Environmental pollution. What is the cause and what are the consequences of air pollution

Main sources of pollution environment– artificial and man-made. Speaking in facts, here are just some of the consequences of a thoughtless attitude towards nature:

• Thermal pollution of the environment and harmful gases from cars have led to the fact that about 250 thousand people in Europe alone die annually from diseases associated with this phenomenon;
• Every year about 11 million hectares are deforested on Earth tropical forests, while the rate of restoration of forest cover is ten times lower;
• 9 million tons of waste are dumped annually into the Pacific Ocean, and more than 30 million tons into the Atlantic;
• Over 40 years, the amount of drinking water per capita of the planet's population has decreased by 60%;
• Discarded glass will take 1,000 years to decompose, plastic – 500 years.

Consequences of oil spills

IN last years Environmental pollution is only gaining momentum and many scientists around the world have begun to pay attention to this problem. Until recently, nothing like this was observed, since the level of consumption of goods by the population of the entire planet was at a low level. But with the constant increase in the standard of living, the purchasing power of people, and the construction of more and more dangerous industries, the issue of preserving nature began to become more and more acute.

Today, the problem of environmental pollution is acute - humans have a negative impact on the whole world in many ways, and there are no clear solutions for this situation yet. In progressive countries they are already trying to combat this by creating advanced waste processing plants, but in most countries culture has not yet reached this level.

Interesting fact. One passenger car produces in a year an amount of carbon dioxide equal to its own weight. This gas contains about 300 substances hazardous to people and nature.

Environmental pollution - what does it mean?

Due to deforestation, many animals are losing their homes and becoming extinct - like this koala

Pollution of nature is usually understood as such human behavior, as a result of which dangerous and harmful substances and materials, chemical compounds and biological agents are introduced into nature. The consequences of environmental pollution affect not only the properties of soil, water, vegetation, and air quality, but can also affect a host of other factors, including the overall quality of people’s lives.

The release of hazardous substances into nature can occur through natural, artificial or anthropogenic means. Examples of the first option include volcanic eruptions, when dust and magma covers the earth, destroying all living things, disruption of the population of any animals in a certain area, which leads to problems in the existing food chain, increased solar activity, provoking droughts and similar phenomena.

Artificial ways of negative impact on the environment are inextricably linked with humans: the constantly growing number of hazardous industries, the accumulation of non-recyclable waste and household waste, car emissions, deforestation and urbanization. It's hard to even list everything negative factors, which affect the normal state of nature as a result of human actions.

Classification of types of environmental pollution

Penguin caught in dirty water after oil spill

In addition to the above division into artificial and natural, types of environmental pollution are also divided into the following categories:

• Disruption of normal biocenosis or biological impact. Occurs as a result of uncontrolled fishing or hunting of certain types of animals, negative impact on animals due to anthropogenic activities. The uncontrolled activity of hunters and fishermen, poachers leads to forced or spontaneous migration of a large number of animals to other habitats, etc. As a result of such processes, the normal biocenosis is disrupted, which sometimes provokes catastrophic problems. This can also include deforestation, drying up rivers or changing their flow, developing huge quarries, large forest and steppe fires;
• Mechanical, implying the release into nature of a huge amount of waste resulting from human activity, which negatively affects both the inhabitants of the region and the physical and chemical structure and properties of the soil, groundwater, etc.;
• Physical pollution of the environment is a complex of impact factors, as a result of which some physical parameters change: its temperature, the level of radioactive, light, and noise conditions. This also includes electromagnetic influence from satellites and antennas;
• Chemical negative impact, which manifests itself in a change in the normal chemical composition in the earth, water, air, which provokes destructive processes in it and deprives organisms of normal, habitual conditions for their life.

Interesting fact. Due to excessive electromagnetic radiation in some developed countries ah, the number of insects has changed critically. A negative effect of electromagnetic radiation on bees has been noticed, which prefer to migrate to places that are cleaner from radiation.

Environmental tax payment

Many countries, especially in the civilized world, have come to the conclusion that companies must pay certain taxes for polluting the environment through their activities. The money collected in this way goes to combat the consequences of the problem in one area or another, for example, in the country’s water sector.

Pollution of the natural environment occurs everywhere, so it is reasonable for the state to develop a unified approach and a general tax in this matter. However, on this moment There is still no clear definition of environmental tax.

Typically, government interaction with the owners of hazardous production occurs like this: the facility is checked for compliance with environmental safety standards and, if the established standards are exceeded, it undertakes to pay a certain tax, for example, on each ton of hazardous substances generated.

Therefore, it is worth talking rather not about some kind of general tax for the entire state, but about various types of payments from the manufacturer to the state in the event that the facility generates harmful substances. Let's take a closer look at the situations in which this happens.

What taxes are considered environmental?

• Transport tax. In 2016, it must be paid if it is proven that the vehicle is harmful to the environment.
• Mineral extraction tax. For example, when extracting natural resources, including coal and oil, which are exhaustible.
• Water tax. In Russia it is paid for introducing an imbalance into the environment when using water resources.
• Fee for the exploitation of aquatic biological resources in Russia, objects of the animal world. This tax is paid if damage to nature is caused as a result of hunting or other types of catching animals.
  Land.

How does all this affect the human body?

A wave of garbage on the island of Java - the most populous island on the planet

Many people treat the issue under consideration rather superficially and do not take any action to protect the environment from pollution, believing that the problem does not concern them. In fact, this is a completely wrong and unconscious approach.

The result of a changed environment affects people very much, since they are an inseparable part of nature. We can highlight the most important areas that, due to the negative influence of humans, have undergone changes that pose a danger:

Climate. A constant increase in temperature, melting glaciers, changes in some global currents in the world's oceans, the presence of dangerous chemical compounds in the air - this is only a small part of what everyone faces. Even the most minimal changes in climate: temperature, pressure, precipitation level or strong gusts of wind can bring with them a lot of problems of a very different nature: from acute rheumatism to destroyed crops, drought and hunger strike (see);

Biological and chemical factors. Harmful substances enter the soil, penetrate into groundwater, into the air in the form of evaporation, and are absorbed into plants, which animals and people then feed on. Dangerous chemicals can, even in small concentrations, provoke allergies, coughs, illnesses, rashes on the body and even mutations. With chronic poisoning, a person becomes weaker and tired;

Nutrition has no less impact on human health. Crops grown on unclean soil, soaked in large amounts of chemical fertilizers and poisons, lose many positive properties, becoming a real poison. Bad food causes obesity, loss of taste and appetite, and a lack of essential vitamins and microelements in the body.

Environmental pollution, as defined above, can have a very negative impact on the health of millions of people.

Genetic danger

Mutations in animals caused by environmental change

One of the most important nuances of the issue under consideration is the so-called genetic danger. It lies in the fact that under the influence of harmful chemical substances, various mutations can accumulate in the body, which can provoke cancerous tumors and introduce serious defects into future generations, sometimes even incompatible with life.

The manifestation of mutations and changes in the body and its descendants does not appear immediately. This may take years or decades. That is why eating GMO food, being exposed to radiation and strong radiation, smoking, which also causes cell mutations, manifest themselves in the form of the same cancer and other pathologies not immediately, but after 10-20 years.

Fighting the problem

Spittelau waste treatment plant in Vienna, Austria

Anthropogenic environmental pollution, the causes and consequences of which are general outline already discussed above, causes serious concern to many thinking people around the world. It is enough to visit a land where there is no end in sight at least once to understand that the situation is going too far and it needs not to be hidden in abandoned quarries, but to be radically resolved.

Since nature has no borders, the fight against the problem of its pollution is international. Now there are many organizations in the world that are trying to influence manufacturers, governments and people in order to instill in them a more conscious attitude towards nature and their actions. In some countries, green energy sources are being actively promoted; popular automobile companies are starting to produce electric cars, which should replace gasoline and diesel engines.

Important components of the fight for nature conservation:

Promoting the abandonment of the consumer lifestyle and the constant purchase of things that can easily be discarded and which will quickly end up in the nearest trash heap;

Construction of waste processing plants capable of producing new materials from recycled materials that will be reused in production;

Garbage sorting. In cultural countries this issue has already been practically resolved and people are throwing away different type garbage into different containers. This simplifies the process of their disposal and recycling.

