Topic: "Pollution of the natural environment, sources and measures to combat and protect the natural environment"

INTRODUCTION

Relevance of the research topic is that at present anthropogenic pollution of the natural environment has acquired a huge scale. This led to serious environmental, economic, social consequences for society, which manifests itself in the deterioration of the natural environment, the need for significant financial investments for its restoration, and a sharp decrease in life expectancy compared to developed countries.

The relevance of the research topic is also caused by the need to develop organizational and legal measures to ensure the protection of the natural environment from pollution: environmental control, observation, economic measures.

Purpose of the study : to study the problems of pollution of the natural environment, as well as to consider the sources of its pollution, measures to combat and protect the natural environment.

To achieve this goal, it is necessary to solve the following tasks:

1. Define the concept of "environmental pollution" and its main types;

2. Consider the main sources of environmental pollution;

3. Analyze measures to combat pollution of the natural environment and methods for protecting the natural environment.

1. The concept of "environmental pollution" and its main types

Pollution of the natural environment - the introduction into the environment or the emergence in it of new (uncharacteristic for it) physical, chemical or biological agents, or the excess of the natural long-term average concentration of the same agents in the period under consideration. There are natural and anthropogenic pollution.

Under environmental pollution author Snakin V.V. understands “changes in the properties of the environment (chemical, mechanical, physical, biological and related informational) occurring as a result of natural or artificial processes and leading to a deterioration in the functions of the environment in relation to any biological or technological object” 1 .

Using various elements of the environment in their activities, a person changes its quality. Often these changes are expressed in an unfavorable form of pollution 2 .

Pollution of the environment is the entry into it of harmful substances that can harm human health, inorganic nature, flora and fauna, or become an obstacle in one or another human activity. Of course, pollution caused by human activities (they are called anthropogenic) must be distinguished from natural pollution. Usually, when talking about pollution, they mean exactly anthropogenic pollution and evaluate it by comparing the power of natural and anthropogenic sources of pollution 3 .

Due to the large amounts of human waste entering the environment, the ability of the environment to self-purify is at the limit. A significant part of these wastes is alien to the natural environment: they are either toxic to microorganisms that decompose complex organic substances and turn them into simple inorganic compounds, or they are not decomposed at all and therefore accumulate in various parts of the environment. Even those substances that are familiar to the environment, entering it in too large quantities, can change its quality and affect ecological systems.

Pollution of the environment is the introduction of new physical, chemical and biological agents that are not characteristic of it or the excess of their natural level.

Consider the main types of pollution:

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

Chemical (heavy metals, pesticides, plastics and other chemicals);

Biological (biogenic, microbiological, genetic);

Informational (information noise, false information, anxiety factors 1 .

Any chemical pollution is the appearance of a chemical in a place not intended for it. Pollution arising from human activity is the main factor in its harmful impact on the natural environment.

Chemical pollutants can cause acute poisoning, chronic diseases, and also have carcinogenic and mutagenic effects. For example, heavy metals can accumulate in plant and animal tissues, causing a toxic effect. In addition to heavy metals, especially dangerous pollutants are chlordioxins, which are formed from chlorinated aromatic hydrocarbons used in the production of herbicides. Sources of environmental pollution with dioxins are also by-products of the pulp and paper industry, waste from the metallurgical industry, and exhaust gases from internal combustion engines. These substances are very toxic to humans and animals even at low concentrations and cause damage to the liver, kidneys, and immune system 1 .

Along with pollution of the environment with synthetic substances new to it, great damage to nature and human health can be caused by interference in the natural cycles of substances due to active industrial and agricultural activities, as well as the formation of household waste.

2. Sources of environmental pollution

The atmosphere (air environment), hydrosphere (water environment) and lithosphere (solid surface) of the Earth are exposed to pollution. Consider the types of sources of environmental pollution, taking into account the place of pollution.

Table 1. Sources of environmental pollution 1

The source of environmental pollution is human economic activity (industry, agriculture, transport). In cities, the largest share of pollution comes from transport (70-80%). Among industrial enterprises, metallurgical enterprises are considered the most "dirty" - 93.4%. They are followed by energy enterprises - first of all, thermal power plants - 27%, 9% - fall on the enterprises of the chemical industry, 12% - oil and 7% of the gas industry.

Although the chemical industry is not the main source of pollution (Fig. 1), it is characterized by emissions that are most dangerous for the environment, humans, animals and plants (Fig. 2) 2 .

Rice. 1. Atmospheric pollution by various industries

Fig.2. Environmental pollution with hazardous waste. The main share of hazardous waste is generated by the products of the chemical industry.

