to polluted air, a greenhouse effect has developed, which gradually but globally changes the climate, leads to warming and provokes natural disasters. It can be said that it leads to irreversible consequences in the state of the environment.
2. Secondly, acid rain is becoming more and more frequent, which has a negative impact on all life on Earth. Through their fault, entire populations of fish die, unable to live in such an acidic environment. Negative effects observed during examination historical monuments and architectural monuments.
3. Thirdly, fauna and flora suffer, since dangerous fumes are inhaled by animals, they also enter plants and gradually destroy them.

A polluted atmosphere has an extremely negative impact on human health. The emissions enter the lungs and cause disruptions in the respiratory system and severe allergic reactions. Together with the blood, dangerous compounds are carried throughout the body and greatly wear it out. And some elements can provoke mutation and degeneration of cells.

How to solve the problem and save the environment

The problem of air pollution is very relevant, especially considering that the environment has deteriorated greatly over the past few decades. And it needs to be solved comprehensively and in several ways.

Let's consider several effective measures to prevent air pollution:

1. To combat air pollution, it is mandatory to install treatment and filtering facilities and systems at individual enterprises. And at particularly large industrial plants it is necessary to begin introducing stationary monitoring posts for monitoring air pollution.
2. To avoid air pollution from cars, you should switch to alternative and less harmful energy sources, e.g. solar panels or electricity.
3. Replacing combustible fuels with more accessible and less dangerous ones, such as water, wind, will help protect the atmospheric air from pollution. sunlight and others that do not require combustion.
4. The protection of atmospheric air from pollution must be supported at the state level, and there are already laws aimed at protecting it. But it is also necessary to act and exercise control in individual constituent entities of the Russian Federation.
5. One of effective ways, which should include the protection of air from pollution, is the establishment of a system for the disposal of all waste or its recycling.
6. To solve the problem of air pollution, plants should be used. Widespread landscaping will improve the atmosphere and increase the amount of oxygen in it.

How to protect atmospheric air from pollution? If all of humanity fights it, then there is a chance of improving the environment. Knowing the essence of the problem of air pollution, its relevance and the main solutions, we need to jointly and comprehensively combat pollution.

The atmosphere is what we breathe and with the help of which we exist. This is the shell of the Earth, which makes it possible for all living things to develop. But every year the issue of air pollution becomes more acute.

This article is intended for persons over 18 years of age

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Atmospheric pollution is penetration into all its layers (see. « ") products and substances that disrupt its normal and habitual functioning, lead to a different outcome of the final reactions or an increase in certain substances (which also negatively affects the condition of the inner shell).

The influence of man and his activities on the state of the biosphere is especially strongly felt. It is customary to distinguish three types of air pollution:

• physical, which include dust, radio waves, radioactive elements, warm air, noise and air vibrations;
• biological, which are based on microorganisms and bacteria, spores and harmful fungi, their waste products;
• chemical is what gets into the air through the use of sprays, aerosols, gas impurities, as well as their processed products, heavy metals.

It becomes clear that our atmosphere every second feels the influence of the actions of all humanity, suffers from this and breaks down, which, in turn, affects our well-being and health.

Sources of air pollution

Sources of atmospheric pollution are places, processes and activities that affect the composition, condition and functioning of the Earth's envelope. All sources of this kind are divided into two kinds:

• natural or natural - those that occur due to processes and reactions in nature, among living organisms without any human intervention;
• anthropogenic or you can also find the concept of artificial sources of pollution. These include everything that negatively affects the atmosphere due to the actions of mankind.

The most common natural sources include winds that blow earth and sand into the air, volcanic eruptions, insects and plants, as well as their waste products. No less dangerous for the atmosphere are fires that destroy plants and animals, soil, and combustion products in the form of gases and dust enter the air. However, nature can independently regulate all these actions and recover from them. negative influence. Much more terrible and dangerous is the influence of man on the state of the gas shell.

