Introduction

1. Atmosphere - the outer shell of the biosphere

2. Air pollution

3. Environmental consequences air pollution7

3.1 Greenhouse effect

3.2 Ozone layer depletion

3 Acid rain

Conclusion

List of sources used

Introduction

Atmospheric air is the most important life-supporting natural environment and is a mixture of gases and aerosols of the surface layer of the atmosphere, which developed during the evolution of the Earth, human activity and is located outside residential, industrial and other premises.

Currently, of all the forms of degradation of the natural environment in Russia, it is atmospheric pollution harmful substances is the most dangerous. Features of the environmental situation in certain regions of the Russian Federation and emerging environmental problems are caused by local natural conditions and the nature of the impact of industry, transport, public utilities and agriculture on them. The degree of air pollution depends, as a rule, on the degree of urbanization and industrial development of the territory (the specifics of enterprises, their capacity, location, technologies used), as well as on climatic conditions that determine the potential for air pollution.

The atmosphere has an intense impact not only on humans and the biosphere, but also on the hydrosphere, soil and vegetation cover, geological environment, buildings, structures and other man-made objects. Therefore, the protection of atmospheric air and the ozone layer is the highest priority environmental problem and is given close attention in all developed countries.

Man has always used the environment mainly as a source of resources, but for a very long time his activities did not have a noticeable impact on the biosphere. Only at the end of the last century, changes in the biosphere under the influence of economic activity attracted the attention of scientists. In the first half of this century, these changes increased and have now hit human civilization like an avalanche.

The load on the environment increased especially sharply in the second half of the 20th century. There was a qualitative leap in the relationship between society and nature when, as a result of a sharp increase in population, intensive industrialization and urbanization of our planet, economic pressures began to everywhere exceed the ability of ecological systems to self-purify and regenerate. As a result, the natural cycle of substances in the biosphere was disrupted, and the health of the current and future generations of people was under threat.

The mass of our planet's atmosphere is negligible - only one millionth the mass of the Earth. However, its role in the natural processes of the biosphere is enormous. The presence of an atmosphere around the globe determines the general thermal regime of the surface of our planet and protects it from harmful cosmic and ultraviolet radiation. Atmospheric circulation influences local climatic conditions, and through them, the regime of rivers, soil and vegetation cover, and the processes of relief formation.

Modern gas composition atmosphere is the result of the long historical development of the globe. It is mainly a gas mixture of two components - nitrogen (78.09%) and oxygen (20.95%). Normally, it also contains argon (0.93%), carbon dioxide (0.03%) and small amounts of inert gases (neon, helium, krypton, xenon), ammonia, methane, ozone, sulfur dioxide and other gases. Along with gases, the atmosphere contains solid particles coming from the surface of the Earth (for example, products of combustion, volcanic activity, soil particles) and from space (cosmic dust), as well as various products of plant, animal or microbial origin. In addition, water vapor plays an important role in the atmosphere.

Highest value for different ecosystems there are three gases that make up the atmosphere: oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen. These gases are involved in major biogeochemical cycles.

Oxygen plays a vital role in the life of most living organisms on our planet. Everyone needs it to breathe. Oxygen was not always part of the earth's atmosphere. It appeared as a result of the vital activity of photosynthetic organisms. Under the influence of ultraviolet rays it turned into ozone. As ozone accumulated, an ozone layer formed in upper layers atmosphere. The ozone layer, like a screen, reliably protects the Earth's surface from ultraviolet radiation, which is fatal to living organisms.

The modern atmosphere contains barely a twentieth of the oxygen available on our planet. The main reserves of oxygen are concentrated in carbonates, organic matter and iron oxides; some of the oxygen is dissolved in water. In the atmosphere, there appears to be an approximate balance between the production of oxygen through photosynthesis and its consumption by living organisms. But recently there has been a danger that, as a result of human activity, oxygen reserves in the atmosphere may decrease. Particularly dangerous is the destruction of the ozone layer, which is observed in last years. Most scientists attribute this to human activity.

The oxygen cycle in the biosphere is unusually complex, since a large number of organic and inorganic substances, as well as hydrogen, react with it, combining with which oxygen forms water.

Carbon dioxide(carbon dioxide) is used in the process of photosynthesis to form organic matter. It is thanks to this process that the carbon cycle in the biosphere closes. Like oxygen, carbon is part of soils, plants, animals, and participates in various mechanisms of the cycle of substances in nature. The carbon dioxide content in the air we breathe is approximately the same in different parts of the planet. The exception is large cities, where the content of this gas in the air is higher than normal.

Some fluctuations in the carbon dioxide content in the air of an area depend on the time of day, season of the year, and vegetation biomass. At the same time, studies show that since the beginning of the century, the average content of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, although slowly, has been constantly increasing. Scientists attribute this process mainly to human activity.

Nitrogen- an essential biogenic element, since it is part of proteins and nucleic acids. The atmosphere is an inexhaustible reservoir of nitrogen, but the majority of living organisms cannot directly use this nitrogen: it must first be bound in the form of chemical compounds.

Partial nitrogen comes from the atmosphere into ecosystems in the form of nitrogen oxide, which is formed under the influence of electrical discharges during thunderstorms. However, the bulk of nitrogen enters water and soil as a result of its biological fixation. There are several species of bacteria and blue-green algae (fortunately quite numerous) that are capable of fixing atmospheric nitrogen. As a result of their activity, as well as due to the decomposition of organic residues in the soil, autotrophic plants are able to absorb the necessary nitrogen.

The nitrogen cycle is closely related to the carbon cycle. Although the nitrogen cycle is more complex than the carbon cycle, it tends to occur more quickly.

Other components of air do not participate in biochemical cycles, but the presence of large amounts of pollutants in the atmosphere can lead to serious disruptions in these cycles.

2. Air pollution.

Pollution atmosphere. Various negative changes in the Earth's atmosphere are associated mainly with changes in the concentration of minor components of atmospheric air.

There are two main sources of air pollution: natural and anthropogenic. Natural source- these are volcanoes, dust storms, weathering, forest fires, decomposition processes of plants and animals.

To the main anthropogenic sources atmospheric pollution includes enterprises of the fuel and energy complex, transport, and various machine-building enterprises.

In addition to gaseous pollutants, large amounts of particulate matter are released into the atmosphere. This is dust, soot and soot. Pollution of the natural environment with heavy metals poses a great danger. Lead, cadmium, mercury, copper, nickel, zinc, chromium, and vanadium have become almost constant components of the air in industrial centers. The problem of lead air pollution is particularly acute.

Global air pollution affects the state of natural ecosystems, especially the green cover of our planet. One of the most visual indicators of the state of the biosphere is forests and their health.

Acid rain, caused mainly by sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, causes enormous damage to forest biocenoses. It has been established that coniferous species suffer from acid rain to a greater extent than broad-leaved species.