The term "hazardous waste" is applied to any kind of waste that may harm health or the environment when stored, transported, processed or disposed of. These include toxic substances, flammable wastes, corrosive wastes and other reactive substances 1 .

Natural waters can be contaminated with pesticides and dioxins, as well as oil. Oil decomposition products are toxic, and the oil film, which isolates water from air, leads to the death of living organisms (primarily plankton) in the water. The strongest pollutants of the environment are industrial waste, household waste. Every year, more than 20 tons of waste falls on one inhabitant of the Earth. Of these, dioxins are considered especially dangerous. By the Decree of the Government of November 5, 1995, a federal target program on dioxins was adopted. It includes the following block of questions: development of standards for the content of dioxins in emissions and discharges from industrial enterprises and waste incineration plants; development of standards for the content of dioxins in soil, drinking water, in the air; assessment of the scale and degree of contamination of open regions of Russia with dioxins; development of technologies and methods for the neutralization of dioxins and others, which to some extent should lead to a decrease in environmental pollution by this toxicant.

During the period of economic reforms, the organizational and legal forms of agriculture were transformed. However, due to the lack of financial resources, agricultural enterprises of various forms of ownership do not carry out environmental protection measures on livestock farms, uncontrollably use mineral fertilizers and agrochemicals, which initially accumulate in the soil, and then, together with rain flows, enter the rivers, polluting agricultural products and the natural environment. . In our opinion, it is necessary to strengthen control over the activities of rural producers, to more actively apply measures of administrative, criminal, civil liability to legal entities and individuals who do not carry out environmental protection measures 1 .

Motor transport is a strong pollutant of the environment. Vehicle emissions are a mixture of substances that are very harmful to health. However, today there is no single body involved in the development and implementation of comprehensive programs for environmental safety in relation to the field of road transport, there is no methodology for organizing traffic, developed taking into account environmental requirements. During the period of market reforms in Russia, the number of non-state enterprises increased, which, in pursuit of obtaining large incomes, do not pay attention to environmental protection measures. There is no single package of normative legal acts regulating environmental relations, which should provide for liability for environmental offenses in the field of road transport.

In addition to the accumulation of toxic and harmful substances in the soil as a result of human activities, damage to the lands is caused due to the burial and dumping of industrial and domestic wastes 1 .

Water pollutants are also organic waste. Their oxidation consumes an additional amount of oxygen. If the oxygen content is too low, the normal life of most aquatic organisms becomes impossible. Aerobic bacteria that need oxygen also die, and bacteria develop instead that use sulfur compounds for their vital activity. A sign of the appearance of such bacteria is the smell of hydrogen sulfide - one of the products of their vital activity.

As a result, we can say that one of the main environmental pollutants is agricultural production. Significant masses of nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus are artificially introduced into the system of circulation of chemical elements in the form of mineral fertilizers. Their excess, not assimilated by plants, is actively involved in water migration. The accumulation of nitrogen and phosphorus compounds in natural water bodies causes increased growth of aquatic vegetation, overgrowth of water bodies and contamination with dead plant residues and decomposition products. In addition, the abnormally high content of soluble nitrogen compounds in the soil leads to an increase in the concentration of this element in agricultural food and drinking water. It can cause serious illness in humans.

3. Measures to combat pollution of the natural environment and methods of protecting the natural environment

The main measures to combat air pollution are strict control of emissions of harmful substances. Toxic starting products are replaced with non-toxic ones, the transition to closed cycles is practiced, gas cleaning and dust collection methods are being improved. Of great importance is the optimization of the location of enterprises to reduce transport emissions, as well as the competent application of economic sanctions.

International cooperation plays an important role in protecting the environment from chemical pollution. So, for example, in the 1970s, a decrease in the concentration of O3 was found in the ozone layer, which protects our planet from the dangerous effects of ultraviolet radiation from the sun. In 1974, it was established that ozone is destroyed by the action of atomic chlorine. One of the main sources of chlorine entering the atmosphere are chlorofluoro derivatives of hydrocarbons (freons, freons) used in aerosol cans, refrigerators and air conditioners. The destruction of the ozone layer occurs, perhaps, not only under the influence of these substances. However, steps have been taken to reduce their production and use. In 1985, many countries agreed to protect the ozone layer. The exchange of information and joint research on changes in the concentration of atmospheric ozone continue 1 .

Carrying out measures to prevent the ingress of pollutants into water bodies includes the establishment of coastal protective strips and water protection zones, the rejection of poisonous chlorine-containing pesticides, and the reduction of discharges from industrial enterprises through the use of closed cycles. Reducing the risk of oil pollution is possible by improving the reliability of tankers 1 .

