What types of pollution exist? Environmental pollution: environmental problems of nature

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

Anthropogenic environmental pollution is divided into several types. These are dust, gas, chemical (including soil contamination with chemicals), aromatic, thermal (changes in water temperature), which negatively affects the life of aquatic animals. The source of environmental pollution is human economic activity (industry, agriculture, transport). Depending on the region, the share of a particular pollution source can vary significantly. Thus, in cities the largest share of pollution comes from transport. Its share in environmental pollution is 70-80%. Among industrial enterprises, metallurgical enterprises are considered the most “dirty”. They pollute the environment by 34%. They are followed by energy enterprises, primarily thermal power plants, which pollute the environment by 27%. The remaining percentages fall on enterprises in the chemical (9%), oil (12%) and gas (7%) industries.

In recent years, agriculture has taken the lead in pollution. This is due to two circumstances. The first is the increase in the construction of large livestock complexes in the absence of any treatment of the generated waste and its disposal, and the second is the increase in the use of mineral fertilizers and pesticides, which, together with rain flows and groundwater, enter rivers and lakes, causing serious damage to large river basins, their fish stocks and vegetation.

Every year, one inhabitant of the Earth produces over 20 tons of waste. The main objects of pollution are atmospheric air, water bodies, including the World Ocean, and soil. Every day, thousands and thousands of tons of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur and other harmful substances are released into the atmosphere. And only 10% of this amount is absorbed by plants. Sulfur oxide (sulfur dioxide) is the main pollutant, the source of which is thermal power plants, boiler houses, and metallurgical plants.

The concentration of sulfur dioxide in nitrogen oxides creates acid rain, which destroys crops, vegetation, and adversely affects the condition of fish stocks. Along with sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, which is formed as a result of combustion, has a negative impact on the atmosphere. Its sources are thermal power plants, metallurgical plants, and transport. Over all previous years, the share of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased by 20% and continues to increase by 0.2% per year. If such growth rates are maintained, by the year 2000 the share of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will increase by 30-40%.

Such a physical and chemical change in the atmosphere can lead to the greenhouse effect. Its essence is that the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the upper layers of the atmosphere will interfere with the normal process of heat exchange between the Earth and Space and will restrain the heat accumulated by the Earth as a result of economic activities and due to certain natural reasons, for example, volcanic eruptions.

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

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

The state of the Earth's ozone layer is associated with atmospheric pollution, the main function of which is to protect humans and the Earth's natural environment from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation from Space. Under the influence of ozone-depleting substances - fleron, freon, chlorine, carbon emitted by refrigeration units, cars, etc., this layer is gradually destroyed, in particular, in some places over densely populated areas its thickness has decreased by 3%. It is known that a 1% reduction in the ozone layer leads to a 6% increase in the incidence of skin cancer.

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

Oxygen in the atmosphere is replenished from two sources - vegetation (approximately 40%) and the World Ocean (60%). In the World Ocean, oxygen is produced by the smallest organisms - planton. The death of planton under the oil film reduces the ocean's ability to replenish the Earth's atmosphere with oxygen reserves. As a result of oil and other pollution of the World Ocean, negative phenomena are observed such as the proliferation of single-celled golden algae, which in the process of its development absorbs oxygen and releases carbon dioxide. She is very prolific and develops at lightning speed. Usually its belt is up to 10 km wide and 35 m thick; travel speed is 25 km per day. In the process of movement, this mass of algae destroys all living life in the ocean - both plant and animal. Such phenomena are observed in the North Sea and southern Scandinavia.

In addition, pollution of the World Ocean leads not only to a reduction in food resources and fish stocks, but also to their contamination with substances harmful to humans. It was found that, for example, Baltic cod has up to 80 milligrams of mercury per 1 kg of weight, i.e. 5-8 times more than in a medical thermometer.

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

These and other consequences of environmental pollution ultimately negatively affect a person’s physical health, his nervous and mental state, and the health of future generations. Some data: 20% of the population is constantly exposed to allergies as a result of the harmful effects of environmental pollution; Every day 25 thousand people die around the globe due to bad water, i.e. water that contains high concentrations of harmful substances; 35% of the population of industrial cities systematically suffers from various kinds of diseases caused by environmental pollution.

Depletion and destruction of the natural environment.

As a result of economic activity, there is a gradual depletion of the natural environment, i.e. loss of those natural resources that serve as a source of human economic activity. Deforestation has already been discussed above. The loss of forests is not only the loss of oxygen, but also the most important economic resources necessary for human activity.