One of the serious reasons for environmental pollution is the irresponsible attitude of ordinary people towards the problem and their reluctance to understand these issues.

How to prevent the problem

The fight against environmental pollution is difficult task, which must be solved in the following complex:

• Bringing the attention of governments of all countries to the problem;
• Educating the masses in order to instill awareness in them on this issue;
• Impact on producers and their control. All this must be regulated by thoughtful and strict legislation;
• Prevention of environmental pollution must also be accompanied by the creation of a full-fledged infrastructure for the removal, disposal and processing of waste.

Only all these points together can produce a positive effect and reverse the current negative trend, making our world cleaner.

General consequences of environmental pollution

Garbage-filled areas of Bangladesh

At the moment, the consequences of the constant increase in consumption, industrial development and the corresponding amount of waste and garbage are already quite noticeable, and this applies to the whole world. Suffice it to recall the recent “garbage” riots that broke out in the suburbs of Moscow, when people began to complain en masse about the terrible smell from a landfill next to their houses and the deterioration of air and water quality.

Interesting fact. About 40 million Russians living in cities live in conditions where the level of air pollution is 10 times higher than prescribed by sanitary standards.

As a conclusion, it is worth noting that the environmental consequences of environmental pollution are catastrophic for every person on Earth. But only a conscious approach to the problem can change something.

The main factors of environmental pollution depend on people, so if all people unite to solve this problem, then you can be sure that a solution will be found. The only thing left to do is the strong-willed decision of the authorities of all countries to start moving in this direction.

Environmental pollution is considered a physical and chemical change in the composition of a natural substance (air, water, soil), which threatens the health and life of a person and his natural environment. Pollution can be cosmic - natural, which the earth receives in significant quantities from space, from volcanic eruptions, and anthropogenic, committed as a result economic activity person. Let's consider the second type of pollution, committed by the will of man.

Environmental consequences – these are the consequences resulting from an emergency event, emergency situation, accident that led to damage to the natural environment, health and well-being of the population, environmental and economic damage, determined in the short term and predicted in the long term.

MAIN TYPES OF POLLUTION

Physical(thermal, noise, electromagnetic, light, radioactive)

Chemical e (heavy metals, pesticides, plastics and other chemicals substances)

Biological(biogenic, microbiological, genetic)

Informational(information noise, false information, anxiety factors)

Anthropogenic environmental pollution is divided into several types.). Depending on the region, the share of a particular pollution source can vary significantly. Thus, in cities the largest share of pollution comes from transport. Its share in environmental pollution is 70-80%. Among industrial enterprises, metallurgical enterprises are considered the most “dirty”. They pollute the environment by 34%. They are followed by energy enterprises, primarily thermal power plants, which pollute the environment by 27%. The remaining percentage falls on chemical enterprises (9% ), oil (12%) and gas (7%) industries.

The greenhouse effect is expressed in rising temperatures, changes in weather and climate. We are already seeing similar phenomena. Under current anthropogenic loads, the temperature will rise by 0.5° every 10 years. The consequences of such temperature changes are expressed in an increase in the level of the World Ocean and the flooding of parts of the land and populated areas. It must be said that over 100 years, the level of the World Ocean has risen by 10-12 cm, but with the greenhouse effect, such a rise can be accelerated 10 times.

Another consequence of the greenhouse effect may be an increase in land desertification. Already, 6 million hectares of land annually turn into desert.

The state of the Earth's ozone layer is associated with atmospheric pollution, the main function of which is to protect humans and the Earth's natural environment from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation from Space. Under the influence of ozone-depleting substances - fleron, freon, chlorine, carbon emitted by refrigeration units, cars, etc., this layer is gradually destroyed, in particular, in some places over densely populated areas its thickness has decreased by 3%.

Other equally important objects of pollution are reservoirs, rivers, lakes, and the World Ocean. Billions of tons of liquid and solid waste are dumped into the World Ocean every year. Among these wastes, the most important is oil, which enters the ocean from ships, as a result of oil production in the marine environment, and also as a result of numerous tanker accidents. An oil spill leads to the formation of an oil film in the ocean and the death of living sea resources, including algae and planton that produce oxygen.

Chemicals used in agriculture have become a massive source of environmental pollution: mineral fertilizers, pesticides, growth stimulants. There are now over 5 million different types of chemical substances and compounds distributed on the planet. Their toxicity has been little studied (approximately 40 thousand substances).

1) Hercynian folding (there are 7 of them): Taimyr + Ural-Novaya Zemlya + Rudno-Altai + East Kazakhstan + North Tien Shan + South Tien Shan + Mongol-Okhotsk platforms.

Characteristics of the environmental impact during the construction of wells at the Bovanenkovskoye field

Thus, the main factors affecting the natural objects of the territory during drilling operations are:

- chemical pollution soils, grounds, horizons groundwater, surface water bodies, atmospheric air substances and chemicals used in well drilling, drilling and technological waste, well testing products;

- mechanical impact possible during tower installation work, moving equipment.

- chemical pollution the site area is minimal under a routine, accident-free mode of work.

The main potential environmental pollutants during well construction include:

· drilling and cementing fluids;

· chemical reagents and materials used for preparing solutions;

· spent drilling fluid, drilling wastewater and drill cuttings;

· fuel combustion products during the operation of the boiler room and internal combustion engines;

· fuels and lubricants;

· domestic wastewater and municipal solid waste.

Potential sources of soil and natural water pollution:

· depressurization of the drilling waste collection and accumulation system,

· depressurization of the contaminated melt and storm water collection system;

· depressurization of the circulation system of flushing and other liquids, pipeline ruptures, fuel spills;

· emergency situations during well construction associated with fluid release;

· loading/unloading, transportation, storage of reagents and materials used for the preparation of drilling, grouting and special solutions;

· poor-quality cementing of columns, leakage of casing columns.

Atmospheric air is polluted during the construction of wells:

· fuel combustion products of a boiler house, diesel power plant;

· when operating vehicles and special equipment;

· during welding work;

· when storing used chemicals and fuels and lubricants;

· in emergency situations in case of possible fluid manifestations and ignition of ejection products from wells.

Solid waste landfill. Characteristics of the environmental impact during the construction and operation of a solid waste landfill

The main types of impacts during the construction and operation of the solid waste landfill at the Bovanenkovskoye deposit:

Emissions of pollutants from organized and unorganized sources;

Physical factors of influence;

Wastewater discharges;

Generation of production and consumption waste.

Impact on atmospheric air

The main type of impact of the designed facility on the state of the air basin is atmospheric air pollution by emissions of pollutants, water vapor, aerosols and thermal effects, which influence the microclimate of the territory.

During construction Atmospheric pollution occurs as a result of the release of:

· fuel combustion products (engines of mobile lighting generators, exhaust gases from construction equipment);

· solvents (painting works);

· welding aerosols (welding work);

· dust when pouring dusty materials;

· pollutants during mechanical processing of metals in a mechanical repair workshop.

During operation solid waste landfill air pollution is assumed to result from the release of:

· light fractions of hydrocarbons from process equipment (diesel fuel tank);

· dust during storage and transfer of dusty materials.

The main source of air pollution during the operation of the solid waste landfill will be internal combustion engines of cars and special equipment. Motor transport is an unorganized mobile source of air pollution and emissions from it are not standardized.

Physical impact

During construction The noise level in the construction zone may exceed permissible values. The main sources of noise impact during the construction of the designed facilities are road equipment and vehicles. That. The construction period will be characterized by noise impacts on the environment. Diesel power plants and polyurethane foam units are also sources of noise.

Impact on the aquatic environment

During construction and operation object impact on water resources associated with:

· pollution with petroleum products (fuels and lubricants) from refueling construction equipment and vehicles;

· changes in the conditions of recharge and unloading of the ground aquifer with vertical planning of sites;

· changes in geocryological conditions (in areas of disturbance of the natural hydrogeological situation);

· filling embankments, installing shelves and culverts, removing peat;

· possible wastewater leaks from the site;

· pollution from emissions from vehicles.

