Environmental pollution. What is the impact of the environment on human health: the danger of environmental pollution

Remember!

What global environmental problems do you know?

Give examples of environmental problems in your region.

Air pollution. One of the most acute environmental problems at present is environmental pollution. In the early stages of the development of the biosphere, the air was polluted only by volcanic eruptions and Forest fires, but as soon as a person made his first fire, anthropogenic impact on the atmosphere began. As early as the beginning of the 20th century. the biosphere coped with those combustion products of coal and liquid fuel that entered the air. It was enough to drive a few kilometers away from industrial enterprises to feel the clean air. However, in the future, the rapid development of industry and transport led to a sharp deterioration in the state of the atmosphere.

Currently, as a result of human activity, carbon dioxide (CO 2), carbon monoxide (CO), chlorofluorocarbons, sulfur and nitrogen oxides, methane (CH 4) and other hydrocarbons enter the atmosphere. The sources of these pollutions are the burning of fossil fuels, burning of forests, emissions from industrial enterprises and vehicle exhaust gases (Fig. 178).

Acid rain. Near the copper smelters, the air contains a high concentration of sulfur dioxide, which causes the destruction of chlorophyll, the underdevelopment of pollen, and the drying of needles. Dissolving in droplets of atmospheric moisture, sulfur and nitrogen dioxide turn into the corresponding acids and fall to the ground along with rain. The soil acquires an acidic reaction, the amount of mineral salts in it decreases. Getting on the leaves, acid precipitation destroys the protective wax film, which leads to the development of plant diseases. Small aquatic animals and caviar are especially sensitive to changes in acidity, so acid rain causes maximum damage to aquatic ecosystems. In the most developed industrial areas, acid rain destroys the surface of buildings, spoiling monuments of sculpture and architecture.

Greenhouse effect. An increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere creates the so-called greenhouse effect. These gases transmit sunlight, but partially delay the reflected thermal radiation from the Earth's surface. Over the past 100 years, the relative concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased by 20%, and methane - by 100%, which led to an increase in temperature on average on the planet by 0.5 °C. If in the coming years the concentration of these gases will increase at the same rate, by 2050 the Earth will become warmer by another 2–5 °C. Such warming could cause glaciers to melt and sea levels to rise by up to 1.5 meters, flooding many populated coastal areas.

Rice. 178. Air pollution: industrial and motor vehicle emissions

Smog. Substances contained in vehicle exhaust gases sunlight enter into complex chemical reactions, forming toxic compounds. Together with water droplets, they form a poisonous fog - smog, which has a harmful effect on the human body and plants.

Suspensions of solid particles and droplets of liquids (mists and fogs) significantly reduce the amount of solar radiation reaching the Earth's surface. During the winter months, ultraviolet radiation is significantly weakened in large cities.

Ozone holes. At an altitude of more than 20 km above the Earth's surface is the ozone layer (O 3), which protects all living things from excess ultraviolet radiation. Some wavelengths of ultraviolet are good for humans because they produce vitamin D. However, excessive sun exposure can lead to skin cancer.

Substances that are used as components of aerosols and refrigerants in refrigerators - chlorofluorocarbons - rise into the stratosphere, where they decompose under the action of solar radiation with the release of chlorine and fluorine. The resulting gases cause the conversion of ozone into oxygen, destroying the protective shell of the Earth, which arose about 2 billion years ago.

In 1987, it was first discovered that over Antarctica, over an area equal in area to the United States, the ozone layer had almost completely disappeared. In subsequent years, the thinning of the ozone layer was regularly observed over the Arctic and some parts of the land.

Pollution and waste of natural waters. Fresh water makes up less than 1% of the world's total water supply, and humanity is wasting and polluting this priceless wealth. Population growth, improvement of living conditions, development of industry and irrigated agriculture led to the fact that water overrun has become one of the global environmental problems of our time.

Entire rivers are taken apart for irrigation and the needs of large cities, and along their channel and at the mouth they die. natural communities. Water diversion for the city of Los Angeles virtually destroyed the Colorado River. The place where it once flowed into the Gulf of California has become a dry channel. Analysis of river water Central Asia led to the fact that the Aral Sea actually ceased to exist (Fig. 179). Salt from its dry bottom is carried by the wind, causing soil salinization for many hundreds of kilometers around.

Rice. 179. Reduction of the water area of ​​the Aral Sea. Satellite imagery taken in the summer of 2002. The red line shows the water boundary as of 1960.

For centuries, groundwater washed out cavities in the bowels of the earth, a kind of underground reservoirs. Numerous springs that feed rivers and lakes are places where groundwater comes to the surface. Excessive consumption of groundwater reduces the number of springs and causes a gradual subsidence of the land surface, the so-called soil subsidence. The soil falls into the formed underground voids, and if this happens suddenly, it leads to catastrophic consequences.

A less dangerous phenomenon water pollution. Organic matter, mineral fertilizers, animal waste, pesticides and herbicides enter the water from fields and pastures (Fig. 180). Sewage that is discharged into the sea without prior treatment poses a threat to human health. Due to tanker and pipeline accidents, a huge amount of oil is annually poured into the ocean - about 5 million tons. Discharges from industrial enterprises, surface runoff from landfills are often polluted with heavy metals and synthetic organic substances. Salts of heavy metals (lead, mercury, copper, zinc, chromium, cadmium, etc.) cause poisoning in humans with severe physiological and neurological consequences. Many artificial organic compounds are so reminiscent of natural ones that they are absorbed by the body, but, being included in the metabolism, completely disrupt its normal functioning. As a result, diseases of the kidneys, liver, infertility and many other physiological disorders occur. Especially dangerous are toxic compounds that do not decompose and, passing through food chains, accumulate in organisms.

Rice. 180. Defects in the limbs of tree frogs, the development of which took place in the ponds of Pennsylvania (USA), are caused by exposure to pesticides

In the early 1970s A tragedy has occurred in the small fishing village of Minamata in Japan. A chemical plant was dumping waste containing mercury into the water. Mercury settled to the bottom, was absorbed by bacteria, and then, gradually concentrating, passed through the levels of the food chain and accumulated in fish. A few years before the cause of the tragedy was clarified, people began to notice that in the village, cats often had convulsions, which led to partial paralysis, and later to death. At first they thought that this was some kind of specific feline disease, but soon similar symptoms began to appear in people. There were cases of mental retardation, mental disorders and birth defects. By the time the cause was found out (acute mercury poisoning) and the situation was brought under control, more than 50 people had already died and another 150 became disabled. Mercury entered the human body with fish. The cats were the first to suffer because they ate mostly only fish.