At the current rate of consumption, proven reserves of coal, oil, natural gas and other minerals are consumed at a higher rate than before, and the quantity of these reserves is catastrophically decreasing. True, society has the prospect of using other, new types of energy, in particular, nuclear energy, hydrogen energy, the reserves of which are inexhaustible. But the use of atomic energy for peaceful purposes on a large scale is hampered by the unresolved problem of disposal of waste from the nuclear industry. The development of hydrogen as an energy source is theoretically permissible and possible, but practically, more precisely, technologically, this problem has not yet been solved at the level of industrial production.

The rate of fresh water consumption is increasing, which leads to the depletion of non-renewable water resources. As an example, we can cite the following data: one person spends an average of 150-200 liters of water per day for all needs; metropolitan resident 200-300 l; a resident of Moscow consumes 500-600 liters per day. Some countries are completely deprived of fresh water and rely on imported water. An attempt to solve the problem of providing fresh water by transporting icebergs from northern countries to southern countries, in particular Africa, was unsuccessful. Processing of sea water is underway in the city of Shevchenko on the Caspian Sea, but so far this problem of industrial desalination of sea water has not received widespread development not only in our country, but throughout the world. This has its own difficulties: for consumption, desalinated water must be diluted with ordinary water, and only in such a mixture can it be used for its intended purpose.

Depletion and pollution of the natural environment lead to the destruction of ecological connections, the formation of areas and regions with a completely or partially degraded natural environment, incapable of metabolism and energy. The most striking example of such degradation is the Aral Sea, which is slowly dying due to the lack of necessary water flow from two powerful Central Asian rivers. The steppes of Kalmykia are degraded as a result of irrational use of land, overloading with livestock grazing, which completely deprived the soil of vegetation that held the soil cover.

Pollution of the Earth's atmosphere- introduction of new uncharacteristic physical, chemical and biological substances into the atmospheric air or a change in their natural concentration.

Types of pollution

Based on the sources of pollution, there are two types of air pollution

natural

anthropogenic

Depending on the nature of the pollutant, air pollution is of three types:

physical - mechanical (dust, solid particles), radioactive (radioactive radiation and isotopes), electromagnetic (various types of electromagnetic waves, including radio waves), noise (various loud sounds and low-frequency vibrations) and thermal pollution (for example, emissions of warm air and etc.)

chemical - pollution with gaseous substances and aerosols. Today, the main chemical pollutants of atmospheric air are: carbon monoxide (IV), nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, hydrocarbons, aldehydes, heavy metals (Pb, Cu, Zn, Cd, Cr), ammonia, dust and radioactive isotopes

biological - mainly microbial pollution. For example, air pollution with vegetative forms and spores of bacteria and fungi, viruses, as well as their toxins and waste products.

The simplest definition of pollution is the introduction or emergence of new pollutants into the environment or an excess of the natural long-term average level of these pollutants.

Environmental pollution is divided into natural, caused by some natural causes: volcanic eruptions, faults in the earth's crust, natural fires, dust storms, etc., and anthropogenic, arising in connection with human economic activities.

Among anthropogenic pollution, the following types of pollution are distinguished: physical, mechanical, biological, geological, chemical.

To physical pollution include thermal, light, noise, vibration, electromagnetic, radioactive.

Sources of increasing soil temperature are underground construction and the laying of communications. An increase in soil temperature stimulates the activity of microorganisms, which are agents of corrosion of various communications.

Light pollution– disruption of natural light in the environment. Leads to disruption of the rhythms of activity of living organisms. An increase in water turbidity in water bodies reduces the supply of sunlight to depth and the photosynthesis of aquatic vegetation.

Noise pollution– an increase in the intensity and frequency of noise above the natural level. Noise is a serious environmental pollutant, to which adaptation of organisms is practically impossible. Sources of noise pollution are automobile, rail, air transport, industrial enterprises, and household appliances.

Noise pollution has a negative impact on the hearing organs, nervous system (even mental disorders), cardiovascular system and other organs.

Vibration pollution – occurs as a result of the operation of different types of transport, vibration equipment, and can lead to soil subsidence and deformation of buildings and structures.

Electromagnetic pollution– change in the electromagnetic properties of the environment. Sources of electromagnetic pollution are power lines, radio and television centers, and radars. This type of pollution has a significant impact on living organisms: metabolism, blood composition, and the cardiovascular system.

Nuclear pollution - excess of the natural radioactive level of the environment. Sources of radioactive pollution of the environment are nuclear explosions, disposal of radioactive waste, accidents at nuclear power plants, etc.

Mechanical contamination – pollution of the environment with materials that have only a mechanical effect without chemical consequences. Examples include: siltation of water bodies by soil, release of dust into the atmosphere, dumping of construction waste on a land plot. At first glance, such pollution may seem harmless, but it can cause a number of environmental problems, the elimination of which will require significant economic costs.