Negative impacts on nearby water bodies may result from the ingress of surface runoff from the site during snow melting, atmospheric precipitation or with groundwater.

Detailed solution Section page 277 in biology for 9th grade students, authors S.G. Mamontov, V.B. Zakharov, I.B. Agafonova, N.I. Sonin 2016

Question 1. What causes air pollution and what are its consequences?

The main causes of air pollution are the combustion of natural fuels and metallurgical production. If in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Since the combustion products of coal and liquid fuel entering the environment have been almost completely assimilated by the vegetation of the Earth, currently the content of harmful combustion products is steadily increasing. A number of pollutants enter the air from stoves, furnaces, and car exhaust pipes. Among them, sulfur dioxide is especially prominent - a poisonous gas that is easily soluble in water.

Industrial enterprises and cars cause the release of many toxic compounds into the atmosphere - nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, lead compounds (each car emits 1 kg of lead per year), various hydrocarbons - acetylene, ethylene, methane, propane, toluene, benzopyrene, etc. Together with droplets of water they form a toxic fog - smog, which has a harmful effect on the human body and on the vegetation of cities. Liquid and solid particles (dust) suspended in the air reduce the amount of solar radiation reaching the Earth's surface. So, in big cities solar radiation is reduced by 15%, ultraviolet radiation by 30% (and in the winter months it may disappear completely).

Question 2. Is there a relationship between air pollution and the increase in human illness? Justify your point of view.

Atmospheric air is a vital component of the natural environment, an integral part of the habitat of humans, plants and animals. Atmospheric air is the most significant component (factor) of the human environment, when polluted the impact on human health (the state of the protective resource) is most pronounced.

Environmental pollution, primarily atmospheric air, is a powerful factor in shaping public health, having a negative impact on the reproductive function and natural reproduction of the population, on morbidity, mortality, primarily in socially vulnerable and weakened groups of the population (children, women, elderly).

Atmospheric air pollution is one of the environmental factors that contributes to the development of a certain group of diseases in the population (with intense exposure) and a decrease in the adaptive reserve (with chronic - threshold level of exposure).

In the history of hygienic science, a number of cases are known that were caused by anticyclonic weather with temperature inversion, accompanied by the accumulation of industrial emissions in the surface layer of the atmosphere (“toxic fogs”).

According to research results, the impact of air pollution on the health of the population is currently especially active in small towns.

Question 3. What are the reasons for the possible occurrence of water shortages in some areas of the world?

The constant increase in water consumption on the planet leads to “water hunger,” which necessitates the development of measures for the rational use of water resources.

Question 4. What is the source fresh water in your area? What is the amount of this water?

Groundwater in the Moscow region has 5 levels of occurrence:

1. groundwater

2. intermoraine semi-confined aquifer

3. Over-Jurassic pressure horizon

4. mid-Carboniferous pressure horizon

5. Lower Carboniferous pressure horizon

The first three levels are located above the first aquifer from the surface of the earth, the depth of which in the Moscow region is very variable and ranges from 1-3 to 70 m. Groundwater is characterized by a lack of pressure, sharp changes in the depth and thickness of aquifers. Below the groundwater horizon there are 2 more aquifers that are hydraulically connected to groundwater, these are the intermoraine semi-confined aquifer and the supra-Jurassic confined aquifer.

All three horizons are fed primarily by precipitation and surface runoff. Replenishment of water reserves in them occurs mainly in the spring. Groundwater reaches the surface in the valleys of small rivers and streams, the waters of the intermoraine semi-confined horizon seep to the surface through ancient and modern sandy deposits (alluvium) in river floodplains, and the waters of the Over-Jurassic aquifer flow to the surface through large ascending springs located in river beds.

Mid-Carboniferous and Lower Carboniferous confined aquifers lie at a depth of more than 100 m in limestone and dolomite deposits of the Carboniferous period. They are characterized by significant thickness - up to 50-70 m and relative hydraulic isolation from other aquifers. These waters are the main source of water supply to cities and towns in the Moscow region.

Question 5. What does pollution of the World Ocean lead to?

The waters of the seas and oceans are subject to significant pollution. With river runoff, as well as from sea transport, harmful waste, oil products, heavy metal salts, toxic organic compounds, including pesticides, enter the seas. Pollution of the seas and oceans reaches such proportions that in some cases, caught fish and shellfish are unfit for consumption. Pesticides (from the Latin pestis - infection and tseder - to kill), used in agriculture to combat insect pests, have even been found in the body of penguins living in Antarctica.

Question 6. How does human economic activity affect the structure and fertility of the soil?

Among the anthropogenic changes in soil is erosion (from the Latin erosio - erosion). Erosion is the destruction and removal of soil cover by water flows or wind. Water erosion is widespread and most destructive. It occurs on slopes and develops due to improper cultivation of the land.

Wind erosion is most pronounced in the southern steppe regions of our country. It occurs in areas with dry, bare soil and sparse vegetation cover. Excessive grazing in steppes and semi-deserts contributes to wind erosion and rapid destruction of grass cover. It takes 250–300 years to restore a 1 cm thick layer of soil under natural conditions. Consequently, dust storms are fraught with irreparable losses of the fertile soil layer.

Significant territories with formed soils are withdrawn from agricultural use due to the open-pit mining method for minerals lying at shallow depths. Dug deep quarries and dumps of soil destroy not only the lands to be developed, but also the surrounding areas, while hydrological regime areas, water, soil and atmosphere are polluted, agricultural yields are reduced. In areas of underground mining, a sinkhole type of terrain is formed. These two features of the relief are closely related to each other: failures are formed as a result of the appearance of voids under earth's surface, and waste heaps (earth cones) - in those places where waste rock is formed. Terricons appear not only around mines, but also near factories, power plants and other industrial enterprises. They take up a lot of space and generate a lot of dust in the wind.

Question 7. What is the direct influence of man on plant and animal world Earth?

Selective and sanitary cuttings, which regulate the composition and quality of the forest and are necessary to remove damaged and diseased trees, do not significantly affect species composition forest biocenoses. Another thing is clear cutting of trees. Finding themselves suddenly in open habitat conditions, plants in the lower tiers of the forest experience the adverse effects of direct solar radiation. In shade-loving plants of the herbaceous and shrub layers, chlorophyll is destroyed, growth stops, and some species disappear. Light-loving plants that are resistant to elevated temperatures and lack of moisture settle in the clearing areas. The animal world is also changing: species associated with the tree stand disappear or migrate to other places. Towards repression natural species also leads to the development of land for plantations of cultivated plants, i.e. the creation of agrocenoses.

Mass visits to forests by vacationers and tourists have a noticeable impact on the state of vegetation, resulting in forest fires, as well as trampling, compaction of the soil and its pollution. Soil compaction depresses root system and leads to drying out of plants. Trampling of grasses disrupts essential stages of the cycle of substances, dooming trees to starvation. The direct influence of man on the animal world is the extermination of species that are of food or other material value to him.

The number of animals is also influenced by human economic activities not related to fishing. The number of Ussuri tigers has sharply decreased. This occurred as a result of the development of territories within its range and a reduction in the food supply. IN Pacific Ocean Every year, several tens of thousands of dolphins die: during the fishing season, they get caught in nets and cannot get out of them. Until recently, before fishermen took special measures, the number of dolphins dying in nets reached hundreds of thousands. The effects of water pollution are very unfavorable for marine mammals. In such cases, the ban on catching animals is ineffective. For example, after the ban on catching dolphins in the Black Sea, their numbers have not recovered. The reason is that into the Black Sea with river water and through the straits from Mediterranean Sea There are a lot of toxic substances coming in. These substances are especially harmful to baby dolphins, whose high mortality rate inhibits the growth of the population of these cetaceans.

Question 8. What consequences does the extinction of biological species entail?

place in the biocenosis, in the food chain, and no one can replace it; the disappearance of one species or another leads to a decrease in the stability of biocenoses. Even more important is that each species has unique properties that are unique to it. The loss of genes that determine these properties and were selected during long-term evolution deprives a person of the opportunity in the future to use them for his practical purposes (for example, for selection).