To prevent pollution of the Earth's surface, preventive measures are needed - to prevent contamination of soils with industrial and domestic sewage, solid domestic and industrial wastes, and sanitary cleaning of the soil and the territory of populated areas where such violations have been identified.

The most effective solution to the problem of environmental pollution would be non-waste production, which does not have sewage, gas emissions and solid waste. However, waste-free production today and in the foreseeable future is fundamentally impossible; for its implementation, it is necessary to create a cyclic system of matter and energy flows that is uniform for the entire planet. If the loss of matter, at least theoretically, can still be prevented, then the environmental problems of energy will still remain. Thermal pollution cannot be avoided in principle, and so-called clean energy sources, such as wind farms, still damage the environment 2 .

To date, the only way to significantly reduce environmental pollution is low-waste technologies. Currently, low-waste industries are being created, in which emissions of harmful substances do not exceed the maximum permissible concentrations (MPC), and waste does not lead to irreversible changes in nature. The complex processing of raw materials, the combination of several industries, the use of solid waste for the manufacture of building materials 3 are used.

There are the following main ways to reduce environmental pollution: waste-free production, low-waste production, complex processing of raw materials, new technologies and materials. New technologies and materials are being created, environmentally friendly fuels, new energy sources that reduce environmental pollution 1 .

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, I would like to say that environmental pollution has a history almost as long as the history of mankind itself. For a long time, primitive man differed little from other animal species and, in an ecological sense, was in balance with the environment. In addition, the human population was small.

Over time, as a result of the development of the biological organization of people, their mental abilities, the human race stood out among other species: the first species of living beings arose, the impact of which on all living things is a potential threat to the balance in nature.

At all stages of its development, man was closely connected with the outside world. But since the emergence of a highly industrial society, the dangerous human intervention in nature has increased dramatically, the scope of this interference has expanded, it has begun to express various manifestations and now threatens to become a global danger to humanity. Man has to intervene more and more in the economy of the biosphere - that part of our planet in which life exists. The Earth's biosphere is currently undergoing increasing anthropogenic impact.

In conclusion, it should be noted that in the context of the expected growth in production volumes, constantly increasing vehicle emissions, without the adoption of effective environmental measures, the negative trend in environmental pollution levels may become even more aggravated.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Ardashkin, I.B. Social ecology. Distance learning: textbook / I.B. Ardashkin. - Tomsk: Publishing House of TPU, 2009. - 116 p.

Types and scale of the negative impact of man and industry on the natural environment // Nature Management: Textbook / Ed. E.A. Arustamova. - M., 2008. - S.80-87.

Markovich, Danilo Zh. Social ecology: Monograph / D. Zh. Markovich. - M.: Publishing House of the Russian University of Friendship of Peoples, 2007. - 436 p.

Problems of social ecology: Collection of scientific papers. - Kemerovo: Publishing house KuzPI, 2007. - 99 p.

Snakin V.V. Ecology and protection of nature: Dictionary-reference book. - M.: Academy, 2008. p. 17.

Social ecology: theoretical and applied aspects: textbook / ed. ed. V. G. Raskin. - Kemerovo: Publishing House of the Kuzbass State University, 2006. - 135 p.

The modern world and its impact on the environment // Life safety / Ed. E.A. Arustamov. – M., 2008. – P.47-59.

Environmental pollution. Report World around. Grade 3

In the course of human activities, a lot of waste is generated that pollutes the environment. This is factory smoke that pollutes the atmosphere, wastewater from factories, institutions and homes, polluting rivers and seas, and much more. There is so much car exhaust in the atmosphere of large cities that it is difficult for people and animals to breathe.

Air pollution control

Now people are beginning to understand the harm they are doing to the environment and to themselves. In order to reduce the emission of harmful gases into the air, special filters and chemical converters (catalysts) were invented. Researchers are thinking about creating new, even more modern options for protecting the atmosphere, but so far this is not enough.

Water pollution

Liquid household and industrial wastes pollute rivers. Harmful and poisonous substances absorb oxygen from the water, which is fatal for all river inhabitants.

If environmental pollution continues at the same rate, then by the middle of the next century, about half of all plant and animal species on Earth may disappear.

Together with factory smoke, chemical compounds are released into the air. Which leads to acid rain. It poisons the soil and destroys trees.

Factories create a huge amount of waste. Cutting down trees leads to the destruction of forests and all their inhabitants. Liquid waste is dumped into rivers. And solid ones are brought to landfills, reaching enormous sizes. Exhaust gases from cars make the air harmful to breathe.