In our country alone, the total area of ​​forests affected by industrial emissions has reached 1 million hectares. A significant factor in forest degradation in recent years is environmental pollution with radionuclides. Thus, as a result of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, 2.1 million hectares of forests were damaged.

Green spaces in industrial cities, whose atmosphere contains large amounts of pollutants, suffer especially hard.

The air environmental problem of ozone layer depletion, including the appearance of ozone holes over Antarctica and the Arctic, is associated with the excessive use of freons in production and everyday life.

Human economic activity, becoming more and more global in nature, begins to have a very noticeable impact on the processes occurring in the biosphere. You have already learned about some of the results of human activity and their impact on the biosphere. Fortunately, to a certain level, the biosphere is capable of self-regulation, which allows us to minimize the negative consequences of human activity. But there is a limit when the biosphere is no longer able to maintain equilibrium. Irreversible processes begin that lead to environmental disasters. Humanity has already encountered them in a number of regions of the planet.

3. Environmental consequences of air pollution

The most important environmental consequences of global air pollution include:

1) possible climate warming (“greenhouse effect”);

2) violation of the ozone layer;

3) acid rain.

Most scientists in the world consider them to be the biggest environmental problems of our time.

3.1 Greenhouse effect

Currently, the observed climate change, which is expressed in a gradual increase in average annual temperature, starting from the second half of the last century, is associated by most scientists with the accumulation in the atmosphere of so-called “greenhouse gases” - carbon dioxide (CO 2), methane (CH 4), chlorofluorocarbons (freons), ozone (O 3), nitrogen oxides, etc. (see table 9).

Table 9

Anthropogenic air pollutants and associated changes (V.A. Vronsky, 1996)

Note. (+) - enhanced effect; (-) - reduced effect

Greenhouse gases, and primarily CO 2, prevent long-wave thermal radiation from the Earth's surface. The atmosphere, saturated with greenhouse gases, acts like the roof of a greenhouse. On the one hand, it allows most of the solar radiation to pass in, but on the other hand, it almost does not allow the heat re-emitted by the Earth to pass out.

Due to the burning of more and more fossil fuels by humans: oil, gas, coal, etc. (annually more than 9 billion tons of standard fuel), the concentration of CO 2 in the atmosphere is constantly increasing. Due to emissions into the atmosphere during industrial production and in everyday life, the content of freons (chlorofluorocarbons) increases. The methane content increases by 1-1.5% per year (emissions from underground mine workings, biomass burning, emissions from cattle, etc.). The content of nitrogen oxide in the atmosphere is also increasing to a lesser extent (by 0.3% annually).

A consequence of the increase in the concentrations of these gases, which create the “greenhouse effect,” is an increase in the average global air temperature at the earth’s surface. Over the past 100 years, the warmest years were 1980, 1981, 1983, 1987 and 1988. In 1988, the average annual temperature was 0.4 degrees higher than in 1950-1980. Calculations by some scientists show that in 2005 it will be 1.3 °C more than in 1950-1980. The report, prepared under the auspices of the UN by an international group on climate change, states that by 2100 the temperature on Earth will increase by 2-4 degrees. The scale of warming over this relatively short period of time will be comparable to the warming that occurred on Earth after the Ice Age, which means the environmental consequences could be catastrophic. First of all, this is due to the expected increase in the level of the World Ocean due to melting polar ice, reduction in areas of mountain glaciation, etc. By modeling the environmental consequences of a rise in sea level by only 0.5-2.0 m by the end of the 21st century, scientists have found that this will inevitably lead to a disruption of the climatic balance, flooding of the coastal plains to more than 30 countries, degradation of permafrost, waterlogging of vast areas and other adverse consequences.

However, a number of scientists see positive environmental consequences in the proposed global warming. An increase in the concentration of CO 2 in the atmosphere and the associated increase in photosynthesis, as well as an increase in climate humidification, can, in their opinion, lead to an increase in the productivity of both natural phytocenoses (forests, meadows, savannas, etc.) and agrocenoses (cultivated plants, gardens , vineyards, etc.).

On the issue of the degree of influence of greenhouse gases on global warming climate there is also no unity of opinion. Thus, the report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (1992) notes that the climate warming of 0.3-0.6 °C observed in the last century could be due primarily to natural variability of a number of climatic factors.

On international conference in Toronto (Canada) in 1985, the energy industry around the world was tasked with reducing industrial carbon emissions into the atmosphere by 20% by 2010. But it is obvious that a tangible environmental effect can only be obtained by combining these measures with the global direction of environmental policy - the maximum possible preservation of communities of organisms, natural ecosystems and the entire biosphere of the Earth.

3.2 Ozone layer depletion

The ozone layer (ozonosphere) covers the entire globe and is located at altitudes from 10 to 50 km with a maximum ozone concentration at an altitude of 20-25 km. The saturation of the atmosphere with ozone is constantly changing in any part of the planet, reaching a maximum in the spring in the polar region. The depletion of the ozone layer first attracted the attention of the general public in 1985, when an area with reduced ozone content (up to 50%) was discovered above Antarctica, called "ozone hole" WITH Since then, measurement results have confirmed a widespread decrease in the ozone layer throughout almost the entire planet. For example, in Russia over the past ten years the concentration of the ozone layer has decreased by 4-6% in winter time and by 3% - in the summer. Currently, the depletion of the ozone layer is recognized by all as a serious threat to global environmental security. Declining ozone concentrations weaken the atmosphere's ability to protect all life on Earth from harsh ultraviolet radiation (UV radiation). Living organisms are very vulnerable to ultraviolet radiation, because the energy of even one photon from these rays is enough to destroy chemical bonds in most organic molecules. It is no coincidence that in areas with low ozone levels, there are numerous sunburns, there is an increase in people getting skin cancer, etc. For example, according to a number of environmental scientists, by 2030 in Russia, if the current rate of depletion of the ozone layer continues, there will be additional cases of skin cancer 6 million people. In addition to skin diseases, the development of eye diseases (cataracts, etc.), suppression of the immune system, etc. has also been established. It has also been established that plants under the influence of strong ultraviolet radiation gradually lose their ability to photosynthesize, and disruption of the life activity of plankton leads to a break in the trophic chains of aquatic biota ecosystems, etc. Science has not yet fully established what the main processes that violate the ozone layer are. Both natural and anthropogenic origins of “ozone holes” are assumed. The latter, according to most scientists, is more likely and is associated with increased content chlorofluorocarbons (freons). Freons are widely used in industrial production and in everyday life (refrigeration units, solvents, sprayers, aerosol packaging, etc.). Rising into the atmosphere, freons decompose, releasing chlorine oxide, which has a detrimental effect on ozone molecules. According to the international environmental organization Greenpeace, the main suppliers of chlorofluorocarbons (freons) are the USA - 30.85%, Japan - 12.42%, Great Britain - 8.62% and Russia - 8.0%. The USA punched a “hole” in the ozone layer with an area of ​​7 million km 2, Japan - 3 million km 2, which is seven times larger than the area of ​​Japan itself. Recently in the USA and in a number of Western countries factories were built to produce new types of refrigerants (hydrochlorofluorocarbons) with a low potential for depleting the ozone layer. According to the protocol of the Montreal Conference (1990), then revised in London (1991) and Copenhagen (1992), a reduction in chlorofluorocarbon emissions by 50% was envisaged by 1998. According to Art. 56 of the Law of the Russian Federation on Environmental Protection, in accordance with international agreements, all organizations and enterprises are obliged to reduce and subsequently completely stop the production and use of ozone-depleting substances.