Question 9. How does radioactive contamination resulting from accidents at nuclear power plants in Japan in the spring of 2011 affect the state of the biosphere as a whole?

As a result of the accident at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant, radioactive elements entered the atmosphere and ocean, in particular iodine 131 (has a very short half-life) and cesium 137 (has a half-life of 30 years). A small amount of plutonium was also discovered at the station's industrial site.

The total volume of radionuclide emissions amounted to 20% of the emissions after the Chernobyl accident. The population of the 30-kilometer zone around the nuclear power plant was evacuated. The area of ​​contaminated land subject to decontamination is 3% of Japan's territory.

Radioactive substances were found in drinking water and food not only in Fukushima Prefecture itself, but also in other areas of the country. Many countries, including Russia, have banned the import of Japanese products and “emitting” radioactive cars.

For the first time since the Chernobyl accident, nuclear energy suffered a serious blow. Global community once again thought about whether nuclear energy can be safe. Many countries have frozen their projects in this industry, and Germany has even stated that by 2022 it will turn off the last nuclear power plant and will develop alternative sources of electricity.

Question 10. What is the environmental situation in your region? Name the main sources of environmental pollution in your region.

The environmental situation in the Moscow region is difficult. Areas close to Moscow and industrial areas in the east and southeast of the region are especially contaminated.

The most environmentally hazardous in the Moscow region can be considered pollution from wastewater from industrial and agricultural enterprises; industrial emissions from enterprises, primarily energy; landfills for the removal and disposal of household and industrial waste; aging fuel pipelines and fuel storage facilities (airfield and military). Environmental situation in the Moscow region, transport, industry and housing and communal services in the Russian capital are significantly complicated. Moscow receives water for its industrial and domestic needs from the north and west of the Moscow region, and discharges wastewater into the Moscow River in the south and southeast of the Moscow region.

Question 11. Having studied the material in the paragraph, formulate the main environmental problems of our time. Using additional sources of information, prepare a message or presentation on the chosen topic. Together with your classmates and teacher, organize and conduct a conference “Environmental problems of the modern world and ways to solve them.”

The main environmental problems of our time include:

1. Air pollution;

2. Pollution of fresh waters and oceans;

3. Anthropogenic impact on soil cover;

4. Extermination of many species of plants and animals;

5. Pollution from nuclear energy waste.

Ocean pollution

Our planet could well be called Oceania, since the area occupied by water is 2.5 times larger than the land area. Ocean waters cover almost 3/4 of the surface globe a layer about 4000 m thick, constituting 97% of the hydrosphere, while land waters contain only 1%, and only 2% is trapped in glaciers. The world ocean, being the totality of all the seas and oceans of the Earth, has a huge impact on the life of the planet. The huge mass of ocean waters forms the planet’s climate and serves as a source of precipitation. More than half of the oxygen comes from it, and it also regulates the carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere, since it is able to absorb its excess. At the bottom of the World Ocean there is an accumulation and transformation of a huge mass of mineral and organic substances, therefore the geological and geochemical processes occurring in the oceans and seas have a very strong influence on the entire earth's crust. It was the Ocean that became the cradle of life on Earth; it is now home to about four-fifths of all living creatures on the planet.

Resources of the world's oceans.

In our time, "the era global problems"The world's oceans are playing an increasingly important role in the life of humanity. Being a huge storehouse of mineral, energy, plant and animal resources, which - with their rational consumption and artificial reproduction - can be considered practically inexhaustible, the Ocean is capable of solving some of the most pressing problems: the need to provide a rapidly growing population with food and raw materials for developing industry, danger of energy crisis, lack of fresh water.

The main resource of the World Ocean is sea water. It contains 75 chemical elements, including such important ones as uranium, potassium, bromine, and magnesium. And although the main product of sea water is still table salt - 33% of world production, magnesium and bromine are already being mined, methods for producing a number of metals have long been patented, among them copper and silver, which are necessary for industry, the reserves of which are steadily depleting, when, as in ocean their waters contain up to half a billion tons. In connection with the development of nuclear energy, there are good prospects for the extraction of uranium and deuterium from the waters of the World Ocean, especially since the reserves of uranium ore on earth are decreasing, and in the Ocean there are 10 billion tons of it; deuterium is generally practically inexhaustible - for every 5000 atoms of ordinary hydrogen there is one atom of heavy. In addition to isolating chemical elements, seawater can be used to obtain necessary for a person fresh water. Many industrial desalination methods are now available: chemical reactions are used to remove impurities from water; salt water is passed through special filters; finally, the usual boiling is carried out. But desalination is not the only way to obtain potable water. There are bottom sources that are increasingly being discovered on the continental shelf, that is, in areas of continental shallows adjacent to the shores of land and having the same geological structure. One of these sources, located off the coast of France - in Normandy, provides such an amount of water that it is called an underground river.

The mineral resources of the World Ocean are represented not only sea ​​water, but also that “under water”. The depths of the ocean, its bottom, are rich in mineral deposits. On the continental shelf there are coastal placer deposits - gold, platinum; There are also precious stones - rubies, diamonds, sapphires, emeralds. For example, underwater diamond gravel mining has been going on near Namibia since 1962. On the shelf and partly on the continental slope of the Ocean there are large deposits of phosphorites that can be used as fertilizers, and the reserves will last for the next few hundred years. The most interesting view mineral raw materials The world's oceans are the famous ferromanganese nodules that cover vast underwater plains. Nodules are a kind of “cocktail” of metals: they include copper, cobalt, nickel, titanium, vanadium, but, of course, most of all iron and manganese. Their locations are generally known, but the results of industrial development are still very modest. But exploration and production of ocean oil and gas on the coastal shelf is in full swing; the share of offshore production is approaching 1/3 of the world production of these energy resources. Deposits are being developed on an especially large scale in the Persian, Venezuelan, Gulf of Mexico, and the North Sea; oil platforms stretch off the coast of California, Indonesia, in the Mediterranean and Caspian Seas. The Gulf of Mexico is also famous for the sulfur deposit discovered during oil exploration, which is melted from the bottom using superheated water. Another, as yet untouched, pantry of the ocean is the deep crevices, where a new bottom is formed. For example, hot (over 60 degrees) and heavy brines of the Red Sea depression contain huge reserves of silver, tin, copper, iron and other metals. Shallow water mining is becoming more and more important. Around Japan, for example, underwater iron-containing sands are sucked out through pipes; the country extracts about 20% of its coal from offshore mines - an artificial island is built over the rock deposits and a shaft is drilled to expose the coal seams.

Many natural processes , occurring in the World Ocean - movement, temperature regime of water - are inexhaustible energy resources. For example, the total power of the Ocean's tidal energy is estimated from 1 to 6 billion kWh. This property of ebbs and flows was used in France in the Middle Ages: in the 12th century, mills were built, the wheels of which were driven by tidal waves. Nowadays, in France there are modern power plants that use the same principle of operation: the turbines rotate in one direction when the tide is high, and in the other when the tide is low. The main wealth of the World Ocean is its biological resources (fish, zoo and phytoplankton and others). The ocean's biomass includes 150 thousand species of animals and 10 thousand algae, and its total volume is estimated at 35 billion tons, which may well be enough to feed 30 billion! Human. By catching 85-90 million tons of fish annually, which accounts for 85% of the marine products used, shellfish, algae, humanity provides about 20% of its needs for animal proteins. The living world of the Ocean is a huge food resource that can be inexhaustible if used correctly and carefully. The maximum fish catch should not exceed 150-180 million tons per year: exceeding this limit is very dangerous, as irreparable losses will occur. Many varieties of fish, whales, and pinnipeds have almost disappeared from ocean waters due to excessive hunting, and it is unknown whether their numbers will ever recover. But the world's population is growing at a rapid pace, increasingly in need of seafood products. There are several ways to increase its productivity. The first is to remove from the ocean not only fish, but also zooplankton, some of which - Antarctic krill - have already been eaten. It is possible, without any damage to the Ocean, to catch it in much larger quantities than all the fish currently caught. The second way is the use of biological resources of the open Ocean. The biological productivity of the Ocean is especially great in the area of ​​rising deep waters. One of these upwellings, located off the coast of Peru, provides 15% of the world's fish production, although its area is no more than two hundredths of a percent of the entire surface of the World Ocean. Finally, the third way is the cultural breeding of living organisms, mainly in coastal areas. All three of these methods have been successfully tested in many countries around the world, but locally, which is why fishing continues to be destructive in volume. At the end of the twentieth century, the Norwegian, Bering, Okhotsk, and Japanese seas were considered the most productive water areas.