Artificial sources include household and agricultural activities, all types of industrial work and, of course, transport in all its manifestations.

We all know that industrial and urban complexes and enterprises emit tons of substances into the environment, which remain there. The “heavy artillery” includes metallurgy, chemical production and gas and oil production, which “give” the atmosphere sulfur dust, benzene, carbon monoxide, ammonia and many other substances.

Another problem is thermal power engineering. The process of burning certain fuels is fraught with the release of combustion products. And this is not only soot, smoke or dust, nitrogen oxides, benzopyrene, carbon dioxide should also be included here. Separately, it is worth mentioning the excess heat that is released both from the operation of power plants of all types, and from many other types of human activity, emergency emissions from various factories, and man-made disasters..

One of the main polluters of our planet is transport, and in some countries it ranks first in the index of emissions of harmful substances into the air. Railroad transportation, airplanes, and ships contribute their share to bad condition biosphere, but the undoubted leader is road transport.

Vehicles, moving, contribute to getting large quantity exhaust gases from fuel processing by engines, dust and solid particles on tires and bodies into the lower spheres of the earth's shell. And the heat that is released from cars in big city, is equivalent to operating a large coal-fired power plant. Well, one cannot help but recall the noise pollution that is spread by all types of vehicles on the planet.

Consequences of air pollution

The atmosphere is the place where all the main processes on the planet take place, so the consequences of its pollution will be felt by everyone.

First of all, these problems will affect the human condition, because all particulate matter, dust, carbon monoxide, silicon dioxide and nitrogen oxides enter the air we breathe, and therefore into our lungs, blood and mucous membranes.

All these factors affect the work internal organs, mucous membranes, mutation at the cellular level, decreased immunity, increased incidence of cancer.

Another example of how human actions negatively affect nature is the greenhouse effect. Its essence is that the lower layers of the shell globe heat up and lose their ability to protect us from the penetration of ultraviolet radiation. What does this mean? The fact that average temperature throughout the planet has already increased by 0.6 degrees Celsius compared to the last century. If this continues, then in addition to global warming, we will end up with melted glaciers, increased water levels in the World Ocean and flooding of areas that are located near large bodies of water.

The formation of ozone holes in the atmosphere is another large-scale example of how pollution affects the situation in the world. Ozone is a ball of atmosphere that is formed at an altitude of 2000-25000 thousand meters and consists mainly of oxygen. Its main task is to retain harmful radiation from the Sun. In small portions, ultraviolet rays are needed by living organisms to undergo the process of photosynthesis and a number of other important reactions, but in large doses they lead to mutations, a decrease in fertility and an increase in cancer of varying degrees of complexity.

Acid rain is any type of precipitation that contains high level chemicals (sulfur and nitrogen oxides mainly). The nature of such atmospheric phenomena is such that they can lead to the death of vegetation, insects, fish at different concentrations of harmful substances, reduce the amount of harvests, and worsen the health of all living things.

Smog is another factor in the impact of pollutants on the atmosphere. This is a layer of dust, gas, chemicals that hang over a certain area in a gaseous (aerosol) state. What does this mean for us? These mud clouds collect particles from fuel processing, emissions industrial production, heavy metals and harmful microorganisms. A humid environment oxidizes them and promotes reproduction and various reactions. Smog can cause respiratory and blood diseases, conjunctivitis, suppression of the nervous system and even death.

Ways to solve the problem of air pollution

Atmospheric pollution is a global and large-scale problem that affects everyone living on the planet. To protect the gas shell from harmful emissions, the following control methods are used:

• absorption - a measure to combat the entry of negative particles, the essence of which is their absorption by special filters. These installations are small in size and easy to install, and their essence is that they are made from materials that perfectly absorb and retain harmful fumes;
• oxidation is characterized by the combustion of unnecessary composition in the air, but also has side effect— formation of carbon dioxide as a combustion product;
• The catalytic method involves the conversion of gases into solid particles. This option for solving problems is quite effective, but expensive and energy-consuming;
• The mechanical method involves air purification in special installations. Has proven itself to be ineffective and expensive to maintain;
• the newest and most effective is electric combustion, as a result of which the gas enters special installations where it is affected by

Global environmental problem No. 1: Air pollution

Every day, the average person inhales about 20,000 liters of air, which contains, in addition to vital oxygen, a whole list of harmful suspended particles and gases. Atmospheric pollutants are conventionally divided into 2 types: natural and anthropogenic. The latter prevail.