Protection of Nature

Many animals and plants on Earth are on the verge of extinction. Their habitat was destroyed by pollution, predatory deforestation or something else. Some animals with valuable fur fell victim to immoderate hunting. To save the remaining living creatures, urgent environmental measures must be taken.

National parks

The last orchid

Some wild plants are so rare that they need special protection. So one of the species of orchids today remains only in Yorkshire (in England) and its exact location is carefully hidden.

save the pandas

Deserted seas

For thousands of years, the sea has fed man. But today, modern fishing boats catch more fish than it has time to reappear. Even those species that used to be so abundant (for example, cod) are on the verge of complete destruction.

saving trees

Forests are cut down to obtain timber and release land for arable land and buildings. As a result, some forests were lost forever. But today, large-scale work is underway to grow new forests specially designed to meet human economic needs.

We can also contribute to the protection of nature. By collecting waste paper, we save trees from being cut down. In our city in spring and autumn, various events are held. For example, cleaning the Sura embankment and the streets of the city from garbage, planting trees. All this allows us to keep our city clean and beautiful.

In modern conditions, the management of mankind, as a rule, negatively affects nature. For example, the use of fuel resources requires oxygen. It is atmospheric oxygen that supports combustion in metallurgical furnaces, at thermal power plants, during the takeoff of jet aircraft, etc. If the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere decreases, the content of carbon dioxide increases. Changing the composition of the air affects the climate in general, in particular leads to global warming on Earth. According to scientists, this can lead to the melting of glaciers and the flooding of a significant part of the land.

In addition, air pollution is associated with emissions of harmful substances by enterprises. One of the main air pollutants is road transport, primarily a combination of heavy metals, dust with rubber residues.

Atmospheric pollution harms the health of people, buildings, equipment used in the economy. Harmful compounds, combined with precipitation, form acid rain, which adversely affects crops, inhabitants of reservoirs, forest plantations, etc.

Rivers, lakes, reservoirs are polluted with industrial waste and untreated industrial effluents. Bacteriological pollution of waters and seas is widespread. The source of such pollution can be public utilities of large cities, livestock farms, from the territory of which rains wash away sewage, etc.

River and sea transport pollute water basins with oil products and garbage. Soils and groundwater are negatively affected by industrial effluents due to an overdose of chemical elements and pesticides. Therefore, a huge problem has arisen before mankind, which can be solved only at the level of international agreements, international cooperation. This is the preservation of the Earth as an environment for the existence of mankind. However, not only international agreements, but each of us personally can and must participate in the preservation of the environment. material from the site

Do not litter forests, banks of large and small reservoirs with domestic waste. Do not break trees, do not destroy rare species of plants and animals. Remember, if we do not save, do not protect nature, then it will destroy us!

Our planet, like a large living organism, feels related to it.

Let's save the Earth - and it will save us!

Human economic activity mainly has a negative impact on nature (pollution of its components, disappearance or transformation of natural complexes, etc.).

On this page, material on the topics:

MOSCOW STATE MEDICAL AND DENTAL UNIVERSITY

"Environmental pollution as a global problem"

Moscow 2009

Introduction ___________________________________3.

Causes and factors of pollution _______________4.

The scale of pollution _______________________6.

Pollution of water resources _________________8.

Atmospheric pollution ______________________ 12.

Conclusion________________________________16.

References _________________________17.

Introduction

Man, who appeared in the middle of the last century, found himself in a world where 2.5 billion people live, weighed down by many problems - companions of his socio-economic development. These are the military confrontation, which, fortunately, has weakened in recent years, and the problems of population, nutrition, health care, the energy problem, and so on. To this are added the problems of nature management: deforestation (20 ha/min), desertification of land (44 ha/min), growth of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, reduction of the ozone screen, etc. If these facts are put on the time axis and compared with the dynamics of population growth, it turns out that one accompanies the other. Society has faced a serious systemic crisis, and it can be argued that it is based, in particular, on the principles of the relationship between society and nature, formed during the transition to a productive economy.

Modern civilization is exerting unprecedented pressure on nature. Pollution of the natural environment with industrial emissions has a harmful effect on people, animals, plants, soil, buildings and structures, reduces the transparency of the atmosphere, increases air humidity, increases the number of days with fogs, reduces visibility, and causes corrosion of metal products.