A number of scientists continue to insist on the natural origin of the “ozone hole.” Some see the reasons for its occurrence in the natural variability of the ozonosphere and the cyclical activity of the Sun, while others associate these processes with rifting and degassing of the Earth.

3.3 Acid rain

One of the most important environmental problems associated with the oxidation of the natural environment is - acid rain. They are formed during industrial emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere, which, when combined with atmospheric moisture, form sulfuric and nitric acids. As a result, rain and snow become acidified (pH number below 5.6). In Bavaria (Germany) in August 1981 there were rains with acidity pH = 3.5. Maximum recorded precipitation acidity in Western Europe- pH=2.3. The total global anthropogenic emissions of the two main air pollutants - the culprits of acidification of atmospheric moisture - SO 2 and NO amount annually to more than 255 million tons. According to Roshydromet, at least 4.22 million tons of sulfur fall on the territory of Russia every year, 4.0 million tons. nitrogen (nitrate and ammonium) in the form of acidic compounds contained in precipitation. As can be seen from Figure 10, the highest sulfur loads are observed in densely populated and industrial regions of the country.

Figure 10. Average annual sulfate deposition kg sulfur/sq. km (2006) [based on materials from the site http://www.sci.aha.ru]

High levels of sulfur fallout (550-750 kg/sq. km per year) and the amount of nitrogen compounds (370-720 kg/sq. km per year) in the form of large areas (several thousand sq. km) are observed in densely populated and industrial regions of the country. An exception to this rule is the situation around the city of Norilsk, the trace of pollution from which exceeds in area and power of fallout in the pollution deposition zone in the Moscow region, in the Urals.

On the territory of most subjects of the Federation, the deposition of sulfur and nitrate nitrogen from own sources does not exceed 25% of their total losses. The contribution of own sulfur sources exceeds this threshold in the Murmansk (70%), Sverdlovsk (64%), Chelyabinsk (50%), Tula and Ryazan (40%) regions and in the Krasnoyarsk Territory (43%).

In general, in the European territory of the country, only 34% of sulfur fallout is of Russian origin. Of the remainder, 39% comes from European countries, and 27% from other sources. At the same time, the largest contribution to transboundary acidification of the natural environment is made by Ukraine (367 thousand tons), Poland (86 thousand tons), Germany, Belarus and Estonia.

The situation seems especially dangerous in the humid climate zone (from the Ryazan region and further north in the European part and throughout the Urals), since these regions are distinguished by the naturally high acidity of natural waters, which, thanks to these emissions, increases even more. In turn, this leads to a decrease in the productivity of reservoirs and an increase in the incidence of dental and intestinal tract diseases in humans.

Over a vast territory, the natural environment is acidifying, which has a very negative impact on the state of all ecosystems. It turned out that natural ecosystems are destroyed even with a lower level of air pollution than that which is dangerous for humans. “Lakes and rivers devoid of fish, dying forests - these are the sad consequences of the industrialization of the planet.” The danger is, as a rule, not from acid precipitation itself, but from the processes occurring under its influence. Under the influence of acid precipitation, not only vital plants need to be leached from the soil. nutrients, but also toxic heavy and light metals - lead, cadmium, aluminum, etc. Subsequently, they themselves or the toxic compounds formed are absorbed by plants and other soil organisms, which leads to very negative consequences.

The impact of acid rain reduces the resistance of forests to droughts, diseases, and natural pollution, which leads to even more pronounced degradation of them as natural ecosystems.

A striking example of the negative impact of acid precipitation on natural ecosystems is the acidification of lakes . In our country, the area of ​​significant acidification from acid precipitation reaches several tens of millions of hectares. Special cases of lake acidification have also been noted (Karelia, etc.). Increased acidity precipitation is observed along the western border (transboundary transport of sulfur and other pollutants) and in a number of large industrial areas, as well as fragmentarily on the coast of Taimyr and Yakutia.

Conclusion

Nature conservation is the task of our century, a problem that has become social. Time and time again we hear about the danger that threatens environment, but still many of us consider them an unpleasant, but inevitable product of civilization and believe that we will still have time to cope with all the difficulties that have arisen.

However, human impact on the environment has reached alarming proportions. Only in the second half of the 20th century, thanks to the development of ecology and the spread environmental knowledge It became obvious among the population that humanity is an indispensable part of the biosphere, that the conquest of nature, the uncontrolled use of its resources and environmental pollution is a dead end in the development of civilization and in the evolution of man himself. That's why the most important condition development of humanity - careful attitude towards nature, comprehensive care for rational use and restoration of its resources, preserving a favorable environment.

However, many do not understand the close relationship between human economic activity and the state of the natural environment.

Broad environmental education should help people acquire the environmental knowledge and ethical norms and values, attitudes and lifestyles that are necessary for the sustainable development of nature and society. To fundamentally improve the situation, targeted and thoughtful actions will be needed. A responsible and effective policy towards the environment will be possible only if we accumulate reliable data on the current state of the environment, reasonable knowledge about the interaction of important environmental factors, if we develop new methods for reducing and preventing harm caused to Nature by Man.

Bibliography

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3. Galperin M.V. Ecology and fundamentals of environmental management. M.: Forum-Infra-m, 2003.

4. Danilov-Danilyan V.I. Ecology, nature conservation and environmental safety. M.: MNEPU, 1997.

5. Climatic characteristics of the conditions for the distribution of impurities in the atmosphere. Reference manual / Ed. E.Yu.Bezuglaya and M.E.Berlyand. – Leningrad, Gidrometeoizdat, 1983.

6. Korobkin V.I., Peredelsky L.V. Ecology. Rostov-on-Don: Phoenix, 2003.

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More from the Ecology section:

• Abstract: The ozone layer over Moscow. Sounding results at millimeter radio waves

Atmospheric air pollution with various harmful substances leads to diseases of human organs and, above all, respiratory organs.

The atmosphere always contains a certain amount of impurities coming from natural and anthropogenic sources. Impurities emitted by natural sources include: dust (of plant, volcanic, cosmic origin; arising from soil erosion, particles sea ​​salt), smoke, gases from forest and steppe fires and volcanic origin. Natural sources of pollution can be either distributed, for example, the fall of cosmic dust, or short-term, spontaneous, for example, forest and steppe fires, volcanic eruptions, etc. The level of atmospheric pollution from natural sources is background and changes little over time.