Things are not going well for the chemical industry. Factories emit harmful substances such as dust, fuel oil ash, various chemical compounds, nitrogen oxides and much more. Air measurements have shown the catastrophic situation of the atmospheric layer; polluted air becomes the cause of many chronic diseases.

Atmospheric pollution is an environmental problem that is familiar firsthand to residents of absolutely all corners of the earth. It is felt especially acutely by representatives of cities where enterprises of ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, energy, chemical, petrochemical, construction and pulp and paper industries operate. In some cities, the atmosphere is also heavily poisoned by vehicles and boiler houses. These are all examples of anthropogenic air pollution.

As for the natural sources of chemical elements that pollute the atmosphere, these include forest fires, volcanic eruptions, wind erosion (scattering of soil and rock particles), the spread of pollen, evaporation of organic compounds and natural radiation.

Consequences of air pollution

Atmospheric air pollution negatively affects human health, contributing to the development of heart and lung diseases (in particular, bronchitis). In addition, air pollutants such as ozone, nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide destroy natural ecosystems, destroying plants and causing the death of living creatures (particularly river fish).

The global environmental problem of air pollution, according to scientists and government officials, can be solved in the following ways:

limiting population growth;

reducing energy use;

increasing energy efficiency;

waste reduction;

transition to environmentally friendly renewable energy sources;

air purification in particularly polluted areas.

Global Environmental Problem #2: Ozone Depletion

The ozone layer is a thin strip of the stratosphere that protects all life on Earth from the harmful ultraviolet rays of the Sun.

Causes of environmental problem

Back in the 1970s. Environmentalists have discovered that the ozone layer is being destroyed by chlorofluorocarbons. These chemicals are found in refrigerator and air conditioner coolants, as well as solvents, aerosols/sprays, and fire extinguishers. To a lesser extent, other anthropogenic impacts also contribute to the thinning of the ozone layer: the launch of space rockets, the flights of jet aircraft in high layers of the atmosphere, nuclear weapons testing, and the reduction of forest lands on the planet. There is also a theory that global warming is contributing to the thinning of the ozone layer.

Consequences of ozone layer depletion

As a result of the destruction of the ozone layer, ultraviolet radiation passes unhindered through the atmosphere and reaches the earth's surface. Exposure to direct UV rays has detrimental effects on people's health, weakening the immune system and causing diseases such as skin cancer and cataracts.

World environmental problem No. 3: Global warming

Like the glass walls of a greenhouse, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and water vapor allow the sun to heat our planet while preventing infrared radiation reflected from the earth's surface from escaping into space. All these gases are responsible for maintaining temperatures acceptable for life on earth. However, the increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen oxide and water vapor in the atmosphere is another global environmental problem called global warming (or the greenhouse effect).

Causes of global warming

During the 20th century, the average temperature on earth increased by 0.5 - 1? C. The main cause of global warming is considered to be an increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere due to an increase in the volume of fossil fuels burned by people (coal, oil and their derivatives). However, according to the statement Alexey Kokorin, head of climate programs World Wildlife Fund(WWF) Russia, “the largest amount of greenhouse gases is generated as a result of the operation of power plants and methane emissions during the extraction and delivery of energy resources, while road transport or flaring of associated petroleum gas causes relatively little harm to the environment”.