Environmental pollution should be understood as a change in the properties of the environment (chemical, mechanical, physical, biological and related information) occurring as a result of natural or artificial processes and leading to a deterioration in the functions of the environment in relation to any biological or technological object. Using various elements of the environment in their activities, a person changes its quality. Often these changes are expressed in an unfavorable form of pollution. In terms of scale, anthropogenic changes become comparable to natural ones, and in some cases even exceed them.

Natural pollution processes have antipodes in nature that can neutralize the effect of a natural pollutant, and many substances created by man are foreign in relation to nature.

Causes and factors of pollution

The main causes of environmental pollution are:

1) the demographic crisis - the complexity of the current demographic situation lies in the fact that economically, most countries of the world with a capitalist market economy are still interested in population growth, in a kind of "expanded reproduction" of the labor force. It should be noted in this regard that significant progress in optimizing the process of population reproduction is achievable only with a reduction in the need for labor resources in the conditions of withdrawing a person from the process of direct material production. Economic growth should come at the expense of mechanization and automation of production with a reduction in the number of people employed in it. All this will have a positive effect if it takes place against the background of a systematic increase in the standard of living of the population.

2) the huge scale of human activity - the impact of man on nature intensified as the population grew and the forms of its activity became more complex. Over time, the anthropogenic impact has acquired a global character. The sources of pollutants are diverse, as well as the types of waste and the nature of their impact on the components of the biosphere. The biosphere is polluted with solid waste, gas emissions and wastewater from metallurgical, metalworking and machine-building plants. Huge harm is caused to water resources by wastewater from the pulp and paper, food, woodworking, and petrochemical industries. The development of road transport has led to the pollution of the atmosphere of cities and transport communications with toxic metals and toxic hydrocarbons, and the constant increase in the scale of maritime transport has caused almost universal pollution of the seas and oceans with oil and oil products. The massive use of mineral fertilizers and chemical plant protection products has led to the appearance of pesticides in the atmosphere, soils and natural waters, pollution of water bodies and agricultural products with biogenic elements. During development, millions of tons of various rocks are extracted to the surface of the earth, forming dusty and burning waste heaps and dumps. During the operation of chemical plants and thermal power plants, a huge amount of solid waste (calcine, slag, ash) is also generated, which are stored over large areas, having a negative impact on the atmosphere, surface and groundwater, and soil cover.

3) irrational use of primary natural resources - mineral resources are exhaustible types of natural resources, so their total reserves are declining. This is also facilitated by the extensive use of resources, which is manifested in an increase in their production through the development of new deposits. The development was carried out selectively: first of all, rich deposits conveniently located for production were developed. As a result, deposits were depleted on the territory of the old developed part of the region and it became necessary to exploit hard-to-reach, remote sources. Losses of mineral resources occur during extraction, enrichment, transportation, processing. Due to imperfect equipment and technology, significant reserves of mineral raw materials remain in the bowels: oil, coal, metals, a huge amount of associated gases burns in flares. When extracting metals from already enriched ores, the losses are: in the processing of copper - 6%, nickel - 15%, cobalt - 52%. There are numerous wastes during the extraction of minerals by open pit or mine methods. They go to dumps, waste heaps and occupy vast territories of hundreds of thousands of hectares. In order, for example, to obtain a ton of non-ferrous metal, it is necessary to process an average of 100-200 tons of ore. Every year this industry produces 1.5 billion tons of waste. Enormous volumes of rock mass often occupy fertile lands, upset the balance of the surface layers of the lithosphere. Under their weight, the earth begins to sink or swell, which can lead to disruption of the groundwater regime, their self-outflow and swamping of large areas.

4) technocratic thinking - the reason for the destructive approach to nature - a naive-pragmatic attitude towards it and a deeply erroneous idea of ​​\u200b\u200bpeople about their own omnipotence, backed up by technology and powerful sources of energy. The biosphere and its constituent ecosystems and communities of organisms are an incomparably more complex system than civilization, but the level of ignorance, unfortunately, still remains quite high. Mankind is still under the strongest influence of scientific and technological progress of the second half of the 20th century and ideas about its imaginary power. Impressive technological advances give rise to the illusion that they can overcome the ecological crisis with their help. Meanwhile, all existing technologies lead only to further destruction of ecosystems, disruption of the balance of nutrients, introduction of previously unknown substances into the natural environment.

Scale of pollution

The scale of environmental pollution can be divided into local, regional and global. These three types of pollution are closely related. As a rule, the primary is local pollution, which, if the rate of the pollution process is greater than the rate of natural purification, turns into a regional one and then, with the accumulation of quantitative changes, into a global change in the quality of the environment. For global pollution, the most important factor is the time factor.