Soil pollution and depletion. Fertile soil is one of the most important human resources for food production. The top fertile soil layer is formed for a long time, but can collapse very quickly. Every year, along with the harvest, a huge amount is removed from the soil. mineral compounds are the main components of plant nutrition. If you do not apply fertilizer, within 50-100 years, complete soil depletion.

The most devastating effect on soil erosion. Plowing of the steppes, destruction of forests, overgrazing make the soil unprotected, and the top layer is washed away by water (water erosion) or blown away by the wind (wind erosion). The soil carried away from the surface of the earth clogs the riverbeds, causing disturbances in the structure of aquatic ecosystems. In irrigated agriculture, excessive irrigation in hot climates leads to soil salinization.

Archaeologists have found that the decline of many ancient civilizations was caused not by external causes and not by wars, but by slow ecological suicide - the inability to conserve their land and water resources. The loss of soil fertility led to the decline of the once-thriving Maya civilization in Central America. North Africa, once feeding the entire Roman Empire, is today mostly desert.

At present, the entire territory of our planet is subject to anthropogenic influence to one degree or another. Rapid population growth requires a constant expansion of production. The construction of cities and industrial enterprises, the development of agriculture and the development of minerals have led to the fact that already almost 20% of the land is completely transformed by man. Mineral reserves are depleted, which are non-renewable natural resources. Pollution of the atmosphere and natural waters, erosion and depletion of soils, destruction of natural ecosystems can lead mankind to an ecological catastrophe. That is why environmental protection measures aimed at preserving the biosphere are becoming increasingly important.

Review questions and assignments

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

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

3. What are the consequences of pollution of the waters of the oceans?

4. What is the direct influence of man on the flora and fauna of the Earth?

5. What impact does the expansion of agricultural production have on biogeocenoses and the biosphere as a whole?

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

Question 1. What is the cause of air pollution and what are its consequences?

The main causes of air pollution are the combustion of fossil fuels and metallurgical production. If in the XIX and early XX centuries. the combustion products of coal and liquid fuel entering the environment were almost completely assimilated by the vegetation of the Earth, then at present the content harmful products combustion is steadily increasing. From furnaces, furnaces, exhaust pipes of cars, a number of pollutants enter the air. Sulfur dioxide, a poisonous gas that is easily soluble in water, stands out among them.

Industrial enterprises and cars cause many toxic compounds to enter 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 water droplets, they form a poisonous fog - smog, which has a harmful effect on the human body, 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 decreases by 15%, ultraviolet radiation - by 30% (and in the winter months it can completely disappear).

Question 2. Is there a relationship between atmospheric pollution and an increase in the incidence of people? Justify your point of view.

Atmospheric air is a vital component of the environment 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, with pollution of which the impact on human health (the state of the protective resource) is most pronounced.

Pollution environment, Firstly atmospheric air, is a powerful factor in shaping the health of the population, having a negative impact on the reproductive function and natural reproduction of the population, on morbidity, mortality, in the first place, socially unprotected and weakened groups of the population (children, women, the elderly).

Atmospheric air pollution is one of the environmental factors contributing to the development of a certain group of diseases in the population (with intensive exposure) and a decrease in the adaptive reserve (with chronic - the 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 the research results, the impact of atmospheric air pollution on the health of the population, at present, is especially active in small towns.

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

The constant increase in water consumption on the planet leads to "water hunger", which necessitates the development of measures to rational use 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. ground water

2. intermoraine semi-confined aquifer

3. over-Jurassic pressure horizon

4. Medium Carboniferous confining horizon

5. Lower Carboniferous pressure horizon

The first three levels are above the first aquifer from the ground, 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 with groundwater, these are the intermorainic semi-confined aquifer and the over-Jurassic pressure horizon.

All three horizons are fed mainly by precipitation and surface runoff. Replenishment of water reserves in them occurs mainly in spring period. The groundwater comes to 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 the river floodplains, the waters of the Nad-Jurassic aquifer come to the surface through large ascending sources located in the riverbeds.

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

Question 5. What causes pollution of the waters of the oceans?

The waters of the seas and oceans are exposed to significant pollution. With river runoff, as well as from sea transport, hazardous 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 human consumption. Pesticides (from lat. pestis - infection and tseder - kill), used in agriculture to combat insect pests, are found even 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 the soil is erosion (from the Latin erosio - erosion). Erosion is the destruction and demolition of the soil cover by water flows or wind. Water erosion is widespread and most destructive. It occurs on the slopes and develops with 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, with sparse vegetation. Excessive grazing in the steppes and semi-deserts contributes to wind erosion and the rapid destruction of the grass cover. It takes 250–300 years to restore a soil layer 1 cm thick under natural conditions. Consequently, dust storms are fraught with irreplaceable losses of the fertile soil layer.

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

Question 7. What is the direct influence of man on the flora and fauna of the Earth?

Selective and sanitary cuttings, which regulate the composition and quality of the forest and are necessary for the removal of damaged and diseased trees, do not significantly affect the species composition of forest biocenoses. Another thing is the clear-cutting of a tree stand. Once suddenly in an open habitat, the plants of the lower tiers of the forest are adversely affected by 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 high temperatures and lack of moisture settle on the site of clearings. The animal world is also changing: the species associated with the forest stand disappear or migrate to other places. The development of land for plantations of cultivated plants, i.e., the creation of agrocenoses, also leads to the displacement of natural species.

A tangible impact on the condition of the vegetation cover is exerted by mass visits to forests by vacationers and tourists, resulting in forest fires, as well as trampling, compaction of the soil and its pollution. Compaction of the soil inhibits the root system and leads to the drying of plants. The trampling of herbs disrupts essential stages of the cycle of substances, dooming the 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 for him.

The number of animals is also influenced by human economic activities not related to fishing. The number of the Ussuri tiger has sharply decreased. This happened as a result of the development of territories within its range and the reduction of the food supply. In the Pacific Ocean, several tens of thousands of dolphins die every year: during the fishing period, they get into the nets and cannot get out of them. Until recently, before the adoption of special measures by fishermen, the number of dolphins dying in nets reached hundreds of thousands. Marine mammals are very adversely affected by water pollution. In such cases, the ban on trapping of animals is ineffective. For example, after the ban on catching dolphins in the Black Sea, their numbers are not restored. The reason is that many toxic substances enter the Black Sea with river water and through the straits from the Mediterranean Sea. These substances are especially harmful to dolphin cubs, whose high mortality slows down the growth of the population of these cetaceans.