The ocean, being a storehouse of diverse resources, is also a free and convenient road that connects continents and islands distant from each other. Maritime transport accounts for almost 80% of transport between countries, serving the growing global production and exchange. The world's oceans can serve as a waste recycler. Thanks to the chemical and physical effects of its waters and the biological influence of living organisms, it disperses and purifies the bulk of the waste entering it, maintaining the relative balance of the Earth's ecosystems. Over the course of 3,000 years, as a result of the water cycle in nature, all the water in the World Ocean is renewed.

Oil and petroleum products

Oil is a viscous oily liquid that is dark brown in color and weakly fluorescent. Oil consists primarily of saturated aliphatic and hydroaromatic hydrocarbons. The main components of oil - hydrocarbons (up to 98%) - are divided into 4 classes:

a).Paraffins (alkenes). (up to 90% of the total composition) - stable substances, the molecules of which are expressed by a straight and branched chain of carbon atoms. Light paraffins have maximum volatility and solubility in water.

b). Cycloparaffins. (30 - 60% of the total composition) saturated cyclic compounds with 5-6 carbon atoms in the ring. In addition to cyclopentane and cyclohexane, bicyclic and polycyclic compounds of this group are found in oil. These compounds are very stable and poorly biodegradable.

c).Aromatic hydrocarbons. (20 - 40% of the total composition) - unsaturated cyclic compounds of the benzene series, containing 6 less carbon atoms in the ring than cycloparaffins. Oil contains volatile compounds with a molecule in the form of a single ring (benzene, toluene, xylene), then bicyclic (naphthalene), polycyclic (pyrone).

G). Olefins (alkenes). (up to 10% of the total composition) - unsaturated non-cyclic compounds with one or two hydrogen atoms at each carbon atom in a molecule having a straight or branched chain.

Oil and petroleum products are the most common pollutants in the World Ocean. By the beginning of the 80s, about 16 million tons of oil entered the ocean annually, which amounted to 0.23% of world production. The greatest oil losses are associated with its transportation from production areas. Emergencies such as tankers discharging washing and ballast water overboard - all this causes the presence of permanent fields of pollution along the routes. sea ​​routes. In the period 1962-79, as a result of accidents, about 2 million tons of oil entered the marine environment. Over the past 30 years, since 1964, about 2,000 wells have been drilled in the World Ocean, of which 1,000 and 350 industrial wells have been equipped in the North Sea alone. Due to minor leaks, 0.1 million tons of oil are lost annually. Large masses oil enters the seas through rivers, with domestic and storm drains. The volume of pollution from this source is 2.0 million tons/year. Every year 0.5 million tons of oil enters with industrial waste. Once in the marine environment, oil first spreads in the form of a film, forming layers of varying thickness.

The oil film changes the composition of the spectrum and the intensity of light penetration into water. The light transmittance of thin films of crude oil is 11-10% (280 nm), 60-70% (400 nm). A film with a thickness of 30-40 microns completely absorbs infrared radiation. When mixed with water, oil forms two types of emulsion: direct oil in water and reverse water in oil. Direct emulsions, composed of oil droplets with a diameter of up to 0.5 microns, are less stable and are characteristic of oils containing surfactants. When volatile fractions are removed, oil forms viscous inverse emulsions that can remain on the surface, be transported by currents, washed ashore and settle to the bottom.

Pesticides

Pesticides constitute a group of artificially created substances used to control plant pests and diseases. Pesticides are divided into the following groups:

Insecticides to control harmful insects,

Fungicides and bactericides - to combat bacterial plant diseases,

Herbicides against weeds.

It has been established that pesticides, while destroying pests, harm many beneficial organisms and undermine the health of biocenoses. In agriculture, there has long been a problem of transition from chemical (polluting) to biological (environmentally friendly) methods of pest control. Currently, more than 5 million tons of pesticides are supplied to the world market. About 1.5 million tons of these substances have already become part of terrestrial and marine ecosystems through ash and by water. Industrial production of pesticides is accompanied by the emergence of a large number of by-products that pollute wastewater. Representatives of insecticides, fungicides and herbicides are most often found in the aquatic environment. Synthesized insecticides are divided into three main groups: organochlorine, organophosphorus and carbonates.

Organochlorine insecticides are produced by chlorination of aromatic and heterocyclic liquid hydrocarbons. These include DDT and its derivatives, in whose molecules the stability of aliphatic and aromatic groups in the joint presence increases, and all kinds of chlorinated derivatives of chlorodiene (Eldrin). These substances have a half-life of up to several decades and are very resistant to biodegradation. In the aquatic environment, polychlorinated biphenyls are often found - derivatives of DDT without an aliphatic part, numbering 210 homologues and isomers. Over the past 40 years, more than 1.2 million tons of polychlorinated biphenyls have been used in the production of plastics, dyes, transformers, and capacitors. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) enter the environment as a result of industrial wastewater discharges and solid waste combustion in landfills. The latter source supplies PBCs into the atmosphere, from where they fall with precipitation in all regions of the globe. Thus, in snow samples taken in Antarctica, the PBC content was 0.03 - 1.2 kg. /l.

Synthetic surfactants

Detergents (surfactants) belong to a large group of substances that reduce the surface tension of water. They are part of synthetic detergents (SDCs), widely used in everyday life and industry. Together with wastewater, surfactants enter continental waters and the marine environment. SMS contain sodium polyphosphates in which detergents are dissolved, as well as a number of additional ingredients that are toxic to aquatic organisms: fragrances, bleaching reagents (persulfates, perborates), soda ash, carboxymethylcellulose, sodium silicates. Depending on the nature and structure of the hydrophilic part, surfactant molecules are divided into anionic, cationic, amphoteric and nonionic. The latter do not form ions in water. The most common surfactants are anionic substances. They account for more than 50% of all surfactants produced in the world. The presence of surfactants in industrial wastewater is associated with their use in processes such as flotation concentration of ores, separation of chemical technology products, production of polymers, improving conditions for drilling oil and gas wells, and combating equipment corrosion. In agriculture, surfactants are used as part of pesticides.

Compounds with carcinogenic properties

Carcinogenic substances are chemically homogeneous compounds that exhibit transforming activity and the ability to cause carcinogenic, teratogenic (disruption of embryonic development processes) or mutagenic changes in organisms. Depending on the conditions of exposure, they can lead to growth inhibition, accelerated aging, disruption of individual development and changes in the gene pool of organisms. Substances with carcinogenic properties include chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons, vinyl chloride, and especially polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The maximum amount of PAHs in modern sediments of the World Ocean (more than 100 μg/km of dry matter mass) was found in tectonically active zones subject to deep thermal effects. The main anthropogenic sources of PAHs in the environment are the pyrolysis of organic substances during the combustion of various materials, wood and fuels.

Heavy metals

Heavy metals (mercury, lead, cadmium, zinc, copper, arsenic) are common and highly toxic pollutants. They are widely used in various industrial processes, therefore, despite treatment measures, the content of heavy metal compounds in industrial wastewater is quite high. Large masses of these compounds enter the ocean through the atmosphere. For marine biocenoses, the most dangerous are mercury, lead and cadmium. Mercury is transported to the ocean by continental runoff and through the atmosphere. During the weathering of sedimentary and igneous rocks, 3.5 thousand tons of mercury are released annually. Atmospheric dust contains about 121 thousand. t. 0mercury, and a significant part is of anthropogenic origin. About half of the annual industrial production of this metal (910 thousand tons / year) in various ways falls into the ocean. In areas polluted by industrial waters, the concentration of mercury in solution and suspended matter increases greatly. At the same time, some bacteria convert chlorides into highly toxic methyl mercury. Contamination of seafood has repeatedly led to mercury poisoning of coastal populations. By 1977, there were 2,800 victims of Minomata disease, which was caused by waste from vinyl chloride and acetaldehyde production plants that used mercuric chloride as a catalyst. Insufficiently treated wastewater from factories flowed into Minamata Bay. Pig is a typical trace element contained in all components of the environment: rocks, soils, natural waters, atmosphere, living organisms. Finally, pigs are actively dispersed into the environment during human economic activities. These are emissions from industrial and domestic wastewater, from smoke and dust from industrial enterprises, and from exhaust gases from internal combustion engines. The migration flow of lead from the continent to the ocean occurs not only with river runoff, but also through the atmosphere.