The existence of such processes indicates the limited resources of the atmosphere and the limits of its natural self-healing. For example, the use of air in industrial processes has long assumed the natural ability of the atmosphere to restore its original qualities. In particular, smoke emissions into the atmosphere containing microparticles and toxic substances are nothing but a dilution method. And even today, in the construction of high-rise and ultra-high pipes, this ancient method is still used. However, a sharp increase in emissions has led to the fact that the scale of pollution has come close to and even often exceeds the limits of self-healing of the atmosphere.

At modern levels of pollution, harmful substances from the source of pollution spread over tens and hundreds of kilometers. And even the very concept of a source of pollution changes the meaning somewhat. If point sources of pollution can be identified in any industrial area, then on a regional scale an entire industrial area, for example, a large city, can be considered as a single source with a system of point, line (motorway) and group sources. Moreover, even the entire region and even the whole country can act as a single source of pollution.

Modern industrial production has a significant impact on nature on a global scale. Although most of the pollutants and thermal energy are generated in a limited area, mainly in the industrial regions of North America, Europe and Asia, due to the peculiarities of atmospheric circulation and movement in the Earth's water shell, a significant part of some relatively long-lived pollutants is dispersed over vast areas and even throughout the Earth, leading to regional and global pollution.

To date, some important problems have been identified in the field of anthropogenic global pollution of the environment, which include:

Possible climate changes in connection with the entry into the atmosphere of technogenic heat, carbon dioxide and aerosol impurities.

Possible violation of the ozone layer of the Earth, associated with the entry into the atmosphere of freons, nitrogen oxides and some other impurities.

Ecological consequences of global pollution of the natural environment and the biosphere by radioactive substances, heavy metals and pesticides.

The general problem of the marine environment is atmospheric precipitation, river runoff, land and sea transport.

Long-range atmospheric transport of pollutants and the problem of acid precipitation.

Thus, the scale of anthropogenic impact on the environment and the level of danger arising from this force us to look for new approaches to the development of technological processes, which, being no less efficient in the economic sense, would be many times superior to the existing ones in terms of environmental cleanliness. In fact, the contradiction between the economy and ecology means the contradiction between the need for the harmonious development of the nature-man-production system and the insufficient objective possibility, and sometimes just the subjective unwillingness of such harmony at the present stage of development of production forces and production relations.

Water pollution

Water is the most common inorganic compound on our planet. In its natural state, water is never free from impurities. Various gases and salts are dissolved in it, there are suspended solid particles. 1 liter of fresh water can contain up to 1 gram of salts.

Most of the water is concentrated in the seas and oceans. Fresh water accounts for only 2%. Most of the fresh water (85%) is concentrated in the ice of the polar zones and glaciers.

Petroleum oils threaten the cleanliness of reservoirs the most. To remove oil, it is necessary to capture not only the film floating on the surface, but also the deposition of an oil emulsion.

Waste water from the pulp and paper industry is very dangerous as a pollutant. The effluents of these enterprises absorb oxygen due to the oxidation of organic substances, clog the water with insoluble substances and fibers, give the water an unpleasant taste and smell, change color, and promote the development of fungal growth along the bottom and banks.

Wastewater from various chemical plants especially pollute water bodies and have a detrimental effect on the development of aquatic organisms. CHP discharges are usually warmed up by 8-10°C higher than water from reservoirs. With an increase in the temperature of reservoirs, there is an increase in the development of micro- and macroplankton, the “blooming” of water, and its smell and color change.

The mole rafting of the forest strongly pollutes and clogs the rivers. Masses of floating forest inflict injuries on fish, block the way to spawning grounds, and fish for the most part leave their usual spawning grounds. Bark, branches, branches clog the bottom of reservoirs. From logs and wood waste, resin and other products harmful to the fish population are released into the water. Substances extracted from wood decompose in water, absorbing oxygen, causing the death of fish. Especially on the first day of the rafting, fish eggs and fry, as well as food invertebrates, die from a lack of oxygen.

The clogging of rivers is increased by the discharge of sawmill waste into them - sawdust, bark, etc., which accumulate mostly in backwaters and channels. Part of the forest is sinking, the number of logs is increasing from year to year. Rotting wood and bark poison the water, it becomes "dead".

The source of water pollution in many cases is municipal wastewater (sewerage, baths, laundries, hospitals, etc.).

The population is growing, old cities are expanding and new cities are appearing. Unfortunately, the construction of treatment facilities does not always keep pace with the pace of housing construction.

Currently, wastewater of increased radioactivity of the order of 100 curie/l and above is buried in underground tanks or pumped into underground drainless pools.