Biological contamination divided into bacterial and organic. Bacterial contamination – the introduction of pathogenic microorganisms into the environment that contribute to the spread of diseases, for example, hepatitis, cholera, dysentery and other diseases.

The sources may be insufficiently disinfected sewage wastewater discharged into a water body.

Organic pollution – pollution, for example, of the aquatic environment with substances capable of fermentation and decay: food waste, pulp and paper production, untreated sewage wastewater.

Biological pollution also includes animal relocation into new ecosystems where their natural enemies are absent. Such relocation can lead to an explosive growth in the number of resettled animals and have unpredictable consequences.

Geological pollution – stimulation under the influence of human activity of such geological processes as flooding, drainage of territories, the formation of landslides, landslides, subsidence of the earth’s surface, etc.

Such disturbances occur as a result of mining, construction, leaks of water and wastewater from communications, as a result of the vibration impact of transport and other impacts. The above impacts must be taken into account when designing in construction (selecting design characteristics of soils, in calculating the stability of buildings and structures).

Chemical pollution – changes in the natural chemical properties of the environment as a result of emissions of various pollutants from industrial enterprises, transport, and agriculture. For example, emissions of hydrocarbon fuel combustion products into the atmosphere, soil contamination with pesticides, and discharge of untreated wastewater into water bodies. Some of the most dangerous pollutants are heavy metals and synthetic organic compounds.

Heavy metals are chemical elements with a high density (> 8 g/cm3), for example, lead, tin, cadmium, mercury, chromium, copper, zinc, etc., they are widely used in industry and are very toxic. Their ions and some compounds are easily soluble in water and can enter the body and have a negative effect on it. The main sources of waste containing heavy metals are enterprises for ore beneficiation, smelting and processing of metals, and galvanic production.

Synthetic organic compounds are used to produce plastics, synthetic fibers, solvents, paints, pesticides, detergents, and can be absorbed by living organisms and disrupt their functioning.

Heavy metals and many synthetic organic compounds are capable of bioaccumulation. Bioaccumulation is the accumulation of pollutants in living organisms when they are received from the external environment in small doses that seem harmless.

Bioaccumulation is exacerbated in the food chain, e.g. plant organisms absorb pollutants from the external environment and accumulate them in their organs, herbivores, feeding on vegetation, receive large doses, and carnivorous animals receive even larger doses. As a result, in living organisms at the end of the food chain, the concentration of pollutants can be hundreds of thousands of times higher than in the external environment. This accumulation of a substance as it passes through the food chain is called bioconcentration.

The dangers of bioaccumulation and bioconcentration became known in the 1960s, when populations of many birds of prey, animals at the end of the food chain, were discovered to be declining.

There are natural pollution, resulting from powerful natural processes (volcanic eruptions, forest fires, weathering, erosion, etc.) without any human intervention, and anthropogenic pollution, which is the result of economic activity. Pollution is divided into three main types: physical, biological and chemical. Chemical pollution is the most dangerous for natural ecosystems and humans, since it results in the release of various toxicants into the environment: polychlorinated dioxins, organochlorine pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, nitrosamines, radionuclides, heavy metals, etc. According to estimates of the World Health Organization (WHO) , out of more than 6 million known chemical compounds, only about 500 thousand are used in practice; Of these, about 40 thousand have properties harmful to humans, and 12 thousand are toxic. Many chemicals have carcinogenic and mutagenic properties, among which 200 items are especially dangerous: benzene, asbestos, benzopyrene, pesticides, heavy metals (especially mercury, lead, cadmium), various dyes and food additives. The danger of toxic substances for humans is largely determined by the ability of the latter to cumulate (Cumulation is the accumulation of a biologically active substance or the effects it causes during repeated exposure to drugs and poisons on the body). Accumulating in the human body, toxicants can lead to various painful conditions long after their exposure. In addition, toxic substances can lead to various malformations, deformities and hereditary diseases.

Industry

Any human production activity has a negative impact on the natural environment, its resources and processes. Industrial enterprises are divided into mining and processing. The latter are divided into heavy and light industry.

Mining enterprises, ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy enterprises, chemical and oil refining industries, pulp and paper mills, and all types of power plants are characterized by a high level of anthropogenic impact on the natural environment.

The problem of all industrial enterprises is the generation of large amounts of waste:

1) emissions into atmospheric air;
2) wastewater and solid waste from production.

The reduction in the areas of forests, savannas, and steppes due to the rapid construction of cities, large industrial enterprises and highways entails a decrease in the supply of oxygen to the atmosphere. Every year, millions of tons of sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, nitrogen dioxide, hydrocarbons, ozone, ammonia, carbon monoxide and dust enter the atmosphere.