Dumping waste into the sea for disposal

Many countries with access to the sea carry out marine disposal of various materials and substances, in particular dredging soil, drilling slag, industrial waste, construction waste, solid waste, explosives and chemicals, and radioactive waste. The volume of burials amounted to about 10% of the total mass of pollutants entering the World Ocean. The basis for dumping at sea is the ability of the marine environment to process large quantities of organic and inorganic substances without much water damage. However, this ability is not unlimited. Therefore, dumping is seen as a forced measure, a temporary tribute from society to the imperfection of technology. Industrial slag contains a variety of organic substances and heavy metal compounds. Household waste on average contains (by dry matter weight) 32-40% organic matter; 0.56% nitrogen; 0.44% phosphorus; 0.155% zinc; 0.085% lead; 0.001% mercury; 0.001% cadmium. During the discharge, when the material passes through a column of water, some of the pollutants go into solution, changing the quality of the water, while others are sorbed by suspended particles and pass into bottom sediments. At the same time, the turbidity of the water increases. The presence of organic substances leads to the rapid consumption of oxygen in water and not to its complete disappearance, the dissolution of suspended matter, the accumulation of metals in dissolved form, and the appearance of hydrogen sulfide. The presence of a large amount of organic substances creates a stable reducing environment in the soil, in which a special type of silt water appears, containing hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and metal ions. Benthos organisms and others are exposed to varying degrees to the effects of discharged materials. In the case of the formation of surface films containing petroleum hydrocarbons and surfactants, gas exchange at the air-water interface is disrupted. Pollutants entering the solution can accumulate in the tissues and organs of aquatic organisms and have a toxic effect on them. The discharge of dumping materials to the bottom and prolonged increased turbidity of the added water leads to the death of sedentary benthos from suffocation. In surviving fish, mollusks and crustaceans, their growth rate is reduced due to deteriorating feeding and breathing conditions. The species composition of a given community often changes. When organizing a system for monitoring waste emissions into the sea, it is crucial to identify dumping areas and determine the dynamics of pollution of sea water and bottom sediments. To identify possible volumes of discharge into the sea, it is necessary to carry out calculations of all pollutants in the material discharge.

Thermal pollution

Thermal pollution of the surface of reservoirs and coastal marine areas occurs as a result of the discharge of heated wastewater by power plants and some industrial production. The discharge of heated water in many cases causes an increase in water temperature in reservoirs by 6-8 degrees Celsius. The area of ​​heated water spots in coastal areas can reach 30 square meters. km. More stable temperature stratification prevents water exchange between the surface and bottom layers. The solubility of oxygen decreases, and its consumption increases, since with increasing temperature the activity of aerobic bacteria decomposing organic matter increases. Intensifying species diversity phytoplankton and all algal flora. Based on the generalization of the material, we can conclude that the effects of anthropogenic impact on the aquatic environment manifest themselves at the individual and population-biocenotic levels, and the long-term effect of pollutants leads to a simplification of the ecosystem.

Protection of seas and oceans

The most serious problem of the seas and oceans in our century is oil pollution, the consequences of which are disastrous for all life on Earth. Therefore, in 1954, a international Conference, which aimed to develop coordinated actions to protect the marine environment from oil pollution. It adopted a convention defining the responsibilities of states in this area. Later, in 1958, four more documents were adopted in Geneva: on the high seas, on the territorial sea and the contiguous zone, on the continental shelf, on fisheries and the protection of living marine resources. These conventions legally established the principles and norms of the law of the sea. They obliged each country to develop and implement laws prohibiting pollution of the marine environment with oil, radioactive waste and other harmful substances. A conference held in London in 1973 adopted documents on the prevention of pollution from ships. According to the adopted convention, each ship must have a certificate - evidence that the hull, mechanisms and other equipment are in good condition and do not cause damage to the sea. Compliance with certificates is checked by inspection upon entry into the port.

It is prohibited to discharge oil-containing water from tankers; all discharges from them must be pumped only to onshore receiving points. Electrochemical installations have been created for the purification and disinfection of ship wastewater, including domestic wastewater. The Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences has developed an emulsion method for cleaning sea tankers, which completely eliminates the entry of oil into the water area. It consists of adding several surfactants (ML preparation) to the wash water, which allows cleaning on the ship itself without discharging contaminated water or oil residues, which can subsequently be regenerated for further use. Up to 300 tons of oil can be washed from each tanker. In order to prevent oil leaks, the designs of oil tankers are being improved. Many modern tankers have a double bottom. If one of them is damaged, oil will not spill out; it will be retained by the second shell.

Ship captains are required to record in special logs information about all cargo operations with oil and petroleum products, and note the place and time of delivery or discharge of contaminated wastewater from the ship. Floating oil skimmers and side barriers are used to systematically clean up water areas from accidental spills. Also, in order to prevent oil spreading, physicochemical methods are used. A foam group preparation has been created that, when in contact with an oil slick, completely envelops it. After spinning, the foam can be used again as a sorbent. Such drugs are very convenient due to their ease of use and low cost, but their mass production has not yet been established. There are also sorbent agents based on plant, mineral and synthetic substances. Some of them can collect up to 90% of spilled oil. The main requirement that is placed on them is unsinkability. After collecting oil with sorbents or mechanical means, a thin film always remains on the surface of the water, which can be removed by spraying decomposing agents chemicals. But at the same time, these substances must be biologically safe.

A unique technology has been created and tested in Japan, with the help of which a giant stain can be eliminated in a short time. Kansai Sage Corporation has released the ASWW reagent, the main component of which is specially processed rice husk. Sprayed over the surface, the drug absorbs the waste within half an hour and turns into a thick mass that can be pulled off with a simple net. The original cleaning method was demonstrated by American scientists in the Atlantic Ocean. A ceramic plate is lowered under the oil film to a certain depth. An acoustic record is connected to it. Under the influence of vibration, it first accumulates in a thick layer above the place where the plate is installed, and then mixes with water and begins to gush. Electricity, brought to the plate, sets the fountain on fire, and the oil burns completely.

To remove oil stains from the surface of coastal waters, American scientists have created a modification of polypropylene that attracts fatty particles. On a catamaran boat, a kind of curtain made of this material was placed between the hulls, the ends of which hang into the water. As soon as the boat hits the slick, the oil firmly adheres to the “curtain”. All that remains is to pass the polymer through the rollers of a special device, which squeezes the oil into the prepared container. Since 1993, the dumping of liquid radioactive waste (LRW) has been prohibited, but their number is steadily growing. Therefore, in order to protect the environment, liquid radioactive waste cleanup projects began to be developed in the 90s. In 1996, representatives of Japanese, American and Russian firms signed a contract to create a facility for processing liquid radioactive waste accumulated in the Russian Far East. The Japanese government allocated $25.2 million for the project. However, despite some successes in the search for effective means of eliminating pollution, it is too early to talk about solving the problem. Only by introducing new methods of cleaning water areas it is impossible to ensure the cleanliness of the seas and oceans. The central task that all countries need to solve together is the prevention of pollution.

Pollution is the introduction of pollutants into the environment natural environment that cause unfavorable changes. Pollution can take the form of chemicals or energy such as noise, heat or light. Components of pollution can be either foreign substances/energy or natural pollutants.