The descent of radioactive waste into the seas and rivers, as well as their burial in the upper waterproof layers of the earth's crust, cannot be considered a reasonable solution to this important modern problem. Additional scientific research is required on ways to neutralize radioactive contamination in water bodies.

In organisms of plants and animals, processes of biological concentration of radioactive substances occur along the food chains. Concentrated by small organisms, these substances then get to other animals, predators, where they form dangerous concentrations. The radioactivity of some planktonic organisms can be 1000 times higher than the radioactivity of water.

Wastewater pollution is divided mainly into two groups: mineral and organic, including biological and bacterial.

Mineral pollution includes wastewater from metallurgical and machine-building enterprises, waste from the oil, oil processing and mining industries. These contaminants contain sand, clay and ore inclusions, slag, solutions of mineral salts, acids, alkalis, mineral oils, etc.

Organic water pollution is produced by urban fecal sewage, water from slaughterhouses, waste from leather, paper and pulp, breweries and other industries. Organic contaminants are of plant and animal origin. Vegetable residues include paper residues, vegetable oils, remains of fruits, vegetables, etc. The main chemical substance of this kind of pollution is carbon. Contaminants of animal origin include: physiological excretions of people, animals, remains of fatty and muscle tissues, adhesive substances, etc. They are characterized by a significant content of nitrogen.

Bacterial and biological contaminants are various living microorganisms: yeast and mold fungi, small algae and bacteria, including pathogens of typhus, paratyphoid, dysentery, helminth eggs, coming with excretions of people and animals, etc. Bacterial contamination of wastewater is characterized by the value of coli -titer, i.e., the smallest volume of water in millimeters, which contains one Escherichia coli (coli bacterium). So, if the coli-titer is 10, this means that 1 Escherichia coli is found in 10 ml. This type of pollution is characteristic of household water, as well as wastewater from slaughterhouses, tanneries, wool washes, hospitals, etc. The total volume of the bacterial mass is quite large: for every 1000 m3 of wastewater - up to 400 liters.

Pollution mostly contains about 42% mineral substances and up to 58% organic.

When considering the composition of wastewater, one of the important concepts is the concentration of pollution, i.e. the amount of pollution per unit volume of water, calculated in mg/l or g/m3.

The concentration of wastewater pollution is determined by chemical analysis. Of great importance is the pH of wastewater, especially in the processes of their purification. The optimal environment for biological purification processes are waters with a pH of about 7-8. Domestic wastewater has a slightly alkaline reaction, industrial wastewater - from strongly acidic to strongly alkaline.

Pollution of water bodies is characterized by the following features:

The appearance of floating substances on the surface of the water and sedimentation at the bottom of the sediment;

Changes in the physical properties of water, such as: transparency and color, the appearance of odors and tastes;

Changes in the chemical composition of water (reactions, the amount of organic and mineral impurities, a decrease in oxygen dissolved in water, the appearance of toxic substances, etc.);

Changes in the types and numbers of bacteria and the emergence of pathogenic bacteria due to their entry with wastewater.

Water has an extremely valuable property of continuous self-renewal under the influence of solar radiation and self-purification. It consists in mixing contaminated water with its entire mass and in the further process of mineralization of organic substances and the death of introduced bacteria. Self-purification agents are bacteria, fungi and algae. It has been established that during bacterial self-purification, no more than 50% of bacteria remain after 24 hours, and 0.5% after 96 hours. The process of bacterial self-purification is greatly slowed down in winter, so that after 150 hours up to 20% of bacteria are still retained.

To ensure self-purification of polluted waters, they must be repeatedly diluted with clean water.

If the pollution is so great that self-purification of water does not occur, there are special methods and means for eliminating pollution from wastewater.

In industry, this is mainly the construction of workshops and general plant facilities for wastewater treatment, the improvement of the technological process of production and the construction of recycling plants for the extraction of valuable substances from wastewater.

In river transport, the most important is the fight against losses of oil products during loading, unloading and transportation on ships of the river fleet, equipping ships with containers for collecting polluted waters.

In case of timber rafting, the main methods of combating river clogging are strict adherence to the technology of timber rafting, cleaning river beds from sunken wood, stopping mole rafting of timber on rivers of fishery importance.

Air pollution

The atmosphere is the air envelope of the Earth. The quality of the atmosphere is understood as the totality of its properties that determine the degree of impact of physical, chemical and biological factors on people, flora and fauna, as well as on materials, structures and the environment as a whole. The quality of the atmosphere depends on its pollution, and the pollution itself can get into it from natural and anthropogenic sources. With the development of civilization, anthropogenic sources more and more predominate in atmospheric pollution.