Other causes of global warming include overpopulation, deforestation, ozone depletion and littering. However, not all ecologists blame the rise in average annual temperatures entirely on anthropogenic activities. Some believe that global warming is also facilitated by a natural increase in the abundance of oceanic plankton, leading to an increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Consequences of the greenhouse effect

If the temperature during the 21st century increases by another 1? C - 3.5? C, as scientists predict, the consequences will be very sad:

the level of the world's oceans will rise (due to melting polar ice), the number of droughts will increase and the process of desertification will intensify,

many species of plants and animals adapted to exist in a narrow range of temperatures and humidity will disappear,

Hurricanes will become more frequent.

Solving an environmental problem

According to environmentalists, the following measures will help slow down the process of global warming:

rising prices for fossil fuels,

replacing fossil fuels with environmentally friendly ones (solar energy, wind energy and sea currents),

development of energy-saving and waste-free technologies,

taxation of environmental emissions,

minimizing methane losses during its production, transportation through pipelines, distribution in cities and villages and use at heat supply stations and power plants,

implementation of carbon dioxide absorption and sequestration technologies,

tree planting,

reduction in family size,

environmental education,

application of phytomelioration in agriculture.

Global environmental problem No. 4: Acid rain

Acid rain, containing products of fuel combustion, also poses a danger to the environment, human health and even to the integrity of architectural monuments.

Consequences of acid rain

Solutions of sulfuric and nitric acids, aluminum and cobalt compounds contained in polluted sediments and fog pollute the soil and water bodies, have a detrimental effect on vegetation, causing dry tops of deciduous trees and inhibiting conifers. Because of acid rain, agricultural yields fall, people drink water enriched with toxic metals (mercury, cadmium, lead), marble architectural monuments turn into plaster and are eroded.

Solving an environmental problem

In order to save nature and architecture from acid rain, it is necessary to minimize emissions of sulfur and nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere.

Global Environmental Problem #5: Soil Pollution

Every year people pollute the environment with 85 billion tons of waste. Among them are solid and liquid waste from industrial enterprises and transport, agricultural waste (including pesticides), household waste and atmospheric fallout of harmful substances.

The main role in soil pollution is played by such components of technogenic waste as heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, thallium, bismuth, tin, vanadium, antimony), pesticides and petroleum products. From the soil they penetrate into plants and water, even spring water. Toxic metals enter the human body along a chain and are not always quickly and completely removed from it. Some of them tend to accumulate over many years, provoking the development of serious diseases.

Global Environmental Problem #6: Water Pollution

Pollution of the world's oceans, groundwater and surface waters is a global environmental problem, the responsibility for which lies entirely with humans.

Causes of environmental problem

The main pollutants of the hydrosphere today are oil and petroleum products. These substances penetrate into the waters of the world's oceans as a result of tanker wrecks and regular wastewater discharges from industrial enterprises.

In addition to anthropogenic petroleum products, industrial and domestic facilities pollute the hydrosphere with heavy metals and complex organic compounds. Agriculture and the food industry are recognized as the leaders in poisoning the waters of the world's oceans with minerals and nutrients.

The hydrosphere is not spared by such a global environmental problem as radioactive pollution. The prerequisite for its formation was the burial of radioactive waste in the waters of the world's oceans. Many powers with a developed nuclear industry and nuclear fleet deliberately stored harmful radioactive substances in the seas and oceans from the 49th to the 70th years of the 20th century. In places where radioactive containers are buried, cesium levels often go off scale even today. But “underwater test sites” are not the only radioactive source of hydrosphere pollution. The waters of the seas and oceans are enriched with radiation as a result of underwater and surface nuclear explosions.

Consequences of radioactive water contamination

Oil pollution of the hydrosphere leads to the destruction of the natural habitat of hundreds of representatives of oceanic flora and fauna, the death of plankton, seabirds and mammals. For human health, poisoning the waters of the world's oceans also poses a serious danger: fish and other seafood “contaminated” with radiation can easily end up on the table.