The main anthropogenic air pollution comes from enterprises in a number of industries, motor transport and heat and power generation.

The most common toxic substances that pollute the atmosphere are: carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (S0 2), nitrogen oxides (No x), hydrocarbons (C P N T) and solids (dust).

In addition to CO, S0 2, NO x, C n H m and dust, other, more toxic substances are emitted into the atmosphere: fluorine compounds, chlorine, lead, mercury, benzo(a)pyrene. Ventilation emissions from an electronics industry plant contain vapors of hydrofluoric, sulfuric, chromic and other mineral acids, organic solvents, etc. Currently, there are more than 500 harmful substances that pollute the atmosphere, and their number is increasing. Emissions of toxic substances into the atmosphere lead, as a rule, to an excess of current concentrations of substances over the maximum permissible concentrations.

High concentrations of impurities and their migration in the atmospheric air lead to the formation of secondary, more toxic compounds (smog, acids) or to phenomena such as the greenhouse effect and destruction of the ozone layer.

Smog– severe air pollution observed in large cities and industrial centers. There are two types of smog:

Thick fog mixed with smoke or gas waste from production;

Photochemical smog is a veil of corrosive gases and aerosols of high concentration (without fog), resulting from photo chemical reactions in gas emissions under the influence of ultraviolet radiation from the Sun.

Smog reduces visibility, increases corrosion of metal and structures, negatively affects health and causes increased morbidity and mortality among the population.

Acid rain known for more than 100 years, however, the problem of acid rain began to receive due attention relatively recently. The expression “acid rain” was first used by Robert Angus Smith (Great Britain) in 1872.

Essentially, acid rain occurs as a result of chemical and physical transformations of sulfur and nitrogen compounds in the atmosphere. The end result of these chemical transformations is sulfuric (H 2 S0 4) and nitric (HN0 3) acid, respectively. Subsequently, vapors or acid molecules absorbed by cloud droplets or aerosol particles fall to the ground in the form of dry or wet sediment (sedimentation). At the same time, near pollution sources, the share of dry acid precipitation exceeds the share of wet acid precipitation by 1.1 times for sulfur-containing substances and 1.9 times for nitrogen-containing substances. However, as you move away from the immediate sources of pollution, wet sediments may contain more pollutants than dry sediments.

If air pollutants of anthropogenic and natural origin were evenly distributed over the Earth's surface, then the impact of acid precipitation on the biosphere would be less harmful. There are direct and indirect effects of acid precipitation on the biosphere. Direct impact is manifested in the direct death of plants and trees, which to the greatest extent occurs near the source of pollution, within a radius of up to 100 km from it.

Airborne pollution and acid rain accelerate the corrosion of metal structures (up to 100 microns/year), destroy buildings and monuments, especially those built of sandstone and limestone.

The indirect impact of acid precipitation on the environment occurs through processes occurring in nature as a result of changes in the acidity (pH) of water and soil. Moreover, it manifests itself not only in the immediate vicinity of the source of pollution, but also at significant distances, amounting to hundreds of kilometers.

Changes in soil acidity disrupt its structure, affect fertility and lead to plant death. An increase in the acidity of fresh water bodies leads to a decrease in fresh water reserves and causes the death of living organisms (the most sensitive ones begin to die already at pH = 6.5, and at pH = 4.5 only a few species of insects and plants are able to live).

Greenhouse effect. The composition and state of the atmosphere influence many processes of radiant heat exchange between Space and Earth. The process of energy transfer from the Sun to the Earth and from the Earth to Space maintains the temperature of the biosphere at a certain level - on average +15°. At the same time, the main role in maintaining temperature conditions in the biosphere belongs to solar radiation, which carries the determining part of thermal energy to the Earth, compared to other heat sources:

Heat from solar radiation 25 10 23 99.80

Heat from natural sources

(from the bowels of the Earth, from animals, etc.) 37.46 10 20 0.18

Heat from anthropogenic sources

(electrical installations, fires, etc.) 4.2 10 20 0.02

The disruption of the Earth's thermal balance, leading to an increase in the average temperature of the biosphere, which has been observed in recent decades, occurs due to the intensive release of anthropogenic impurities and their accumulation in the layers of the atmosphere. Most gases are transparent to solar radiation. However, carbon dioxide (C0 2), methane (CH 4), ozone (0 3), water vapor (H 2 0) and some other gases in the lower layers of the atmosphere, transmitting solar rays in the optical wavelength range - 0.38.. .0.77 microns, prevent the passage into outer space of thermal radiation reflected from the Earth's surface in the infrared wavelength range - 0.77...340 microns. The greater the concentration of gases and other impurities in the atmosphere, the smaller the proportion of heat from the Earth's surface goes into space, and the more, therefore, it is retained in the biosphere, causing climate warming.

Modeling of various climatic parameters shows that by 2050 the average temperature on Earth may increase by 1.5...4.5°C. Such warming will cause the melting of polar ice and mountain glaciers, which will lead to a rise in the level of the World Ocean by 0.5...1.5 m. At the same time, the level of rivers flowing into the seas will rise (the principle of communicating vessels). All this will cause flooding of island countries, coastal strips and areas below sea level. There will be millions of refugees forced to leave their homes and migrate inland. All ports will need to be rebuilt or retrofitted to accommodate the new sea level. Global warming may have an even stronger impact on precipitation distribution and agriculture due to disruption of circulation connections in the atmosphere. Further climate warming by 2100 could raise the level of the World Ocean by two meters, which will lead to the flooding of 5 million km 2 of land, which is 3% of all land and 30% of all productive lands on the planet.

The greenhouse effect in the atmosphere is a fairly common phenomenon at the regional level. Anthropogenic heat sources (thermal power plants, transport, industry), concentrated in major cities and industrial centers, intensive intake of “greenhouse” gases and dust, a stable state of the atmosphere create spaces with a radius of up to 50 km or more near cities with temperatures increased by 1...5 ° C and high concentrations of pollution. These zones (domes) over cities are clearly visible from outer space. They are destroyed only during intense movements of large masses of atmospheric air.

Ozone layer depletion. The main substances that destroy the ozone layer are chlorine and nitrogen compounds. According to estimates, one chlorine molecule can destroy up to 10 5 molecules, and one molecule of nitrogen oxides can destroy up to 10 ozone molecules. Sources of chlorine and nitrogen compounds entering the ozone layer are:

Freons, whose lifespan reaches 100 years or more, have a significant impact on the ozone layer. Remaining in unchanged form for a long time, they at the same time gradually move to higher layers of the atmosphere, where short-wave ultraviolet rays knock out chlorine and fluorine atoms from them. These atoms react with ozone in the stratosphere and speed up its decay, while remaining unchanged. Thus, freon plays the role of a catalyst here.