Question 8. What are the consequences of the extinction of species?

a place in the biocenosis, in the food chain, and no one can replace it; the disappearance of one or another species leads to a decrease in the stability of biocenoses. More importantly, each species has unique, unique properties. The loss of the genes that determine these properties and are selected in the course of long evolution deprives a person of the opportunity to use them in the future 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, in particular iodine 131 (has a very short half-life) and cesium 137 (has a half-life of 30 years), entered the atmosphere and ocean. A small amount of plutonium was also found at the station's industrial site.

The total release of radionuclides amounted to 20% of the releases after 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 the territory of Japan.

Radioactive substances have been found in drinking water and food not only in Fukushima itself, but also in other parts of the country. Many countries, including Russia, have banned the import of Japanese products and "radiant" radioactive machines.

For the first time since the Chernobyl accident, the nuclear power industry was dealt a serious blow. The world community is again thinking about whether nuclear energy can be safe. Many countries have frozen their projects in this industry, and Germany even announced that by 2022 it will turn off the last nuclear power plant and will develop alternative sources of electricity.

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

The ecological situation in the Moscow region is difficult. Particularly polluted are areas close to Moscow and industrial areas in the east and southeast of the region.

The most environmentally dangerous in the region near Moscow can be considered pollution of 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 lines and fuel storage facilities (airfield and military). The ecological situation in the Moscow region is significantly complicated by transport, industry and housing and communal services of the capital of Russia. 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 to the south and southeast of the Moscow region.

Question 11. Having studied the material of the paragraph, formulate the main environmental problems of our time. Using additional sources of information, prepare a message or presentation on a chosen topic. Together with classmates and a teacher, organize and hold 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 waters of the World Ocean;

3. Anthropogenic impact on the soil cover;

4. Extermination of many species of plants and animals;

5. Pollution from nuclear waste.

Pollution of the world's oceans

Our planet could well be called Oceania, since the area occupied by water is 2.5 times the land area. Oceanic waters cover almost 3/4 of the surface of the globe with a layer about 4000 m thick, making up 97% of the hydrosphere, while land waters contain only 1%, and only 2% are bound in glaciers. The oceans, being the totality of all the seas and oceans of the Earth, have a huge impact on the life of the planet. A huge mass of ocean water forms the climate of the planet, serves as a source of precipitation. More than half of the oxygen comes from it, and it also regulates the content of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, as 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; now it is home to about four-fifths of all living beings on the planet.

resources of the oceans.

In our time, the “epoch of global problems”, the World Ocean plays an increasingly important role in the life of mankind. Being a huge storehouse of mineral, energy, plant and animal wealth, which - with their rational consumption and artificial reproduction - can be considered practically inexhaustible, the Ocean is able to solve one of the most pressing problems: the need to provide a rapidly growing population with food and raw materials for a developing industry, the danger of an energy crisis, and a lack of fresh water.

The main resource of the World Ocean is sea water. It contains 75 chemical elements, among which are such important ones as uranium, potassium, bromine, magnesium. And although the main product of sea water is still table salt - 33% of world production, magnesium and bromine are already mined, methods for obtaining a number of metals have long been patented, among them copper and silver, which are necessary for industry, the reserves of which are steadily depleted, when, as in ocean waters, they 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 ores on earth are decreasing, and in the Ocean there are 10 billion tons of it, deuterium is practically inexhaustible - for every 5000 atoms of ordinary hydrogen there is one heavy atom. In addition to the isolation of chemical elements, sea water can be used to obtain fresh water necessary for humans. Many commercial 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 performed. But desalination is not the only way to obtain potable water. There are bottom sources that are increasingly being found on continental shelf, that is, in areas of the continental shelf adjacent to the coast of land and having the same geological structure with it. One of these sources, located off the coast of France - in Normandy, gives such an amount of water that it is called an underground river.

The mineral resources of the World Ocean are represented not only by sea water, but also by what is “under water”. The bowels 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, near Namibia, diamond gravel has been mined underwater 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 very same interesting view mineral raw materials The oceans are the famous ferromanganese nodules, which cover vast underwater plains. Concretions 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 well known, but the results of industrial development are still very modest. But the exploration and production of oceanic 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 carriers. On an especially large scale, deposits are being developed in the Persian, Venezuelan, Gulf of Mexico, and in the North Sea; oil platforms stretched 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 with the help of superheated water. Another, as yet untouched pantry of the ocean are deep crevices, where a new bottom is formed. So, for example, hot (more than 60 degrees) and heavy brines of the Red Sea depression contain huge reserves of silver, tin, copper, iron and other metals. The extraction of materials in shallow water is becoming more and more important. Around Japan, for example, underwater iron-bearing sands are sucked out through pipes, the country extracts about 20% of coal from sea mines - an artificial island is built over rock deposits and a shaft is drilled that reveals coal seams.

Many natural processes , occurring in the World Ocean - movement, temperature regime of waters - are inexhaustible energy resources. For example, the total power of the tidal energy of the Ocean is estimated at 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 a tidal wave. Today in France there are modern power plants that use the same principle of operation: the rotation of the turbines at high tide occurs in one direction, and at low tide - in the other. The main wealth of the World Ocean is its biological resources (fish, zool.- and phytoplankton and others). The biomass of the Ocean has 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. Catching 85-90 million tons of fish annually, it accounts for 85% of the used marine products, 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 properly and carefully. The maximum fish catch should not exceed 150-180 million tons per year: it is very dangerous to exceed this limit, as irreparable losses will occur. Many varieties of fish, whales, and pinnipeds have almost disappeared from ocean waters due to immoderate hunting, and it is not known whether their population will ever recover. But the population of the Earth is growing at a rapid pace, increasingly in need of marine products. There are several ways to increase its productivity. The first is to remove from the ocean not only fish, but also zooplankton, part of which - Antarctic krill - has already been eaten. It is possible, without any damage to the Ocean, to catch it in much larger quantities than all the fish caught at the present time. The second way is to use the biological resources of the open ocean. The biological productivity of the Ocean is especially great in the area of ​​upwelling of 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 zones. All these three methods have been successfully tested in many countries of the world, but locally, therefore, the fish catch, which is detrimental in terms of volume, continues. At the end of the 20th century, the Norwegian, Bering, Okhotsk, and Sea of ​​Japan were considered the most productive water areas.

The ocean, being a pantry of the most diverse resources, is also a free and convenient road that connects distant continents and islands. Maritime transport provides almost 80% of transportation between countries, serving the growing global production and exchange. The oceans can serve as a waste recycler. Due 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. For 3000 years, as a result of the water cycle in nature, all the water in the oceans is renewed.