Main types and causes of environmental pollution:

Air pollution

Coniferous forest after acid rain

Smoke from chimneys, factories, vehicles, or from burning wood and coal makes the air toxic. The effects of air pollution are also clear. The release of sulfur dioxide and hazardous gases into the atmosphere causes global warming and acid rain, which in turn increases temperatures, causing excessive rainfall or droughts around the world and making life more difficult. We also breathe every contaminated particle in the air and as a result, the risk of asthma and lung cancer increases.

Water pollution

Caused the loss of many species of flora and fauna of the Earth. This happened because industrial waste discharged into rivers and other water bodies causes an imbalance in the aquatic environment, leading to severe pollution and death of aquatic animals and plants.

In addition, spraying insecticides, pesticides (such as DDT) on plants, contaminates the groundwater system. Oil spills in the oceans have caused significant damage to water bodies.

Eutrophication in the Potomac River, USA

Eutrophication is another important cause of water pollution. Occurs due to untreated wastewater and the run-off of fertilizers from the soil into lakes, ponds or rivers, due to which chemicals penetrate into the water and prevent the penetration of sunlight, thereby reducing the amount of oxygen and making the water body uninhabitable.

Pollution of water resources harms not only individual aquatic organisms, but also the entire water supply, and seriously affects the people who depend on it. In some countries of the world, due to water pollution, outbreaks of cholera and diarrhea are observed.

Soil pollution

Soil erosion

This type of pollution occurs when harmful chemical elements enter the soil, usually caused by human activities. Insecticides and pesticides suck nitrogen compounds from the soil, making it unsuitable for plant growth. Industrial waste also has a negative impact on the soil. Since plants cannot grow as required, they are unable to hold the soil, resulting in erosion.

Noise pollution

This pollution occurs when unpleasant (loud) sounds from the environment affect a person's hearing organs and lead to psychological problems including stress, high blood pressure, hearing impairment, etc. It can be caused by industrial equipment, airplanes, cars, etc.

Nuclear pollution

This is very dangerous look pollution, it occurs due to malfunctions of nuclear power plants, improper storage of nuclear waste, accidents, etc. Radioactive pollution can cause cancer, infertility, loss of vision, birth defects; it can make the soil infertile, and also negatively affects air and water.

Light pollution

Light pollution on planet Earth

Occurs due to noticeable excess illumination of an area. It is common, as a rule, in large cities, especially from billboards, gyms or entertainment venues at night. In residential areas, light pollution greatly affects people's lives. It also interferes with astronomical observations, making the stars almost invisible.

Thermal/heat pollution

Thermal pollution is the deterioration of water quality by any process that changes the temperature of the surrounding water. The main reason Thermal pollution is the use of water as a refrigerant by power plants and industrial plants. When water used as a refrigerant is returned to the natural environment at more high temperature, temperature changes reduce the oxygen supply and affect the composition. Fish and other organisms adapted to a particular temperature range can be killed by a sudden change in water temperature (or a rapid increase or decrease).

Thermal pollution is caused by excess heat in the environment creating undesirable changes over long periods of time. This is due to the huge number of industries, deforestation and air pollution. Thermal pollution increases the Earth's temperature, causing dramatic climate change and the loss of wildlife species.

Visual pollution

Visual pollution, Philippines

Visual pollution is an aesthetic problem and refers to the effects of pollution that impair the ability to enjoy the natural world. It includes: billboards, open garbage storage, antennas, electrical wires, buildings, cars, etc.

Overcrowding of the territory with a large number of objects causes visual pollution. Such pollution contributes to absent-mindedness, eye fatigue, loss of identity, etc.

Plastic pollution

Plastic pollution, India

Involves the accumulation of plastic products in the environment that have an adverse effect on wildlife, animal habitats or people. Plastic products are inexpensive and durable, which has made them very popular among people. However, this material decomposes very slowly. Plastic pollution can adversely affect soil, lakes, rivers, seas and oceans. Living organisms, especially marine animals, become entangled in plastic waste or suffer from chemicals in plastic that cause disruptions in biological functions. People are also affected by plastic pollution by causing hormonal imbalance.

Objects of pollution

The main objects of environmental pollution are air (atmosphere), water resources (streams, rivers, lakes, seas, oceans), soil, etc.

Pollutants (sources or subjects of pollution) of the environment

Pollutants are chemical, biological, physical or mechanical elements (or processes) that harm the environment.

They can cause harm in both the short and long term. Pollutants come from natural resources or are produced by humans.

Many pollutants have toxic effects on living organisms. Carbon monoxide (carbon monoxide) is an example of a substance that is harmful to humans. This compound is absorbed by the body instead of oxygen, causing shortness of breath, headache, dizziness, rapid heartbeat, and in severe cases can lead to serious poisoning, and even death.

Some pollutants become dangerous when they react with other naturally occurring compounds. Oxides of nitrogen and sulfur are released from impurities in fossil fuels during combustion. They react with water vapor in the atmosphere, turning into acid rain. Acid rain negatively affects aquatic ecosystems and leads to the death of aquatic animals, plants, and other living organisms. Terrestrial ecosystems are also affected by acid rain.

Classification of pollution sources

According to the type of occurrence, environmental pollution is divided into:

Anthropogenic (artificial) pollution

Deforestation

Anthropogenic pollution is the impact on the environment caused by human activities. The main sources of artificial pollution are:

• industrialization;
• invention of automobiles;
• global population growth;
• deforestation: destruction of natural habitats;
• nuclear explosions;
• overexploitation of natural resources;
• construction of buildings, roads, dams;
• creation of explosive substances that are used during military operations;
• use of fertilizers and pesticides;
• mining.

Natural (natural) pollution

Eruption

Natural pollution is caused and occurs naturally, without human intervention. It can affect the environment for a certain period of time, but is capable of regeneration. Sources of natural pollution include:

• volcanic eruptions, releasing gases, ash and magma;
• forest fires emit smoke and gaseous impurities;
• sandstorms raise dust and sand;
• decomposition of organic matter, during which gases are released.

Consequences of pollution:

Environmental degradation

Photo on the left: Beijing after the rain. Photo on the right: smog in Beijing

The environment is the first victim of air pollution. An increase in the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere leads to smog, which can prevent sunlight from reaching the earth's surface. In this regard, it becomes much more difficult. Gases such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide can cause acid rain. Water pollution in terms of oil spills can lead to the death of several species of wild animals and plants.

Human health

Lung cancer

Decreased air quality leads to several respiratory problems, including asthma or lung cancer. Pain in chest, sore throat, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases can be caused by air pollution. Water pollution can cause skin problems, including irritation and rashes. Similarly, noise pollution leads to hearing loss, stress and sleep disturbance.

Global warming

Male, the capital of the Maldives, is one of the cities facing the prospect of being flooded by the ocean in the 21st century

The release of greenhouse gases, especially CO2, leads to global warming. Every day new industries are created, new cars appear on the roads, and trees are cut down to make way for new homes. All these factors, directly or indirectly, lead to an increase in CO2 in the atmosphere. Rising CO2 is causing the polar ice caps to melt, raising sea levels and creating dangers for people living near coastal areas.

Ozone depletion

The ozone layer is a thin shield high in the sky that blocks ultraviolet rays from reaching the ground. Human activities release chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons into the atmosphere, which contributes to the depletion of the ozone layer.

Badlands

Due to the constant use of insecticides and pesticides, the soil can become infertile. Various types of chemicals generated from industrial waste end up in water, which also affects soil quality.

Protection (protection) of the environment from pollution:

International protection

Many are particularly vulnerable because they are exposed to human influence in many countries. As a result, some states are banding together and developing agreements aimed at preventing damage or managing human impacts on natural resources. These include agreements that affect the protection of the climate, oceans, rivers and air from pollution. These international environmental treaties are sometimes binding instruments that have legal consequences in the event of non-compliance, and in other situations they are used as codes of conduct. The most famous include:

• The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), approved in June 1972, provides for the protection of nature for the present generation of people and their descendants.
• The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was signed in May 1992. The main goal of this agreement is “to stabilize the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere at a level that will prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.”
• The Kyoto Protocol provides for the reduction or stabilization of the amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere. It was signed in Japan at the end of 1997.