Sources and levels of hydrosphere pollution. Water is the most important factor habitat, which has a diverse impact on all vital processes of the body, including human morbidity. It is a universal solvent of gaseous, liquid and solid substances, and also participates in the processes of oxidation, intermediate metabolism, and digestion. A person can live without food but with water for about two months, and without water for several days.

The daily balance of water in the human body is about 2.5 liters.

The hygienic value of water is great. It is used to maintain the human body, household items, and housing in proper sanitary condition, and has a beneficial effect on the climatic conditions for recreation and everyday life. But it can also be a source of danger to humans.

Currently, approximately half of the world's population is deprived of the opportunity to consume sufficient quantities of clean fresh water. Those who suffer the most from this are developing countries, in which 61% of rural residents are forced to use epidemiologically unsafe water, and 87% do not have a sewerage system.

It has long been noted that the water factor is of exceptional importance in the spread of acute intestinal infections and invasions. Salmonella, E. coli, Vibrio cholerae, etc. may be present in the water of water sources. Some pathogenic microorganisms persist for a long time and even multiply in natural water.

Source of infection surface waters This may include untreated sewage wastewater.

Waterborne epidemics are considered to be characterized by a sudden rise in morbidity, persistence high level for some time, limiting the epidemic outbreak to a circle of people using a common source of water supply, and the absence of diseases among residents of the same populated area, but using a different source of water supply.

Recently, the initial quality of natural water has changed due to irrational human economic activities. The penetration into the aquatic environment of various toxicants and substances that change the natural composition of water poses an exceptional danger to natural ecosystems and humans.

There are two directions in human use of the Earth's water resources: water use and water consumption.

At water use Water, as a rule, is not withdrawn from water bodies, but its quality may change. Water use includes the use of water resources for hydropower, navigation, fishing and fish farming, recreation, tourism and sports.

At water consumption water is withdrawn from water bodies and either included in the composition of manufactured products (and, together with losses due to evaporation during the production process, is included in irreversible water consumption), or is partially returned to the reservoir, but usually of much worse quality.

Wastewater annually carries a large number of various chemical and biological pollutants into the water bodies of Kazakhstan: copper, zinc, nickel, mercury, phosphorus, lead, manganese, petroleum products, detergents, fluorine, nitrate and ammonium nitrogen, arsenic, pesticides - this is far from complete and a constantly growing list of substances entering the aquatic environment.

Ultimately, water pollution poses a threat to human health through the consumption of fish and water.

Not only primary pollution of surface waters is dangerous, but also secondary pollution, the occurrence of which is possible as a result of chemical reactions of substances in the aquatic environment.

The consequences of pollution of natural waters are manifold, but ultimately they reduce the supply of drinking water, cause diseases of people and all living things, disrupt the circulation of many substances in the biosphere.

Sources and levels of lithosphere pollution. As a result of human economic (domestic and industrial) activities, varying amounts of chemicals enter the soil: pesticides, mineral fertilizers, plant growth stimulants, surfactants, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), industrial and domestic wastewater, emissions from industrial enterprises and transport, etc. Accumulating in the soil, they adversely affect all metabolic processes occurring in it, and prevent its self-cleaning.

The problem of recycling household waste is becoming more and more complex. Huge garbage dumps have become a characteristic feature of urban outskirts. It is no coincidence that the term “garbage civilization” is sometimes used in relation to our time.

In Kazakhstan, on average, up to 90% of all toxic production waste is subject to annual burial and organized storage. These wastes contain arsenic, lead, zinc, asbestos, fluorine, phosphorus, manganese, petroleum products, radioactive isotopes and waste from galvanic production.

Heavy pollution soil degradation in the Republic of Kazakhstan occurs due to the lack of necessary control over the use, storage, and transportation of mineral fertilizers and pesticides. The fertilizers used, as a rule, are not purified, so many toxic substances enter the soil along with them. chemical elements and their compounds: arsenic, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, lead, nickel, zinc, selenium. In addition, excess nitrogen fertilizers lead to saturation of vegetables with nitrates, which causes human poisoning. Currently, there are many different pesticides (pesticides). In Kazakhstan alone, more than 100 types of pesticides are used annually (Metaphos, Decis, BI-58, Vitovax, Vitotiuram, etc.), which have wide range actions, although applied to a limited number of crops and insects. They persist in the soil for a long time and exhibit a toxic effect on all organisms.

There are cases of chronic and acute poisoning of people during agricultural work in fields, vegetable gardens, orchards treated with pesticides or contaminated with chemicals contained in atmospheric emissions from industrial enterprises.

The entry of mercury into the soil, even in small quantities, has a great influence on its biological properties. Thus, it has been established that mercury reduces the ammonifying and nitrifying activity of soil. An increased content of mercury in the soil of populated areas has an adverse effect on the human body: frequent diseases of the nervous and endocrine systems, genitourinary organs, and decreased fertility are observed.

When lead enters the soil, it inhibits the activity of not only nitrifying bacteria, but also microorganisms antagonistic to Escherichia coli and dysentery bacilli Flexner and Sonne, and extends the period of self-purification of the soil.

Chemical compounds found in the soil are washed off from its surface into open bodies of water or enter the groundwater stream, thereby affecting the qualitative composition of household drinking water, as well as food products of plant origin. The qualitative composition and quantity of chemicals in these products is largely determined by the type of soil and its chemical composition.

The special hygienic importance of soil is associated with the danger of transmitting pathogens of various types to humans. infectious diseases. Despite the antagonism of soil microflora, pathogens of many infectious diseases can remain viable and virulent in it for a long time. During this time, they can contaminate underground water sources and infect humans.

Soil dust can spread pathogens of a number of other infectious diseases: tuberculosis microbacteria, polio viruses, Coxsackie viruses, ECHO, etc. Soil also plays an important role in the spread of epidemics caused by helminths.

3. Industrial enterprises, energy facilities, communications and transport are the main sources of energy pollution in industrial regions, the urban environment, housing and natural areas. Energy pollution includes vibration and acoustic impacts, electromagnetic fields and radiation, exposure to radionuclides and ionizing radiation.

Vibrations in the urban environment and residential buildings, the source of which is impact technological equipment, rail transport, construction machines and heavy vehicles, spread through the ground.

Noise in the urban environment and residential buildings is generated by vehicles, industrial equipment, sanitary installations and devices, etc. On city highways and in adjacent areas, sound levels can reach 70...80 dB A, and in some cases 90 dB A or more. Around airports, sound levels are even higher.

Sources of infrasound can be either natural (wind blowing of building structures and water surfaces) or anthropogenic (moving mechanisms with large surfaces - vibrating platforms, vibrating screens; rocket engines, high power internal combustion engine, gas turbines, vehicles). In some cases, infrasound sound pressure levels can reach standard values, equal to 90 dB, and even exceed them at significant distances from the source.

The main sources of electromagnetic fields (EMF) of radio frequencies are radio engineering facilities (RTO), television and radar stations (RLS), thermal shops and areas (in areas adjacent to enterprises).