Mining and processing enterprises use large amounts of water for industrial purposes. This circumstance entails the formation of wastewater contaminated with a variety of substances, the entry of which into water bodies is fraught with disastrous consequences for their inhabitants. Petroleum products, compounds of copper, iron, zinc, surfactants, phosphorus, phenol, ammonium and nitrite nitrogen are discharged into surface waters. Very often, these and other harmful substances end up in groundwater, where they leak from industrial and agricultural waste disposal sites.

The development of large mineral deposits, as well as the extraction of building materials, destroy natural landscapes, destroy soil cover, and disrupt the hydrological balance of groundwater.

Industrial enterprises pollute the natural environment with radioactive substances. A special type of pollution is noise and vibration created by industrial installations and transport.

Transport

Transport, being a very important link in the global economic system, has a sharply negative impact on the quality of the environment. It manifests itself in chemical pollution of the environment by exhaust gases from internal combustion engines; noise pollution; acquisition of land for road construction. Each mode of transport has a specific impact on the environment.

Road transport is one of the most significant sources of air pollution. This effect is especially noticeable within large cities. Air transport has similar environmental impacts.

Excessive air from car exhaust caused a European flood: flooding in Germany, Czechoslovakia, France, Italy, the Krasnodar Territory, and Adygea. Drought and smog in the central regions of the European part of Russia, in the Moscow region. The flood can be explained by the fact that powerful flows of hot air from car exhaust CO2 and H2O exhaust gases from Central and Eastern Europe were added to atmospheric currents and fluctuations in air flows, where the growth in the number of cars exceeded all permissible standards. The number of cars on our highways and cities has increased 5 times; the thermal heating of the air and its volume from car exhaust vapors have sharply increased. If the heating of the atmosphere by road transport was significantly less than the heating of the Earth's surface from the sun, then the number of moving cars has increased so much that the heating of the atmosphere from cars becomes comparable to the heating from the sun and sharply disrupts the climate of the atmosphere.

True, the aircraft fleet is much smaller than the automobile fleet, but the impact on the atmosphere of just one airliner is equivalent to the impact of almost 8 thousand cars. In addition, air transport has the highest degree of noise exposure, which is especially noticeable during takeoff and landing, when the aircraft is near the ground.

Water modes of transport mainly affect the planet's hydrosphere. Oil pollution of the World Ocean and inland waters, which has already been mentioned above, is associated, in particular, with the operation of this type of transport.

Modern railway transport has almost no direct impact on the environment. But this is associated with a significant seizure of land for road construction, as well as littering of areas adjacent to the railways.

Agriculture

Of all types of economic activity, agriculture has the greatest impact on the environment. The main reason is that agricultural activities require the development of vast territories. There are not many undeveloped areas left in the world suitable for agricultural activities. There are many factors that hinder the cultivation of new plots of land. These include poor soil quality, arid climate, lack of infrastructure, and environmental restrictions. Modern agriculture has caused significant damage to the environment, primarily through deforestation for cropland. In many regions, further deforestation for arable land could lead to environmental disaster.

In the process of agricultural use, the content of individual nutrients necessary for plants for full growth in soils decreases, therefore mineral fertilizers play an extremely important role in agriculture. The application of mineral fertilizers is necessary not only in countries such as China, where the amount of land resources is constantly decreasing due to increased urbanization, but also in Brazil, where the area under cultivation is increasing due to the development of new territories. Since the amount of organic fertilizers is very limited, improving the fertile qualities of the soil is only possible through the application of mineral fertilizers obtained from phosphorites, potassium chloride and natural gas.

The use of fertilizers must be balanced, taking into account their interaction with environmental objects. Violation of the requirements for the use of fertilizers, primarily nitrogen and bedding-free manure, not only negatively affects water bodies, water sources, and vegetation, but often leads to an increased content of compounds in crop products that are harmful to humans and animals.

Excessive application of fertilizers (primarily nitrogen), especially if applied incorrectly or untimely, can lead to pollution of reservoirs and groundwater, increasing the content of nitrates, sulfates, chlorides and other compounds above the permissible level. This is especially true for regions with high rainfall.

An increase in the concentration of nutrients in water bodies causes their eutrophication. Eutrophication is the process of enriching water with nutrients, primarily nitrogen and phosphorus, either anthropogenic or natural. The most undesirable consequence of eutrophication is the excessive development of algae in water bodies, which causes algae blooms. There is also an expansion of coastal flora, which gradually leads to a reduction in area and swamping of water bodies.

Military activities

War is always chaos and death. War harms not only humanity, but also the environment - it destroys the soil, harms animals, birds, and fish. Man lives in constant fear, hunger, and lack of water. In wartime, human rights and freedoms are violated, especially the most important thing - the right to life. However, during the war, the country is drowned in a wave of patriotism. A kind of cultural upsurge begins. Science and military technology are developing. True, not every military invention of mankind is wonderful. For example, nuclear weapons were a mistake, because if someone ever uses them, it will lead to the destruction or mutation of all life on earth, and there may be a complete destruction of man as a living being. The world was already on the verge of such an event once before, in 1962, when World War III was only a matter of seconds away.