State protection

Discussions of environmental issues often focus on the government, legislative and law enforcement levels. However, in the broadest sense, environmental protection can be seen as the responsibility of the entire people, not just the government. Decisions that impact the environment will ideally involve a wide range of stakeholders, including industry, indigenous groups, environmental groups and communities. Environmental decision-making processes are constantly evolving and becoming more active in different countries.

Many constitutions recognize the fundamental right to protect the environment. In addition, in various countries there are organizations and institutions dealing with environmental issues.

Although protecting the environment is not simply the responsibility of government agencies, most people consider these organizations to be paramount in creating and maintaining basic standards that protect the environment and the people who interact with it.

How to protect the environment yourself?

Population and technological advances based on fossil fuels have severely impacted our natural environment. Therefore, we now need to do our part to eliminate the consequences of degradation so that humanity continues to live in an environmentally friendly environment.

There are 3 main principles that are still relevant and more important than ever:

• use less;
• reuse;
• convert.

• Create a compost heap in your garden. It helps to recycle food waste and other biodegradable materials.
• When shopping, use your eco-bags and try to avoid plastic bags as much as possible.
• Plant as many trees as you can.
• Think about ways to reduce the number of trips you make using your car.
• Reduce vehicle emissions by walking or cycling. Not only are these great alternatives to driving, but they also have health benefits.
• Use public transportation whenever you can for daily transportation.
• Bottles, paper, used oil, old batteries and used tires must be disposed of properly; all this causes serious pollution.
• Do not pour chemicals and waste oil onto the ground or into drains leading to waterways.
• If possible, recycle selected biodegradable waste, and work to reduce the amount of non-recyclable waste used.
• Reduce the amount of meat you consume or consider a vegetarian diet.

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

Anthropogenic impact greatly alters natural processes. The global consequences of pollution are the greenhouse effect, destruction of the ozone layer, disruption of natural cycles, and acidic precipitation.

Greenhouse effect and global warming .

The greenhouse effect is an increase in the average temperature of the atmosphere as a result of an increase in the concentration of “greenhouse gases” (carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, etc.) that interfere with the normal heat exchange of the Earth.

The cause of the greenhouse effect is the release of large quantities of “greenhouse gases” into the atmosphere. Containing large quantities of nitrogen and oxygen in the atmosphere, they almost do not retain thermal radiation emanating from the heated surface of the Earth. But “greenhouse gases” - water vapor and carbon dioxide - retain 84% of this radiation. The most important greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide (CO2). The increase in its content in the atmosphere began in the 19th century and continues to this day. Over the past 100 years, the CO 2 content in the atmosphere has increased by 25%. Over the same period, the methane content doubled. Billions of tons of carbon dioxide are released into the atmosphere each year as a result of fuel combustion (in transport engines, during energy production). Methane enters the atmosphere during extraction natural gas, as a result of decomposition of organic remains.

An atmosphere saturated with greenhouse gases, like a glass roof in a greenhouse, allows the sun's rays to pass through, but does not allow heat to escape, trapping the Earth's thermal radiation. At the same time, the average ambient temperature increases. An increase in temperature leads to a decrease in the solubility of CO 2 in the World Ocean, which causes the appearance of new portions of gas in the atmosphere.

A consequence of the heating of the atmosphere is the melting of glaciers and the expansion of water, which leads to an increase in the level of the World Ocean. The ice of Antarctica is already rapidly melting. Over the past decades, the thickness of ice in the Arctic Ocean has decreased by 40%. By 2030−2050, at the current production rates, there should be an increase in temperature by 1.5−4.5 0 C, which will cause a rise in the level of the World Ocean by 50−100 cm, and by the end of the century - by 2 m.

Rising sea levels mean the flooding of vast coastal areas, the disappearance of small islands, and swamping of lands in many areas. This will be a serious blow to the global economy, since most of the world's population lives near oceans and seas.

Another consequence of climate warming will be severe hurricanes, droughts, monsoon rains, and forest fires. There is an assumption that a sharp increase in temperature could change global ocean circulation, resulting in the rapid onset of the next Ice Age (that is, rapid global cooling).

Even a very small climate change, within 1−2 0 C, leads to droughts in some areas, expansion of deserts, and increased precipitation and floods in other areas. Over the past 50 years, the total area of ​​deserts has increased by approximately 9 million km 2 - an area equal in size to half of South America. With climate change, the normal cycle of seasons is disrupted, biological rhythms change, which leads to the death of many organisms.

In 1992, at the environmental conference in Rio de Janeiro, the UN climate change convention was adopted, according to which 25 developed countries and emerging economies must undertake the following obligations: return to greenhouse gas emissions at 1990 levels, provide financial resources and safe technologies to other countries, etc.

Ozone layer depletion .

Another global consequence of pollution is the destruction of the ozone layer, which protects the biosphere from powerful cosmic radiation. Ozone holes were first discovered in 1975 over Antarctica. Currently, there is depletion of the ozone layer over many areas of the globe. The ozone layer over Antarctica has decreased by 40% over the past few decades, and by 10% over the North Pole. Many “holes” have appeared in the protective ozone layer. Ozone holes have also been discovered over Russia, especially over its cold part - Siberia.

A decrease in the amount of ozone in the atmosphere affects the planet's climate and human health. Ultraviolet radiation penetrating through ozone holes has sufficient energy to destroy most organic compounds living cell. In areas with low ozone levels, there is an increase in the incidence of eye diseases, suppression of the immune system, and an increase in the number of cancers. Thus, American scientists have found that a decrease in the ozone layer by 1% leads to an increase in ultraviolet radiation by 2% and, as a result, an increase in cases of skin cancer by 2.5%. Under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, plants gradually lose their ability to photosynthesize. This has a particularly strong effect on the photosynthetics of the ocean - small plankton, which is the food of most fish. The death of plankton disrupts all trophic chains in water systems, which inevitably leads to degradation of the biosphere.

The reason for the appearance of ozone holes is the destruction of ozone upon contact with certain pollutants (chlorofluorocarbons - freons, nitrogen oxides), as well as nuclear weapons testing. Freons are used in large quantities as refrigerants in refrigerators, as solvents, and as dispensers in aerosol cans. These light gases rise to the upper layers of the atmosphere, where they are destroyed, releasing very active chlorine and bromine radicals that interact with ozone. In addition to destroying ozone, freons also enhance the greenhouse effect, playing a double negative role in the atmosphere.

The production of freons in the world is very large. The USA alone produces 800-900 thousand tons per year - half of the total amount.

Acid precipitation over large areas .

The main cause of acid rain is the release of sulfur and nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere, which form acids when interacting with water. Gaseous substances are carried by air currents over long distances. As a result, in many areas, sediments become acidic (pH = 5−6; precipitation with pH = 2−3 has also been recorded). The consequence of this is acidification of soils and water bodies over large areas, death of aquatic organisms, suppression of vegetation and degradation of natural ecosystems. Nutrients are washed out of the soil, as well as toxic compounds, which return to living organisms. As a result of acid rainfall, forests are dying all over the world. Under the influence of acidic compounds, buildings and structures are destroyed, bridges and various metal structures are corroded, and human health is harmed.

Smog formation over industrial centers .

Smog is a mixture of smoke, fog and dust that creates a toxic haze over the city. There are two main types of smog: winter (London type) and summer (Los Angeles type).

Winter (London) smog forms over large industrial centers in winter, in the absence of wind. At the same time, the concentration of pollutants reaches large values, which leads to a deterioration in people's health.

In 1952, as a result of the formation of this type of smog over London, more than 4 thousand people died in the city between December 3 and 9, and approximately 10 thousand were hospitalized. Later similar look smog was observed over other cities. Only wind can dissipate smog; reducing the concentration of pollutants helps to reduce their emissions.

Summer (Los Angeles) smog also called photochemical. It occurs in summer as a result of intense exposure to solar radiation on air saturated with automobile emissions. When exposed to solar energy, some pollutants (such as nitrogen oxides) produce highly toxic substances that irritate the lungs, gastrointestinal tract, and eyes. This smog is typical for cities located in lowlands.