In everyday life, sources of EMF and radiation are televisions, displays, microwave ovens and other devices. Electrostatic fields in conditions of low humidity (less than 70%) create rugs, capes, curtains, etc.

The radiation dose created by anthropogenic sources (except for irradiation due to medical examinations), is small compared to the natural background of ionizing radiation, which is achieved by using collective protective equipment. In cases where at economic facilities regulatory requirements and radiation safety rules are not followed, levels of ionizing exposure increase sharply.

Dispersion of radionuclides contained in emissions into the atmosphere leads to the formation of contamination zones near the source of emissions. Typically, the zones of anthropogenic radiation for residents living around nuclear fuel processing plants at a distance of up to 200 km range from 0.1 to 65% of the natural background radiation.

The migration of radioactive substances in the soil is determined mainly by its hydrological regime, the chemical composition of the soil and radionuclides. Sandy soil has a lower sorption capacity, while clay soil, loam and chernozem have a higher sorption capacity. 90 Sr and l 37 Cs have high retention strength in soil.

The experience of eliminating the consequences of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant shows that agricultural production is unacceptable in areas with a pollution density above 80 Ci/km 2, and in areas contaminated up to 40...50 Ci/km 2, it is necessary to limit the production of seed and industrial crops, as well as feed for young animals and fattening beef cattle. At a pollution density of 15...20 Ci/kmg for 137 Cs, agricultural production is quite acceptable.

Of the energy pollution considered in modern conditions Radioactive and acoustic pollution have the greatest negative impact on humans.

Negative factors in emergency situations. Emergencies arise during natural phenomena (earthquakes, floods, landslides, etc.) and man-made accidents. The greatest accident rate is typical for the coal, mining, chemical, oil and gas and metallurgical industries, geological exploration, boiler inspection facilities, gas and material handling facilities, as well as transport.

Destruction or depressurization of high-pressure systems, depending on the physico-chemical properties of the working environment, can lead to the appearance of one or a complex of damaging factors:

Shock wave (consequences - injuries, destruction of equipment and supporting structures, etc.);

Fire of buildings, materials, etc. (consequences - thermal burns, loss of structural strength, etc.);

Chemical pollution of the environment (consequences - suffocation, poisoning, chemical burns, etc.);

Pollution of the environment with radioactive substances. Emergencies also arise as a result of unregulated storage and transportation of explosives, flammable liquids, chemical and radioactive substances, supercooled and heated liquids, etc. Violations of operational regulations result in explosions, fires, spills of chemically active liquids, and emissions of gas mixtures.

One of the common causes of fires and explosions, especially at oil and gas and chemical production facilities and during the operation of vehicles, is static electricity discharges. Static electricity is a set of phenomena associated with the formation and retention of free electric charge on the surface and in the volume of dielectric and semiconductor substances. The cause of static electricity is electrification processes.

Natural static electricity is formed on the surface of clouds as a result of complex atmospheric processes. Charges of atmospheric (natural) static electricity create a potential relative to the Earth of several million volts, leading to lightning injuries.

Spark discharges of artificial static electricity – common reasons fires, and spark discharges of atmospheric static electricity (lightning) are common causes of larger emergencies. They can cause both fires and mechanical damage to equipment, disruptions in communication lines and power supply in certain areas.

Discharges of static electricity and sparking in electrical circuits create a greater danger in conditions of increased content of flammable gases (for example, methane in mines, natural gas in residential premises) or flammable vapors and dust in premises.

The main reasons for major man-made accidents are:

Failures technical systems due to manufacturing defects and violations of operating conditions; many modern potentially hazardous industries are designed in such a way that the probability of a major accident is very high and is estimated at a risk value of 10 4 or more;

Erroneous actions of technical system operators; statistics show that more than 60% of accidents occurred as a result of operator errors;

Concentration of various industries in industrial zones without proper study of their mutual influence;

High energy level of technical systems;

External negative impacts on energy facilities, transport, etc.

Practice shows that it is impossible to solve the problem of completely eliminating negative impacts in the technosphere. To ensure protection in the technosphere, it is only realistic to limit the impact of negative factors to their acceptable levels, taking into account their combined (simultaneous) action. Compliance with maximum permissible exposure levels is one of the main ways to ensure the safety of human life in the technosphere.

4. The production environment and its characteristics. About 15 thousand people die annually at work. and approximately 670 thousand people are injured. According to the deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR V.Kh. Dogudzhiev in 1988, there were 790 major accidents and 1 million cases of group injuries in the country. This determines the importance of the safety of human activity, which distinguishes it from all living things - Humanity at all stages of its development paid serious attention to the conditions of activity. The works of Aristotle and Hippocrates (III-V centuries BC) discuss working conditions. During the Renaissance, the physician Paracelsus studied the dangers of mining, and the Italian physician Ramazzini (17th century) laid the foundations of professional hygiene. And society’s interest in these problems is growing, since behind the term “operational safety” there is a person, and “man is the measure of all things” (philosopher Protagoras, 5th century BC).

Activity is the process of human interaction with nature and the built environment. The set of factors influencing a person in the process of activity (work) in production and in everyday life constitutes the conditions of activity (work). Moreover, the effect of environmental factors can be favorable or unfavorable for a person. The impact of a factor that can pose a threat to human life or damage to human health is called a hazard. Practice shows that any activity is potentially dangerous. This is an axiom about the potential danger of activity.

The growth of industrial production is accompanied by a continuous increase in the impact of the industrial environment on the biosphere. It is believed that every 10...12 years the volume of production doubles, and accordingly the volume of emissions into the environment also increases: gaseous, solid and liquid, as well as energy. At the same time, pollution of the atmosphere, water basin and soil occurs.

An analysis of the composition of pollutants emitted into the atmosphere by a machine-building enterprise shows that, in addition to the main pollutants (CO, S0 2, NO n, C n H m, dust), the emissions contain toxic compounds that have a significant impact negative impact on the environment. The concentration of harmful substances in ventilation emissions is small, but the total amount of harmful substances is significant. Emissions are produced with variable frequency and intensity, but due to the low emission height, dispersion and poor purification, they heavily pollute the air on the territory of enterprises. With a small width of the sanitary protection zone, difficulties arise in ensuring clean air in residential areas. The enterprise's power plants make a significant contribution to air pollution. They emit CO 2 , CO, soot, hydrocarbons, SO 2 , S0 3 PbO, ash and particles of unburned solid fuel into the atmosphere.

The noise generated by an industrial enterprise must not exceed the maximum permissible spectrum. At enterprises, mechanisms that are a source of infrasound (internal combustion engines, fans, compressors, etc.) may operate. Permissible infrasound sound pressure levels are established by sanitary standards.

Impact technological equipment (hammers, presses), powerful pumps and compressors, engines are sources of vibrations in the environment. Vibrations spread through the ground and can reach the foundations of public and residential buildings.