Any military action leads to the destruction of the environment. Since, for example, high-explosive weapons can cause great damage to both the soil and vegetation cover and the inhabitants of forests and fields. Also, chemical, incendiary, and gas weapons fundamentally harm the environment. All these impacts on the environment, which are increasing as human economic power increases, lead to the fact that nature does not have time to compensate for the destructive consequences of human economic activity.

The use of natural objects for military purposes is their use to defeat the enemy. The simplest common methods are poisoning water sources and fires. The first method is the most common due to its simplicity and effectiveness. Another method - fires - was also often used in war. The inhabitants of the steppes had a particular passion for this method: this is understandable - in the steppe, fire quickly spreads over vast territories, and even if the enemy does not die in the fire, he will be destroyed by the lack of water, food and feed for livestock. Of course, they also burned forests, but this was less effective from the point of view of defeating the enemy, and was usually used for other purposes.

Another reason is the huge graves remaining at the sites of major battles (for example, 120,000 people died during the Battle of Kulikovo Field). When a huge number of corpses decompose, poisons are formed, which fall into water bodies with rain or groundwater, poisoning them. The same poisons destroy animals at the burial site. They are all the more dangerous because their effect can begin either immediately or only after many years.

Modern armed forces have a significant and dangerous impact on the environment: contamination of territories by military vehicles, forest fires during shooting, destruction of the ozone layer during missile launches and flights of military aircraft, radioactive pollution of the environment by submarines with nuclear installations (the danger is represented by components of spent nuclear fuel , as well as radiation-contaminated hulls of decommissioned nuclear submarines, the disposal of which is carried out at great expense).

In addition, recently there have been more frequent cases of accidents at warehouses of aging ammunition, as a result of which fires destroyed a significant area of forests in the territories adjacent to the warehouses.

Warehouses storing nuclear weapons components (warheads, rocket fuel, etc.) pose a constant threat. Potential sources of radioactive contamination of the environment are sunken submarines with nuclear installations.

However, the main environmental problems generated by the armed forces are the consequences of nuclear weapons testing, military ecocide in Indochina and the Persian Gulf, problems of storage and destruction of chemical weapons, as well as solid and especially liquid fuel for military missiles.

Utilities

Housing and communal services enterprises are the main sources of contaminated wastewater entering surface water bodies. Emergency pollution of water sources is accompanied by the shutdown of city and village water intakes and disruption of the water supply regime. The placement of industrial enterprises and other environmentally hazardous facilities in sanitary protection zones of drinking water supply sources has led to the fact that all water taken from surface sources is subject to special treatment. Most countries are forced to experience a shortage of water supply capacity. As a result, people are forced to use water for household and drinking needs that does not meet sanitary and hygienic requirements.

The deterioration of water supply and sewerage systems increases every year, which leads to massive discharges of contaminated wastewater, causing extremely high pollution of water bodies, as well as outbreaks of infectious diseases. More than a third of all water supply networks require complete replacement; Breaks, outages and accidents cause not only water losses, but also temporary cessation of water supply.

The simplest definition of pollution is the introduction or emergence of new pollutants into the environment or an excess of the natural long-term average level of these pollutants.

From an environmental point of view, pollution is not simply the introduction of components alien to it into the environment, but their introduction into ecosystems. Many of them are chemically active and capable of interacting with molecules that make up the tissues of living organisms or being actively oxidized in air. Such substances are poisons to all living things.

Among anthropogenic pollution, the following types of pollution are distinguished: physical, mechanical, biological, geological, chemical.

To physical pollution include thermal (thermal), light, noise, vibration, electromagnetic, ionizing pollution.

Light pollution - disruption of natural light in the environment. Leads to disruption of the rhythms of activity of living organisms. An increase in water turbidity in water bodies reduces the supply of sunlight to depth and the photosynthesis of aquatic vegetation.

Sound volume depends on the amplitude of sound vibrations. Sound impact assessed by the relative intensity of sound (noise level), which is expressed numerically in decibels (dB).

Sources of noise are all types of transport, industrial enterprises, household appliances, etc. Airports are powerful sources of noise; airplanes create the greatest noise during takeoff. Intense noise is created by railway transport. There are a large number of noise sources in residential premises: operating elevators, fans, pumps, televisions, loud conversations, etc.

Noise has a negative impact on human health. Sudden sharp sounds of high frequency are especially difficult to bear. At a noise level of more than 90 dB, gradual weakening of hearing occurs, diseases of the nervous and cardiovascular systems, mental disorders, etc.