Oil and oil products

Oil is a viscous oily liquid that is dark brown in color and has low fluorescence. Oil consists mainly 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 difficult to biodegrade.

c). Aromatic hydrocarbons. (20 - 40% of the total composition) - unsaturated cyclic compounds of the benzene series, containing 6 carbon atoms in the ring less 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 that has a straight or branched chain.

Oil and oil products are the most common pollutants in the oceans. By the beginning of the 1980s, about 16 million tons of oil were annually entering the ocean, which accounted for 0.23% of world production. The greatest losses of oil are associated with its transportation from production areas. Emergencies, discharge of washing and ballast water overboard by tankers - all this leads to the presence of permanent pollution fields on the routes sea ​​routes. During the period 1962-79, as a result of accidents in marine environment received about 2 million tons of oil. 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 along 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 effluents. Getting into the marine environment, oil first spreads in the form of a film, forming layers of various thicknesses.

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

Pesticides

Pesticides are a group of man-made substances used to control pests and plant 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, 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 enter the world market. About 1.5 million tons of these substances have already entered the terrestrial and marine ecosystems by ash and water. The industrial production of pesticides is accompanied by the appearance a large number by-products polluting wastewater. In the aquatic environment, representatives of insecticides, fungicides and herbicides are more common than others. Synthesized insecticides are divided into three main groups: organochlorine, organophosphorus and carbonates.

Organochlorine insecticides are obtained by chlorination of aromatic and heterocyclic liquid hydrocarbons. These include DDT and its derivatives, in the molecules of which the stability of aliphatic and aromatic groups in the joint presence increases, various 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 the incineration of solid waste in landfills. The latter source delivers PBCs to the atmosphere, from where they fall out with atmospheric precipitation in all regions of the globe. Thus, in snow samples taken in Antarctica, the content of PBC was 0.03 - 1.2 kg. / l.

Synthetic surfactants

Detergents (surfactants) belong to an extensive group of substances that lower the surface tension of water. They are part of synthetic detergents (SMC), widely used in everyday life and industry. Together with wastewater, surfactants enter the mainland 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: flavoring agents, bleaching agents (persulphates, perborates), soda ash, carboxymethylcellulose, sodium silicates. Depending on the nature and structure of the hydrophilic part of the surfactant molecules, they are divided into anionic, cationic, amphoteric, and nonionic. The latter do not form ions in water. The most common among the 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 such processes as flotation beneficiation of ores, separation of chemical technology products, production of polymers, improvement of conditions for drilling oil and gas wells, and equipment corrosion control. 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 (violation 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). Maximum amount PAHs in present-day sediments of the World Ocean (more than 100 µg/km of dry matter mass) were 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 fuel.

Heavy metals

Heavy metals (mercury, lead, cadmium, zinc, copper, arsenic) are among the common and highly toxic pollutants. They are widely used in various industrial productions, therefore, despite the 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. Mercury, lead and cadmium are the most dangerous for marine biocenoses. Mercury is transported to the ocean with continental runoff and through the atmosphere. During the weathering of sedimentary and igneous rocks, 3.5 thousand tons of mercury are released annually. The composition of atmospheric dust contains about 121 thousand. tons of mercury, and a significant part is of anthropogenic origin. About half of the annual industrial production of this metal (910 thousand tons / year) ends up in the ocean in various ways. In areas polluted by industrial waters, the concentration of mercury in solution and suspension is greatly increased. At the same time, some bacteria convert chlorides into highly toxic methyl mercury. Contamination of seafood has repeatedly led to mercury poisoning of the coastal population. By 1977, there were 2,800 victims of Minomata disease, which was caused by waste products from factories for the production of vinyl chloride and acetaldehyde, which used mercury chloride as a catalyst. Insufficiently treated wastewater from enterprises entered the Minamata Bay. Pigs are a typical trace element found in all components of the environment: in rocks, soils, natural waters, the atmosphere, and living organisms. Finally, pigs are actively dispersed into the environment during economic activity person. These are emissions from industrial and domestic effluents, from smoke and dust from industrial enterprises, from exhaust gases from internal combustion engines. The migration flow of lead from the continent to the ocean goes not only with river runoff, but also through the atmosphere.

Dumping of waste into the sea for the purpose of disposal

Many countries with access to the sea carry out marine burial of various materials and substances, in particular soil excavated during dredging, drill slag, industrial waste, construction debris, solid waste, explosives and chemicals, radioactive waste. The volume of burials amounted to about 10% of the total mass of pollutants entering the World Ocean. The basis for dumping in the sea is the ability of the marine environment to process a large amount of organic and inorganic substances without much water damage. However, this ability is not unlimited. Therefore, dumping is considered as a forced measure, a temporary tribute to the imperfection of technology by society. Industrial slags contain a variety of organic substances and heavy metal compounds. Household waste contains on average (by weight of dry matter) 32-40% of organic matter; 0.56% nitrogen; 0.44% phosphorus; 0.155% zinc; 0.085% lead; 0.001% mercury; 0.001% cadmium. During the discharge, the passage of the material through the water column, part of the pollutants goes into solution, changing the quality of the water, the other is sorbed by suspended particles and goes into bottom sediments. At the same time, the turbidity of the water increases. The presence of organic substances purely leads to the rapid consumption of oxygen in water and not caustically to its complete disappearance, the dissolution of suspensions, the accumulation of metals in dissolved form, and the appearance of hydrogen sulfide. The presence of a large amount of organic matter creates a stable reducing environment in the soil, in which a special type of interstitial water appears, containing hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and metal ions. Benthic organisms and others are affected to varying degrees by the 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 hydrobionts and have a toxic effect on them. The dumping of dumping materials to the bottom and prolonged increased turbidity of the given water leads to the death of inactive forms of benthos from suffocation. In surviving fish, mollusks and crustaceans, the growth rate is reduced due to the deterioration of feeding and breathing conditions. The species composition of a given community often changes. When organizing a system for controlling waste emissions into the sea, the determination of dumping areas, the determination of the dynamics of pollution of sea water and bottom sediments is of decisive importance. To identify possible volumes of discharge into the sea, it is necessary to carry out calculations of all pollutants in the composition of the material discharge.

thermal pollution

Thermal pollution of the surface of water bodies and coastal marine areas occurs as a result of the discharge of heated wastewater from 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. A 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 that decompose organic matter increases. intensifies species diversity phytoplankton and the entire algae flora. Based on the generalization of the material, it can be concluded that the effects of anthropogenic impact on the aquatic environment are manifested at the individual and population-biocenotic levels, and the long-term effect of pollutants leads to a simplification of the ecosystem.