Control questions:

1. How are energy sources divided?

2. What energy sources are natural?

3. What are physical hazards and harmful factors?

4. How are hazardous chemicals divided? harmful factors?

5. What is included biological factors?

6. What are the consequences of air pollution with various harmful substances?

7. What are some of the impurities released from natural sources?

8. What sources create the main anthropogenic air pollution?

9. What are the most common toxic air pollutants?

10. What is smog?

11. What types of smog are there?

12. What causes acid rain?

13. Causes of ozone layer destruction?

14. What are the sources of hydrosphere pollution?

15. What are the sources of lithosphere pollution?

16. What is a surfactant?

17. What is the source of vibration in urban environments and residential buildings?

18. What level can sound reach on city highways and in areas adjacent to them?

The main pollutants of atmospheric air, formed both during human economic activity and as a result of natural processes, are sulfur dioxide SO2, carbon dioxide CO2, nitrogen oxides NOx, particulate matter - aerosols. Their share is 98% of the total emissions of harmful substances. In addition to these main pollutants, more than 70 types of harmful substances are observed in the atmosphere: formaldehyde, phenol, benzene, compounds of lead and other heavy metals, ammonia, carbon disulfide, etc.

Environmental consequences of air pollution

The most important environmental consequences of global air pollution include:

• · possible climate warming (greenhouse effect);
• · violation of the ozone layer;
• · Acid rain;
• · deterioration of health.

Greenhouse effect

The greenhouse effect is an increase in the temperature of the lower layers of the Earth's atmosphere compared to the effective temperature, i.e. the temperature of the planet's thermal radiation observed from space.

The currently observed climate change, which is expressed in a gradual increase in average annual temperature starting from the second half of the twentieth century, is associated by most scientists with the accumulation in the atmosphere of so-called greenhouse gases: CO2, CH4, chlorofluorocarbons (freons), ozone, nitrogen oxides, etc. Greenhouse gases of the atmosphere, and primarily CO2, allow most of the solar short-wave radiation to pass through (l = 0.4-1.5 μm), but prevent long-wave radiation from the Earth's surface (l = 7.8-28 μm).

Calculations show that in 2005 the average annual temperature is 1.3 °C higher than in 1950-1980, and by 2100 it will be 2-4 °C higher. The environmental consequences of such warming could be catastrophic. As a result of the melting of polar ice and mountain glaciers, the level of the World Ocean may rise by 0.5-2.0 m by the end of the 21st century, and this will lead to flooding of coastal plains in more than 30 countries, swamping of vast areas, and disruption of climate balance.

From another point of view, the amount of precipitation and moisture generated as a result of warming accumulates in polar latitudes, as a result, the level of the World Ocean should decrease. The balance of polar glaciation will be disrupted if warming exceeds 5 °C.

In December 1997, at a meeting in Kyoto (Japan) dedicated to global climate change, delegates from more than 160 countries adopted a convention obliging developed countries to reduce CO2 emissions. The Kyoto Protocol obliges 38 industrialized countries to reduce by 2008-2012. CO2 emissions by 5% from 1990 levels:

The European Union must reduce emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases by 8%, the USA - by 7%, Japan - by 6%.

The protocol provides for a system of quotas for greenhouse gas emissions. Its essence lies in the fact that each country (so far this applies only to thirty-eight countries that have committed to reducing emissions) receives permission to emit a certain amount of greenhouse gases. It is assumed that some countries or companies will exceed the emission quota. In such cases, these countries or companies will be able to buy the right to additional emissions from those countries or companies whose emissions are less than the allocated quota. Thus, it is assumed that the main goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 5% over the next 15 years will be achieved.

As other reasons causing climate warming, scientists name the variability of solar activity, changes in magnetic field Earth and atmospheric electric field.

Ozone layer depletion

Declining ozone concentrations weaken the atmosphere's ability to protect all life on Earth from harsh UV radiation. Plants under the influence of strong UV radiation lose their ability to photosynthesize, there is an increase in skin cancer in humans, and a decrease in immunity.

The “ozone hole” refers to a significant space in the ozone layer of the atmosphere with a noticeably reduced (up to 50%) ozone content. The first “ozone hole” was discovered over Antarctica in the early 1980s. XX century. Since then, measurements have confirmed a decrease in the ozone layer throughout the planet. It is believed that this phenomenon is of anthropogenic origin and is associated with an increase in the content of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) or freons in the atmosphere. Freons are widely used in industry and in everyday life as aerosols, refrigerants, and solvents.

Freons are highly stable compounds. The lifespan of some freons is 70-100 years. They do not absorb long wavelength solar radiation and cannot be exposed to it in the lower atmosphere. But, rising to the upper layers of the atmosphere, freons overcome the protective layer. Short-wave radiation releases free chlorine atoms from them. The chlorine atoms then react with ozone:

CFCl3 + hn > CFCl2 + Cl,

Cl + O3 > ClO + O2,

ClO + O > Cl + O2.

Thus, the decomposition of CFCs solar radiation creates a chain reaction according to which 1 chlorine atom can destroy up to 100,000 ozone molecules.

Other chemicals can also destroy ozone, for example, carbon tetrachloride CCl4 and nitrogen oxide N2O:

O3 + NO> NO2 + O2,

N2O + O3 = 2NO + O2.

It should be noted that some scientists insist on the natural origin of ozone holes.

Acid rain

Acid rain is formed as a result of industrial emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere, which, when combined with atmospheric moisture, form sulfuric and nitric acids. Clean rainwater has a weakly acidic reaction pH = 5.6, since CO2 easily dissolves in it to form weak carbonic acid H2CO3. Acid precipitation has pH = 3-5, the maximum recorded acidity in Western Europe is pH = 2.3.

Sulfur oxides enter the air ~ 40% from natural sources (volcanic activity, waste products of microorganisms) and ~ 60% from anthropogenic sources (product of burning fossil fuels containing sulfur at thermal power plants, in industry, during the operation of vehicles). Natural sources of nitrogen compounds are lightning discharges, soil emissions, biomass combustion (63%), anthropogenic - emissions from vehicles, industry, thermal power plants (37%).

Main reactions in the atmosphere:

2SO2 + O2 > 2SO3

SO3 + H2O > H2SO4

• 2NO + O2 > 2NO2
• 4NO2 + 2H2O + O2 > 4HNO3

The danger is not the acid precipitation itself, but the processes occurring under its influence. Acid precipitation poses the greatest danger when it enters water bodies and soils, which leads to a decrease in the pH of the environment. The solubility of aluminum and heavy metals that are toxic to living organisms depends on the pH value. When the pH changes, the structure of the soil changes and its fertility decreases.

Ambient air pollution

Atmospheric air pollution should be understood as any change in its composition and properties, which has a negative impact on human and animal health, the state of plants and ecosystems.

Atmospheric pollution can be natural (natural) and anthropogenic (technogenic).