The consequences of exposure to infrasound and ultrasound are especially significant. Infrasound causes resonance in various internal organs of a person, vision, the functional state of the nervous system, internal organs are disrupted, nervous excitement occurs, etc.

Vibration pollution - associated with acoustic vibrations of different frequencies and infrasonic vibrations. Sources of infrasound vibrations, and associated vibrations are compressor, pumping stations, fans, vibration platforms, air conditioners, cooling towers, turbines of diesel power plants. Vibrations propagate through the metal structures of equipment and through their bases reach the foundations of public and residential buildings and are transmitted to the enclosing structures of individual premises.

Vibrations negatively affect people, cause irritation and interfere with work and leisure. When vibrations are transmitted, uneven settlement of foundations and foundations occurs, which can lead to deformation and destruction of engineering structures.

4. Melting glaciers.

Modern glaciation of the Earth can be considered one of the most sensitive indicators of ongoing global changes. Satellite data show that there has been a decrease in snow cover of about 10% since the 1960s. Since the 1950s, in the Northern Hemisphere, sea ice extent has decreased by almost 10-15% and thickness has decreased by 40%. According to the forecasts of experts from the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (St. Petersburg), in 30 years the Arctic Ocean will completely open up from under the ice during the warm period of the year.

According to scientists, the thickness of the Himalayan ice is melting at a rate of 10-15 m per year. At the current rate of these processes, two-thirds of the glaciers will disappear by 2060, and by 2100 all glaciers will completely melt. Accelerating glacier melt poses a number of immediate threats to human development. For densely populated mountain and foothill areas, avalanches, flooding or, conversely, a decrease in the full flow of rivers, and as a consequence a decrease in fresh water supplies, pose a particular danger.

5. Agriculture.

The impact of warming on agricultural productivity is controversial. In some temperate areas, yields may increase with small increases in temperature, but will decrease with large temperature changes. In tropical and subtropical regions, yields are generally projected to decline.

The biggest blow could be to the poorest countries, those least prepared to adapt to climate change. According to the IPCC, the number of people facing hunger could increase by 600 million by 2080, double the number of people currently living in poverty in sub-Saharan Africa.

6. Water consumption and water supply.

One of the consequences of climate change may be a shortage of drinking water. In regions with arid climates (Central Asia, the Mediterranean, South Africa, Australia, etc.), the situation will become even worse due to a decrease in precipitation levels.

Due to the melting of glaciers, the flow of the largest waterways of Asia - the Brahmaputra, Ganges, Yellow River, Indus, Mekong, Saluan and Yangtze - will significantly decrease. A lack of fresh water will not only affect human health and agricultural development, but will also increase the risk of political divisions and conflicts over access to water resources.

7. Human health.

Climate change, according to scientists, will lead to increased health risks for people, especially the less affluent segments of the population. Thus, a reduction in food production will inevitably lead to malnutrition and hunger. Abnormally high temperatures can lead to exacerbation of cardiovascular, respiratory and other diseases.

Rising temperatures may change the geographic distribution of various disease-carrying species. As temperatures rise, the ranges of heat-loving animals and insects (for example, encephalitis ticks and malaria mosquitoes) will spread further north, while the people inhabiting these areas will not be immune to new diseases.

According to environmentalists, humanity is unlikely to be able to completely prevent the predicted climate changes. However, it is humanly possible to mitigate climate change and curb the rate of temperature rise in order to avoid dangerous and irreversible consequences in the future.

First of all, due to:

1. Restrictions and reductions in the consumption of fossil carbon fuels (coal, oil, gas);

2. Increasing the efficiency of energy consumption;

3. Introduction of energy saving measures;

4. Increased use of non-carbon and renewable energy sources;

5. Development of new environmentally friendly and low-carbon technologies;

6. Through the prevention of forest fires and forest restoration, since forests are natural absorbers of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

The greenhouse effect does not only occur on Earth. A strong greenhouse effect is on the neighboring planet, Venus. The atmosphere of Venus consists almost entirely of carbon dioxide, and as a result the planet's surface is heated to 475 degrees. Climatologists believe that the Earth avoided such a fate thanks to the presence of oceans. The oceans absorb atmospheric carbon and it accumulates in rocks such as limestone - thereby removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. There are no oceans on Venus, and all the carbon dioxide that volcanoes emit into the atmosphere remains there. As a result, the planet experiences an uncontrollable greenhouse effect.

Analysis of total ozone (TO) data confirmed the decreasing trend in atmospheric ozone noted in WMO reviews back in 1995. From 1979 to the present, annual ozone has decreased by 4-5% globally and by ~7% in the mid-latitudes of both hemispheres. In recent decades, a significant decrease in TO, previously observed mainly over Antarctica, has become noticeable in the Arctic and adjacent areas of the Northern Hemisphere.