Protection of the seas and oceans

The most serious problem of the seas and oceans in our century is oil pollution, the consequences of which are detrimental to all life on Earth. Therefore, in 1954, an international conference was held in London to work out concerted action to protect the marine environment from oil pollution. It adopted a convention defining the obligations 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 fishing and the protection of living resources of the sea. These conventions have legally fixed the principles and norms of maritime law. They obligated each country to develop and enforce laws prohibiting the pollution of the marine environment with oil, radio 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 the inspection when entering the port.

Drainage of oily waters from tankers is prohibited; all discharges from them must be pumped out only to onshore reception points. Electrochemical installations have been created for the treatment and disinfection of ship wastewater, including household wastewater. The Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences has developed an emulsion method for cleaning sea tankers, which completely excludes the ingress of oil into the water area. It consists in 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 be subsequently regenerated for further use. It is possible to wash up to 300 tons of oil 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, the oil will not spill out, it will be delayed by the second shell.

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

In Japan, a unique technology has been created and tested, with the help of which it is possible to eliminate a giant spot in a short time. Kansai Sagge Corporation has released ASWW reagent, the main component of which is specially treated rice hulls. Sprayed on the surface, the drug absorbs the ejection 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 Atlantic Ocean. A ceramic plate is lowered under the oil film to a certain depth. An acoustic record is connected to it. Under the action 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. An electric current applied to the plate sets fire to the fountain, 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 fat particles. On a catamaran boat, a kind of curtain made of this material was placed between the hulls, the ends of which hang down into the water. As soon as the boat hits the slick, the oil sticks firmly to the "curtain". It remains only to pass the polymer through the rollers of a special device that squeezes the oil into the prepared container. Since 1993, the dumping of liquid radioactive waste (LRW) has been banned, but their number is steadily increasing. Therefore, in order to protect the environment, in the 1990s, projects for the treatment of LRW began to be developed. In 1996, representatives of Japanese, American and Russian firms signed a contract for the construction of an installation for the processing of liquid radioactive waste accumulated in Far East Russia. The government of Japan allocated 25.2 million dollars for the implementation of the project. However, despite some success in the search for effective means to eliminate pollution, it is too early to talk about solving the problem. It is impossible to ensure the cleanliness of the seas and oceans only by introducing new methods of cleaning water areas. The central task that all countries need to solve together is the prevention of pollution.

Anthropogenic impact strongly changes natural processes. The global consequences of pollution are the greenhouse effect, the destruction of the ozone layer, the disruption of natural cycles, and acid 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.) in it, which impede the normal heat exchange of the Earth.

The cause of the greenhouse effect is the release of large amounts of "greenhouse gases" into the atmosphere. Containing in the atmosphere in large quantities nitrogen and oxygen almost do not delay the thermal radiation emanating from the heated surface of the Earth. But "greenhouse gases" - water vapor and carbon dioxide - keep 84% of this radiation. The most important of the greenhouse gases is carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). The increase in its content in the atmosphere began in the 19th century and continues to this day. Over the past 100 years, the content of CO 2 in the atmosphere has increased by 25%. During the same period, the content of methane increased by 2 times. Billions of tons of carbon dioxide are released into the atmosphere every year as a result of fuel combustion (in transport engines, in energy production). Methane enters the atmosphere during the extraction of natural gas, as a result of the 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, delaying the thermal radiation of the Earth. This increases the average ambient temperature. 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.

As a result of the warming of the atmosphere, the glaciers melt and the water expands, which leads to an increase in the level of the World Ocean. Already now there is an intensive melting of the ice of Antarctica. Over the past decades, the thickness of ice in the Northern Arctic Ocean decreased by 40%. By 2030-2050, at the current production rates, there should be an increase in temperature by 1.5 - 4.5 0 С, 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.

The rise in the level of the World Ocean means the flooding of vast coastal areas, the disappearance of small islands, and the waterlogging 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, forest fires. There is an assumption that a sharp increase in temperature can change the global ocean circulation, resulting in the rapid onset of the next Ice Age (that is, rapid global cooling).

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

In 1992, at the conference on environmental protection in Rio de Janeiro, the UN convention on climate change was adopted, according to which 25 developed countries and countries with developing economies should take on the following obligations: return to greenhouse gas emissions at the level of 1990, provide financial resources and safe technologies to other countries, etc.

Destruction of the ozone layer .

Another global consequence of pollution is the destruction of the ozone layer, which protects the biosphere from powerful cosmic radiation. The first ozone holes were discovered in 1975 over Antarctica. The ozone layer is currently being depleted over many areas of the globe. The ozone layer over Antarctica has decreased by 40% over the past few decades, over north pole− by 10%. In protective ozone layer there are a lot of "holes". Ozone holes have also been found 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 the ozone holes has sufficient energy to destroy most of the organic compounds of a living cell. In areas with low ozone, there is an increase in the incidence of people with eye diseases, suppression of the immune system, as well as 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 light, plants gradually lose their ability to photosynthesis. 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 aquatic 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 (fluorochlorocarbons - freons, nitrogen oxides), as well as tests nuclear weapons. Freons are used in large quantities in the form of refrigerants in refrigerators, as solvents, sprayers in aerosol cans. These light gases rise to the upper layers of the atmosphere, where they are destroyed with the release of 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.

Freon production in the world is very large. Only the United States produces 800-900 thousand tons per year - half of the total.

Acid precipitation over large areas .

The main cause of acid rain is the emission 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, precipitation becomes acidic in many areas (рН = 5−6; precipitation with pH=2−3 has also been registered). The consequence of this is the acidification of soils and water bodies in large areas, the death of aquatic organisms, the inhibition of vegetation and the degradation of natural ecosystems. Nutrients are washed out of the soil, as well as toxic compounds, which are returned to living organisms. As a result of acid rain, forests are dying all over the world. Under the influence of acidic compounds, buildings, structures are destroyed, bridges, various metal structures are corroded, and people's health is harmed.

Smog formation over industrial centers .

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

Winter (London) smog formed 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 the health of people.

In 1952, as a result of the formation of this type of smog over London, from December 3 to December 9, more than 4 thousand people died in the city, about 10 thousand were hospitalized. Later, a similar type of smog was observed over other cities. Only the wind can dissipate the smog, reducing the concentration of pollutants contributes to a decrease in their release.

Summer (LA) smog also called photochemical. It occurs in the summer as a result of the intense effect of solar radiation on air supersaturated with car emissions. Under the influence of solar energy, some pollutants (for example, nitrogen oxides) form very toxic substances that irritate the lungs, gastrointestinal tract and organs of vision. This smog is typical for cities located in the lowlands.