Natural pollution air caused by natural processes. These include volcanic activity, weathering of rocks, wind erosion, massive flowering of plants, smoke from forest and steppe fires, etc. Anthropogenic pollution associated with the release of various pollutants during human activities. In scale, it significantly exceeds natural air pollution.

Depending on the scale of distribution, they distinguish Various types air pollution: local, regional and global. Local pollution characterized by an increased content of pollutants in small areas (city, industrial area, agricultural zone, etc.) When regional pollution Significant areas are involved in the sphere of negative impact, but not the entire planet. Global pollution associated with changes in the state of the atmosphere as a whole.

According to their state of aggregation, emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere are classified into:

1) gaseous (sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, etc.)

2) liquid (acids, alkalis, salt solutions, etc.);

3) solid (carcinogenic substances, lead and its compounds, organic and inorganic dust, soot, resinous substances and others).

The most dangerous air pollution is radioactive. Currently, it is caused mainly by globally distributed long-lived radioactive isotopes - products of nuclear weapons tests conducted in the atmosphere and underground. The surface layer of the atmosphere is also polluted by emissions of radioactive substances into the atmosphere from operating nuclear power plants during their normal operation and other sources.

Another form of air pollution is local excess heat input from anthropogenic sources. A sign of thermal (thermal) pollution of the atmosphere are the so-called thermal tones, for example, “heat island” in cities, warming of water bodies, etc.

In general, judging by official data for 1997-1999, the level of air pollution in our country, especially in Russian cities, remains high, despite a significant decline in production, which is associated primarily with an increase in the number of cars, including - faulty.

Environmental consequences of air pollution

Air pollution affects human health and the environment different ways- from a direct and immediate threat (smog, etc.) to the slow and gradual destruction of various life support systems of the body. In many cases, air pollution disrupts the structural components of the ecosystem to such an extent that regulatory processes are unable to return them to their original state and, as a result, the homeostasis mechanism does not work.

First, let's look at how it affects the natural environment. local (local) pollution atmosphere, and then global.

The physiological impact of the main pollutants (pollutants) on the human body is fraught with the most serious consequences. Thus, sulfur dioxide, combining with moisture, forms sulfuric acid, which destroys the lung tissue of humans and animals. This connection can be seen especially clearly when analyzing childhood pulmonary pathology and the degree of sulfur dioxide concentration in the atmosphere of large cities.

Dust containing silicon dioxide (SiO 2) causes serious disease lungs - silicosis. Nitrogen oxides irritate, and in severe cases, corrode mucous membranes, for example, eyes, lungs, participate in the formation of toxic mists, etc. They are especially dangerous if they are contained in polluted air together with sulfur dioxide and other toxic compounds. In these cases, even at low concentrations of pollutants, a synergistic effect occurs, i.e., an increase in the toxicity of the entire gaseous mixture.

The effect of carbon monoxide (carbon monoxide) on the human body is widely known. In acute poisoning, general weakness, dizziness, nausea, drowsiness, loss of consciousness appear, and death is possible (even after three to seven days). However, due to the low concentration of CO in the atmospheric air, it, as a rule, does not cause mass poisoning, although it is very dangerous for people suffering from anemia and cardiovascular diseases.

Among suspended solid particles, the most dangerous are particles smaller than 5 microns, which can penetrate the lymph nodes, linger in the alveoli of the lungs, and clog the mucous membranes.

Anabiosis– temporary suspension of all life processes.

Very unfavorable consequences, which can affect a huge period of time, are also associated with such insignificant emissions as lead, benzo(a)pyrene, phosphorus, cadmium, arsenic, cobalt, etc. They depress the hematopoietic system, cause cancer, and reduce the body's resistance to infections, etc. Dust containing lead and mercury compounds has mutagenic properties and causes genetic changes in the body's cells.

The consequences of exposure of the human body to harmful substances contained in vehicle exhaust gases are very serious and have a wide range of action:

London type of smog occurs in winter in large industrial cities under unfavorable weather conditions (lack of wind and temperature inversion). Temperature inversion manifests itself in an increase in air temperature with height in a certain layer of the atmosphere (usually in the range of 300-400 m from the earth's surface) instead of the usual decrease. As a result, the circulation of atmospheric air is sharply disrupted, smoke and pollutants cannot rise upward and do not dissipate. Fogs often occur. Concentrations of sulfur oxides, suspended dust, and carbon monoxide reach levels dangerous to human health, leading to circulatory and respiratory disorders, and often to death.

Los Angeles type of smog or photochemical smog, no less dangerous than the London one. It occurs in the summer when there is intense exposure to solar radiation on air that is saturated, or rather oversaturated, with car exhaust gases.

Anthropogenic emissions of pollutants in high concentrations and over a long period of time cause great harm not only to humans, but also negatively affect animals, the condition of plants and ecosystems as a whole.

The environmental literature describes cases of mass poisoning of wild animals, birds, and insects due to emissions of high concentrations of harmful pollutants (especially in large quantities). For example, it has been established that when certain toxic types of dust settle on honey plants, a noticeable increase in bee mortality is observed. As for large animals, toxic dust in the atmosphere affects them mainly through the respiratory system, as well as entering the body along with the dusty plants they eat.

Toxic substances enter plants in various ways. It has been established that emissions of harmful substances act both directly on the green parts of plants, entering through stomata into tissues, destroying chlorophyll and cell structure, and through the soil on root system. For example, soil contamination with toxic metal dust, especially in combination with sulfuric acid, has a detrimental effect on the root system, and through it on the entire plant.

Gaseous pollutants affect the health of vegetation in different ways. Some only slightly damage leaves, needles, shoots (carbon monoxide, ethylene, etc.), others have a detrimental effect on plants (sulfur dioxide, chlorine, mercury vapor, ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, etc.) Sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), under the influence of which many trees die, and primarily conifers - pines, spruce, fir, cedar.

As a result of the impact of highly toxic pollutants on plants, there is a slowdown in their growth, the formation of necrosis at the ends of leaves and needles, failure of assimilation organs, etc. An increase in the surface of damaged leaves can lead to a decrease in moisture consumption from the soil and its general waterlogging, which will inevitably affect in its habitat.

Can vegetation recover after exposure to harmful pollutants is reduced? This will largely depend on the restorative capacity of the remaining green mass and the general condition of natural ecosystems. At the same time, it should be noted that low concentrations of individual pollutants not only do not harm plants, but also, such as cadmium salt, stimulate seed germination, wood growth, and the growth of certain plant organs.

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

Natural sources of clogging

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

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

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

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

Artificial sources

Air pollution in Russia and other developed countries is often caused by the influence of anthropogenic factors caused by the activities carried out by people.

Let us list the main artificial sources causing air pollution:

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

What substances most often pollute the air?

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

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

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

Sad consequences

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

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

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

How to solve the problem and save the environment

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

Let's look at a few effective measures on the prevention of air pollution:

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

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