Research work carried out by the Central Aerological Observatory (CAO) and the Main Geophysical Observatory (GGO) established that if in the period 1979-1993. There was a decrease in the average annual TO, then the situation subsequently stabilized. With an increase in the volume of observations, which make it possible to quantitatively describe the evolution of the ozone layer in more detail, new evidence is emerging that the changes occurring are associated not only with anthropogenic impacts, but also to a large extent with changes in atmospheric circulation.

Monitoring of the state of the ozone layer over Russia is ensured by TO measurements at 30 Roshydromet stations; 16 Russian stations are located in the latitude zone 60-85.N, which greatly increases the value of the information received at them. There are 3 stations in the area of responsibility of the Northern UGMS: Arkhangelsk, Dikson, Pechora. Observations on them have been carried out under the methodological guidance of the State Geophysical Observatory using M-124 filter ozonometers for more than 30 years. Currently, an installation is being tested at one station, with the help of which it will be possible to make direct measurements of UV radiation from the Sun penetrating the Earth's surface.

UV radiation in moderate doses has preventive and therapeutic value, having a general beneficial effect on the human body. UV-B radiation (wavelength from 280 to 315 nm) has the strongest impact on humans and the biosphere. An overdose of natural UV-B radiation is dangerous to human health, causing skin burns in people, in some cases malignant melanoma with a high tendency to metastasize, as well as cataracts and immunodeficiency.

Chemicals used in agriculture, construction and everyday life have become a massive source of environmental pollution: mineral fertilizers, pesticides, solvents, aerosols, varnishes and paints. 5 million different types of chemicals and compounds are produced or used on the planet. The toxicity of action has been studied only in 40 thousand substances.

Agriculture.

The second main consumer of water is agriculture, which uses it to irrigate fields. The water flowing from them is saturated with salt solutions and soil particles, as well as chemical residues that help increase productivity. These include insecticides; fungicides that are sprayed over orchards and crops; herbicides, a famous weed control agent; and other pesticides, as well as organic and inorganic fertilizers containing nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and other chemical elements. In addition to chemical compounds, a large volume of feces and other organic residues from farms where meat and dairy cattle, pigs or poultry are raised enter the rivers. A lot of organic waste also comes from the processing of agricultural products (during the cutting of meat carcasses, processing of leather, production of food and canned food, etc.).

In developing countries, up to 9 million people die every year from water pollution. According to scientists, already in 2000, more than 1 billion people lacked drinking water. In general, there is a lot of water on Earth. The hydrosphere contains approximately 1.6 billion km3 of free water; 1.37 billion km3 of it falls on the World Ocean. On the continents there are 90 million km3, of which 60 million km3 of water is underground - almost all of this water is salty, 27 million km3 of water is stored in the glaciers of Antarctica, the Arctic, and highlands. The useful supply of available fresh water, concentrated in rivers, lakes and underground to a depth of 1 km, is estimated at 3 million km3. All fresh water, at the current rate of its use in industry and agriculture, would have been used up long ago if its circulation in nature did not exist. Thanks to the energy of the Sun, water from the surface of the ocean evaporates and is spread throughout the planet in the form of precipitation.

Saturating the soil with moisture and nourishing all life on Earth, the water flows back into the ocean. And the cycles repeat endlessly, linking together all the water resources of the planet. The available fresh water would be sufficient for humanity both now and in the future. On average, in the world, 30 m3 of water per person is consumed per year for domestic water supply, of which about 1 m3 is intended for drinking. Despite the enormous consumption of water for industrial and agricultural needs, the world's clean water reserves would be sufficient for 20-25 billion people. However, we are facing a water crisis in the near future. And not because there is not enough water, but because people pollute it, making it unsuitable not only for drinking, but in general for the life of all inhabitants of reservoirs and rivers. To save and protect water from harmful influences means to preserve life on Earth.

The problem of lack of fresh water arose for three main reasons:

1) an intensive increase in demand for water due to the rapid growth of the planet’s population and the development of industries that require huge amounts of water resources;

2) loss of fresh water due to a reduction in river water flow and other reasons;

3) pollution of water bodies with industrial and domestic wastewater.

Fresh water losses can happen for various reasons. An important place in this is occupied by the phenomenon of reduction in water flow, which is characteristic of most rivers in the world. It is associated with deforestation, plowing of meadows, drainage of floodplain swamps, etc., which causes, on the one hand, an increase in surface runoff and an increase in water flowing into the sea, and on the other, a reduction in the level of groundwater that feeds rivers and maintains their water content . For this reason, groundwater supplies are being severely reduced in many countries. In the USA, for example, from 1910 to 1957 its reserves decreased from 490 to 62 billion m3.