Depending on the form of matter, pollution is divided into material (ingredient), energy (parametric) and material-energy. The former include mechanical, chemical and biological pollution, which are usually combined under the general concept of "impurities", the latter - thermal, acoustic, electromagnetic and ionizing radiation, as well as radiation in the optical range; to the third - radionuclides.

On a global scale, the greatest danger is the pollution of the atmosphere with impurities, since the air acts as an intermediary in the pollution of all other objects of nature, contributing to the spread of large masses of pollution over long distances. Airborne industrial emissions pollute the oceans, acidify soil and water, change the climate and deplete the ozone layer.

Atmospheric pollution is understood as the introduction of impurities into it that are not contained in natural air or change the ratio between the ingredients of the natural composition of air.

The population of the Earth and the rate of its growth are the predetermining factors for increasing the intensity of pollution of all geospheres of the Earth, including the atmosphere, since with their increase, the volumes and rates of everything that is extracted, produced, consumed and sent to waste increase. The greatest air pollution is observed in cities where common pollutants are dust, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, etc. In some cities, due to the peculiarities of industrial production, the air contains specific harmful substances, such as sulfuric and hydrochloric acid , styrene, benz (a) pyrene, soot, manganese, chromium, lead, methyl methacrylate. In total, there are several hundred different air pollutants in cities.

Of particular concern are atmospheric pollution by newly created substances and compounds. WHO notes that out of 105 known elements of the periodic table, 90 are used in industrial practice, and over 500 new chemical compounds have been obtained on their basis, almost 10% of which are harmful or especially harmful.

The main chemical impurities that pollute the atmosphere:

1) natural impurities caused by natural processes;

2) anthropogenic, resulting from the economic activity of mankind

The level of atmospheric pollution by impurities from natural sources is background and has small deviations from the average level over time. Anthropogenic pollution is distinguished by the variety of types of impurities and the numerous sources of their release. The most stable zones with high concentrations of pollution occur in places of active human activity. It has been established that every 10-12 years the volume of world industrial production doubles, and this is accompanied by approximately the same increase in the volume of pollutants emitted into the environment. For a number of pollutants, the growth rates of their emissions are much higher than average. These include aerosols of heavy and rare metals, synthetic compounds that do not exist and are not formed in nature, radioactive, bacteriological and other pollution.

Impurities enter the atmosphere in the form of gases, vapors, liquid and solid particles. Gases and vapors form mixtures with air, and liquid and solid particles form aerosols (dispersed systems), which are divided into dust (particle sizes over 1 µm), smoke (particle sizes less than 1 µm) and fog (liquid particle sizes less than 10 µm). ). Dust, in turn, can be coarse (particle size more than 50 microns), medium (50-10 microns) and fine (less than 10 microns). Depending on the size, liquid particles are divided into superfine fog (up to 0.5 µm), fine mist (0.5-3.0 µm), coarse mist (3-10 µm) and splashes (over 10 µm). Aerosols are often polydisperse; contain particles of various sizes.

The main chemical impurities that pollute the atmosphere are the following: carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides, ozone, hydrocarbons, lead compounds, freons, industrial dust.

The main sources of anthropogenic aerosol air pollution are thermal power plants (TPP) that consume high-ash coal, processing plants, metallurgical, cement, magnesite and other plants. Aerosol particles from these sources are characterized by great chemical diversity. Most often, compounds of silicon, calcium and carbon are found in their composition, less often - oxides of metals: iron, magnesium, manganese, zinc, copper, nickel, lead, antimony, bismuth, selenium, arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, molybdenum, as well as asbestos. An even greater variety is characteristic of organic dust, including aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, acid salts. It is formed during the combustion of residual petroleum products, in the process of pyrolysis at oil refineries, petrochemical and other similar enterprises.

Permanent sources of aerosol pollution include industrial dumps - artificial mounds of redeposited material, mainly overburden, formed during mining or from waste from processing industries, thermal power plants. The production of cement and other building materials is also a source of air pollution with dust.

The combustion of hard coal, the production of cement and the smelting of pig iron give a total emission of dust into the atmosphere equal to 170 million tons/year.

A significant part of aerosols is formed in the atmosphere when solid and liquid particles interact with each other or with water vapor. The dangerous anthropogenic factors that contribute to a serious deterioration in the quality of the atmosphere include its pollution with radioactive dust. The residence time of small particles in the lower layer of the troposphere is on average several days, and in the upper layer - 20-40 days. As for the particles that have entered the stratosphere, they can stay in it for up to a year, and sometimes more.