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INSTRUCTIONS
To use this textbook in the educational process, students must perform the following activities: 1. Perform practical work on the development of terminological concepts

Lecture.
Topic: Introduction to general ecology. Basic terms and concepts 1. Ecology is the science of the interaction of living organisms with their environment. classical ecology

Thermodynamics of living nature processes. Negentropy
It also follows from the second law of thermodynamics that only processes accompanied by energy dissipation and an increase in entropy occur spontaneously - a measure of disorder (DS>0)

Homeostasis and sustainability of ecological systems. Succession
The ecosystem is affected by a large number of factors that tend to bring it out of balance. But nature has mechanisms aimed at maintaining balance. So for

An environmental factor is any environmental condition that can have a direct or indirect effect on living organisms.
All environmental factors can be divided into two groups: I) factors inanimate nature- II) abiotic living factors; - biotic.

Biotic factors are a combination of the influence of the vital activity of living organisms on other living organisms and on the environment.
1) phytogenic - factors of influence of plant organisms; Any plant community strongly influences abiotic conditions. (For example, forest plants create a microclimate in the forest.) I create plants

Tolerance
Shelford owns the formulation of the law of tolerance, as if summing up the laws of maximum and minimum: the limiting factor for the prosperity of an organism can be both a minimum and a maximum

Adaptations. life forms
Each species of organisms has its own optimal parameters of environmental factors (its own range of tolerance). With the constant impact of any environmental factor in excess of the limited

Ecological niche of an organism
Plants and animals can only live where conditions are suitable for them. Each organism has its own habitat - the place where it lives or where it can usually be found. In ecology, there are more

Principles of rational nature management. Wasteless technologies
In the transition from the biosphere to the noosphere, an important stage is the development and implementation of the principles of rational environmental management. A person needs to learn how to regulate his economic

MPE is set for each source of air pollution. In this case, the limiting emissions are selected so that the surface concentration harmful substances did not exceed MPC, i.e. MPE is established taking into account

Environmental monitoring
For the transition of the biosphere into the noosphere, it is necessary to eliminate all the negative consequences of nature management and correct those that have already taken place. To effectively manage the quality of natural

Information methods of environmental management
Environmental management scheme:

A model is a physical or symbolic similarity of a real object, phenomenon or process.
To organize rational nature management, models of interaction between human society and the environment are needed in order to foresee the consequences of anthropogenic impact. When modeling

State ecological expertise; environmental licensing. Certification. Ecological passport of the enterprise
Environmental expertise is usually carried out by special executive bodies (Goscomecology, various departments) and is defined as a check of compliance with the planned economic

Biosphere, its structure
The habitat of all living organisms on Earth, including humans, is the biosphere. The biosphere is all the living matter of the Earth and the area of ​​​​its distribution. The biosphere is the

Evolution of the biosphere. Living, inert and bio-inert matter
The doctrine of the biosphere received its formation in the works of the outstanding Russian scientist Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky (1863-1945). Vernadsky emphasized that the biosphere is in constant b

and abiotic environment
The main subject of ecology as a science that studies the interaction of living organisms with the environment is an ecological system or ecosystem. An ecosystem is a dimensionless mouth

Levels of organization of life on Earth
The biosphere of the Earth is a complex structure, consisting of a large number of elements. The biological systems that make up the biosphere vary greatly in terms of

Organism and habitat
Organismic is the first level of life organization studied by ecology. A separate living organism is included in higher-level systems (populations, biocenoses, biotic communities) as a subsystem

Systematics of plants and animals
A large number of living organisms live on Earth, differing greatly in their structure and functions. The unit of classification for organisms is a species - a set of similar organisms that have

Biogeocenosis, its structure
The main structural components of the biosphere are biogeocenoses. Biogeocenosis is a macro- or meso-level ecosystem on a certain area of ​​the earth's surface. The concept of biogecenosis is already the concept of e

Biogeochemical cycles of substances
Between living and inert matter in the biosphere, under the influence of the radiant energy of the Sun, there is a constant exchange of chemical elements. If all matter on Earth were not involved

Biogeochemical nitrogen cycle
Nitrogen is the main atmospheric gas, where its volume fraction is 78%. The biospheric nitrogen cycle is well regulated and slow. Most living organisms are

Biogeochemical cycle of oxygen
The oxygen cycle plays an important role in the functioning of the entire biosphere. The presence of free oxygen is prerequisite life of most living organisms. On the other hand

Biogeochemical carbon cycle
Of all the known biogeochemical cycles, the carbon cycle is the most intense. The duration of one cycle in this case is only 300 years. A chain of carbon atoms

Biogeochemical cycle of phosphorus
Phosphorus is a part of cell membranes, enzymes of bone tissues, that is, it is an essential element of the protoplasm of all living organisms. The phosphorus cycle is less perfect,

Biogeochemical sulfur cycle
Sulfur is part of the proteins of all living organisms. Unlike phosphorus, there is a sufficient amount of gaseous sulfur compounds in the atmosphere: hydrogen sulfide H2

Energy flows in the biosphere
3.1. Thermodynamics of living nature processes. Negentropy. One of the main properties of matter is energy - the ability to do work. Creature

The concept of energy quality
Energy is characterized not only by quantity, but also by quality. Many forms and types of energy are known: solar, chemical, thermal, mechanical, electrical, atomic, etc. Prich

The processes of photosynthesis and chemosynthesis
Living organisms are able to create complex organic substances, increasing their own order. The primary organic matter of the biosphere is created by plants and some microorganisms.

Breathing process
Organic substances formed during photosynthesis are characterized by a high supply of internal energy. But this energy is not available for direct use in the reaction.

Transfer of energy along the food chain
Not all living organisms are able to synthesize organic matter from inorganic. Living organisms living on Earth can be divided according to the type of receipt and accumulation of substances by them.

Ecosystem productivity
In the process of vital activity of various organisms in the ecosystem, organic matter is created and consumed. Therefore, each ecosystem has a certain productivity.

Energy types of ecosystems
All ecosystems, depending on the type of energy used, can be divided into the following types. 1 type. Ecosystems for which I am the main source of energy

Abiotic factors
The following groups of abiotic factors (factors of inanimate nature) are distinguished: climatic, edaphogenic (soil), orographic and chemical. I) Climatic factors: these include

Biotic factors
There are phytogenic, zoogenic, microgenic and anthropogenic factors. I) Phytogenic - factors that characterize the influence of plant organisms. They affect the

limiting factors. Laws of minimum and maximum
Each organism has its own optimal parameters of environmental factors, under which the vital activity of individuals proceeds normally. Acceptable environmental fact ranges

Law of Tolerance
The law of tolerance summarizes the laws of maximum and minimum. Its formulation belongs to Shelford: the limiting factor can be both a minimum and a maximum of environmental impact.

Adaptations. life forms
With the constant impact of any environmental factor beyond the limiting limits, the organism must either adapt to new parameters or die. adaptations

Ecological valence (plasticity)
Organisms differ in their ability to adapt: ​​some adapt slowly, others easily and quickly. The ability of a species to adapt to environmental factors is called ecological

ecological niche
Plants and animals can only live where conditions are suitable for them. Each organism has its own habitat suitable for life. In ecology, there is a more capacious concept

Sustainability and development of ecosystems
The sustainability of ecosystems is their ability to withstand fluctuations in external factors and maintain their structure and functional features. A sustainable ecosystem returns to its original state

Ecosystem homeostasis
Let's consider the mechanisms of balance maintenance operating in open natural ecosystems. Any ecosystem is constantly affected by a large number of environmental factors, tending to

ecological succession
Even in stable ecosystems, slow, irreversible changes are constantly taking place. To a greater extent, they concern living organisms. In this case, one biocenosis is replaced by another. Follower

Environmental pollution
Technical progress The rapid growth of production in recent decades has led to a high level of environmental pollution. It is almost impossible to find a place on the globe where

Among the many sources of pollution, the most important are the following. 1) Transport. When fuel is burned, a large amount of

Destruction of natural ecosystems
The release of a large number of pollutants and the changes that take place in the environment inevitably lead to disruption of normal biological cycles and the destruction of natural ecosystems.

Demographic Issues
Demography is a science that studies the dynamics of population growth. Despite the deterioration of the environment and the reduction in the amount of fertile land, the embankment is currently

Global Energy Issues
In addition to the listed problems associated with a sharp deterioration in the quality of the environment, the problem of energy is acute for humanity. The main cause of the energy crisis is the

Environmental monitoring
If the quality of the natural environment does not meet the regulatory requirements, it is necessary to take special measures to protect the environment. This requires information about

In the modern world, the influence of the environment on human health has become global problem requiring drastic measures. Today much is said about the protection of nature and water resources, but little is done. The decrease in soil fertility, the death of representatives of flora and fauna, the deterioration of air quality, and the pollution of freshwater lakes and rivers are still continuing.

Main types of pollution

Consider the most common types of pollution. The most common are permanent release of chemicals industrial enterprises, automobiles, boiler houses. Growth in carbon dioxide leads to a gradual increase in temperature on our planet. This is urgent problem of modern humanity.

The oceans are suffering from human activities in the oil refining industry. Territories located near oil fields are subjected to disastrous impact industrial waste . This leads to disruption of gas exchange between the hydrosphere and.

The most dangerous is radiation. The radiation catastrophe has irreversible consequences: the development of genetic diseases, oncology, neurological diseases, early aging.

We have briefly outlined the main sources representing danger to life that adversely affect human health.

Reasons for the deterioration

Ecology studies interaction of living beings and plants with the environment and results of human activity. How does it affect our health? Environmental pollution and human health are closely interrelated.

Air

How is it happening atmospheric influence on the human body? It changes every season and every day - temperature, pressure, humidity. A healthy body quickly gets used to and adapts to change. But there are categories of patients and weather sensitive people whose organisms have difficulty adapting to weather changes, various cataclysms, so they do not feel well with sudden changes in temperature, jumps in atmospheric pressure.

When pollutants enter the atmosphere, air pollution. Many substances, coming into contact with other natural elements, are modified, becoming even more dangerous. The most common outcomes of this process are ozone holes, acid rain, greenhouse effect and smog. According to statistics World Organization Health (WHO) for 2014, the reason for the annual death and almost 3.8 million people becomes precisely air pollution. The total number of people who died due to inhalation of contaminated air in open and enclosed spaces reached the 7 million mark. Don't forget the impact negative ecology on the development of cancer. According to WHO studies, air pollution is the main cause of cancer.

Important! If you want to protect yourself from undesirable effects in your own home and on the street, review daily reports on the state of the ambient air in your city. Based on the received data, take measures for protection.

The soil

Soil is an invaluable resource that gives a person a chance to exist. main reason soil pollution becomes the man himself. According to calculations, over the past hundred years, approximately 28% of all fertile soils on the planet have been eroded. Every year, a large part of the land is lost fertile layer turning into a desert. affects health, because all the food we eat is grown on earth. Lead, cadmium, mercury, and sometimes even cyanides (compounds of arsenic and beryllium) can be found in modern food. These substances have one dangerous property - they are not excreted from the body.

Important! The impact of unfavorable ecology on a person can increase significantly if the body lacks vitamins A, B and C.

Separately, we should dwell on agriculture. To control weeds and pests, farmers use pesticides, which fall first into the soil, and then into food. fertilizers are divided into several types:

• herbicides- serve to destroy harmful plants;
• insecticides- used to control insects;
• fungicides- used against fungal formations;
• zoocides- Created to control animal pests.

All of them are found in food in certain quantities. You see how closely connected nature and human health.

arable land are most susceptible to degradation, and repeated grazing of animals in one area leads to the destruction of the grass cover, which is especially noticeable after sheep grazing. Irrigation of the land also causes negative impacts, leading to its salinization.

Surface and ground water

It has been established that more than 400 types of various substances can cause water pollution. To find out if water is drinkable, it is subjected to special treatment. It goes through three stages: sanitary-toxicological, general sanitary and organoleptic. If at least one indicator is exceeded, the water is considered polluted.

Water pollution divided into three types:

• chemical ( oil and products of its processing, dioxins, pesticides, heavy);
• biological(contains viruses and other pathogens);
• physical(radioactive substances,).

The most common types of water pollution are the first two varieties. Relatively less common are radioactive, thermal and mechanical.

The process itself surface and groundwater , including drinking, is due to various factors. The main ones include:

• leakage of oil and oil products;
• the ingress of pesticides from the fields into water systems;
• gas-smoke and dust emissions;
• discharge into water systems of sewer water.

Exist natural sources of pollution. They include highly mineralized underground and sea waters, which are introduced into fresh water due to improper operation of water intake facilities.

The value of ecology

Ecology affects health on a daily basis. Environmental issues are inextricably linked to our daily lives. The food we eat, the water we drink and the one we breathe depend on the state of the environment.

Impact polluted air is a real problem in big cities. The air of large industrial cities contains a huge concentration chemical substances which contributes to the development of various diseases, including cancer. Pathologies of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, gastrointestinal tract, blood, allergic and endocrine diseases are the consequences of the influence environment for development pathogenic microflora, degenerative and other changes.

Important! During pregnancy, the fetus is very sensitive to all external pathogens. Environmental factors play an important role in shaping a child's health.

Plant food and water, which we consume daily, are taken from the soil. Nowadays, almost every farm uses fertilizers, growth stimulants, pest control products. All this comes to our table. If the transmission of harmful substances does not occur directly, then through products animal origin- meat, milk As a result, a variety of diseases of the digestive system, a decrease in the protective functions of the body, a deterioration in the absorption of nutrients, a toxic effect on the body and early aging.

The main problem - pollution drinking water that adversely affect human health. Territories where there is a persistent deterioration in the quality of drinking water tend to increased infection of the gastrointestinal tract. Statistics say that the share of deaths due to viruses entering the body accounts for 30 to 50 million cases in Russia.

Today, people are constantly faced with ionizing radiation. Mining, air travel, nuclear explosions and the release of processed radioactive substances lead to a change in the radiation background of the external environment. The effect depends on the time, dose and type of exposure. How does radiation affect a person? Most often, the consequence is the development of infertility, radiation sickness, burns, cataracts - disorders of the organs of vision.

Environmental risks

One of the main indicators of quality public health is environmental risk. But the main problem It does not consist in the degree of this indicator, but in the fact that when it affects a person, the consequences appear only after 2-3 generations, gradually affecting the human body. Therefore, most people do not think about it, because they do not feel a direct threat.

Diseases are mainly dependent on age, profession and gender. IN risk group people get after reaching 50-60 years. The most healthy are men aged 20 to 30 years, girls - up to 20. Important role plays the area of ​​residence. In places with increased environmental risk, the population gets sick 30% more often.

Patterns of the action of environmental factors on organisms

Examples of environmental pollution

Conclusion

As we can see, the impact of an unfavorable environment on human health can lead to disastrous consequences, up to lethal outcome. Unfortunately, creating unfavorable and often destructive conditions of existence is inherent in one person. It is time for us to think about this global problem for the sake of our own well-being.

Question 1. What is the cause and what are the consequences of air pollution?

In the early stages of the Earth's history, only volcanic eruptions and forest fires polluted the atmosphere. After the appearance of a person who began to actively use fire, the impact on the atmosphere became much stronger. The development of industry and transport led to its severe pollution. The consequences of pollution are:

• acid rain - occurs as a result of the dissolution of sulfur and nitrogen oxides in drops of atmospheric moisture; are common in the vicinity of metallurgical and chemical plants (for example, copper smelters); have a destructive effect on plants, soil, water bodies, buildings (including architectural monuments);
• greenhouse effect - heat retention at the Earth's surface due to increased concentration of methane and CO 2 in the atmosphere; leads to a gradual increase in the average temperature of the planet, which can cause serious climatic changes, as well as the melting of glaciers, an increase in the level of the World Ocean and the flooding of part of the land;
• smog - a poisonous fog, formed under the influence of sunlight from substances contained in the exhaust gases of cars; adversely affects the human body, animals and plants;
• ozone holes - areas of thinning of the planet's ozone layer; at the same time, too much solar radiation begins to reach the surface of the Earth, which is dangerous for all living things; scientists believe that the reason for the formation of ozone holes is the accumulation in the atmosphere of the decay products of refrigerants (chlorine-fluorine hydrocarbons of refrigeration units).

Question 2. How does human economic activity affect the structure and fertility of the soil?

A person, harvesting, removes a huge amount of minerals from the soil (primarily potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen salts). If you do not apply fertilizer, then in 50-100 years the soil will be completely depleted.

Plowing of the steppes, grazing, destruction of forests provoke soil erosion, wind and water. Excessive irrigation in a hot climate leads to salinization. The latter means that with long-term (for centuries) irrigation of crops fresh water its intense evaporation will lead to the accumulation of compounds harmful to plants (sulphates, chlorides, etc.) in the soil. As a result, soil fertility is gradually falling. It was these processes, along with deforestation, that led to the transformation into deserts and semi-deserts of many zones of ancient agriculture (Egypt, Mezhdurechye, Central Asia).

Question 3. What are the consequences of pollution of the waters of the oceans?

Pollution of the waters of the oceans is a serious problem. Organic substances, mineral fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides get into the water from fields and pastures. Accidents of tankers and pipelines lead to the formation of huge oil slicks, which are the cause of mass death of phyto- and zooplankton, as well as larger animals. Heavy metal salts accumulating in water and aquatic organisms, cause severe poisoning in humans and other living beings. Finally, ocean pollution leads to the destruction of aquatic ecosystems, a decrease in their productivity, and depletion of the species composition. An example is the death of coral reefs, which not only deprives thousands of unique organisms of food and habitat, but also disrupts the process of using CO 2 from the atmosphere by the inhabitants of the ocean.

Question 4. What is the direct influence of man on the flora and fauna of the Earth?

Unfortunately, today this influence is predominantly negative. Man cuts down forests, occupies vast territories for agricultural crops, breeds livestock, trampling pastures and often turning them into semi-desert. Man hunts animals, sometimes exterminating entire species. But even more dangerous for living organisms is the destruction of their habitat, that is, entire ecosystems (which means dozens of plant and animal species at the same time). Processes global pollution and the destruction of the soil, hydrosphere, atmosphere of our planet go deeper and deeper; they are closely related to the problems of health care, lack of energy, food resources, etc. material from the site

At the same time, there are more and more examples of not only destructive, but also creative (in relation to the biosphere) human activity: the conservation of rare animals, the creation of nature protection zones, nature reserves and wildlife sanctuaries, environmentally friendly industrial technologies, etc. theory that humanity is part of the biosphere and in the event of its destruction, it will itself be on the verge of death.

Question 5. What is the impact on biogeocenoses and the biosphere as a whole has the expansion of agricultural production?

Generally Agriculture has a strong negative impact on biogeocenoses, because, interfering with natural ecosystems, it disrupts their structure, reduces productivity, and impoverishes species diversity. This, in turn, has a negative impact on the state of the biosphere as a whole. In many regions of the planet, natural ecosystems are almost completely replaced by agrocenoses. The imperfection of most of them leads to a drop in fertility and soil erosion, pollution of water bodies, depletion of water supplies. In the pursuit of productivity, the quality of agricultural products is often sacrificed, which means that the problems associated with the health of the population are exacerbated, etc.

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