Large losses of water occur during its use. In most cities around the world, water is supplied unmetered, creating a false impression of a limitless supply and making it overused. A lot of water is lost as a result of filtration through the walls of irrigation canals.

Pollution of water bodies with industrial and domestic wastewater especially affected by the lack of fresh water. The water of many polluted rivers and lakes becomes unsuitable not only for drinking, but also for other domestic and industrial needs.

ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION

The process by which the ability of ecosystems to maintain a consistent quality of life is reduced. An ecosystem can be defined in very general terms as the interaction of living organisms with their environment. The results of such interactions on land are usually stable communities, i.e. collections of animals and plants associated with each other, as well as with the resources of soil, water and air. The field of science that studies the functioning of ecosystems is called ecology. The nature of ecosystem interactions varies from purely physical, such as the influence of winds and rains, to biochemical ones, which include, for example, meeting the metabolic needs of different organisms or the decomposition of organic waste, returning certain chemical elements to the environment in a form suitable for recycling. use.

If, under the influence of some factors, these interactions become unbalanced, then the internal connections in the ecosystem change, and its ability to support the existence of a variety of organisms can be significantly reduced. The most common cause of environmental degradation is human activity, which constantly damages soil, water and air. Natural changes in ecosystems tend to occur very gradually and are part of the evolutionary process. However, many changes are caused by external influences to which the system is not adapted. Most often these impacts are associated with human activities, but sometimes they are the result of natural disasters. For example, the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens in the northwestern United States led to profound changes in a number of natural ecosystems.

Maintaining the normal functioning of terrestrial ecosystems depends on four factors: water quality, soil quality, air quality and biodiversity conservation. Awareness of the threat to the environment. Human activities that are destructive to the natural environment are usually the over-intensive exploitation of any resources or the pollution of ecosystems with synthetic toxic substances, the effects of which cannot be completely neutralized by natural processes. In most cases, the degradation of the natural environment begins to truly concern society only when it sees that, as a result of human activity, the productivity of ecosystems has suddenly decreased significantly.

Thus, the 1960s and 1970s became a period of serious concern about the vulnerability of various ecosystems and individual species to pollution caused by industrial and urban development. The widespread use of two chlorinated hydrocarbons, DDT and dieldrin, as pesticides in the 1940s and 1950s was found to have severe consequences for the populations of many bird species. These substances, entering the body of birds with food, accumulated in them in high concentrations and caused thinning of the egg shells - this prevented reproduction and led to a significant reduction in numbers. Particularly affected were birds such as the bald eagle and some species of falcons.

see also PESTICIDES. However, as often happens in other cases related to environmental problems, opinions differ about the benefits and harms of pesticides. For example, the practice of using DDT is by no means limited to negative consequences. In Sri Lanka (Ceylon) in 1948 there were 2.8 million cases of malaria, but the use of DDT to exterminate mosquitoes carrying the causative agent of this disease led to the fact that in 1963 only 17 cases of malaria were observed. In 1964, the use of DDT was banned in Sri Lanka, and by 1969 the number of malaria cases had risen again to 2 million people. It should be noted, however, that the success achieved with DDT may have been temporary, since mosquitoes, like other insects, can develop resistance to pesticides over a number of generations.

FUTURE PROSPECTS

Is it possible to restore a damaged ecosystem? In some cases, environmental degradation is reversible, and in order to return the system to its original state, it is enough to simply stop further pollution and allow the system to cleanse itself through natural processes. In other cases, such as attempts to restore the forests of West Africa or the salt marshes (wetlands) on the east coast of North America, progress has been very modest. Often, by the time environmental degradation becomes apparent, the ecosystems involved are so damaged that they cannot be restored.

Between 1960 and 1990, the world's population almost doubled, reaching 5.3 billion people, and by 2025 it is expected that it will be 8.5 billion. Because as the population grows, so do the needs for food, housing, etc. , and the developed space is limited, human activity begins to spread to regions that were previously considered unsuitable for settlement (marginal), being too wet, or too dry, or too remote. In the future, the main activity in the field of nature conservation will apparently unfold in such marginal ecosystems - in wetlands and arid areas, as well as in tropical rainforests.

Among the causes of depletion, pollution and destruction of the natural environment emanating from anthropogenic human activity, one can distinguish objective and subjective ones. The following can be classified as objective.

Firstly, these are the ultimate abilities of earthly nature for self-purification and self-regulation. Until a certain time, earthly nature processes and purifies waste from human production, as if protecting itself from their harmful effects. But its capabilities are limited. The capacity of the natural environment does not allow processing the ever-increasing scale of waste from human economic activity, and its accumulation creates a threat of global environmental pollution.

Secondly, the physical limitation of the land territory within the framework of one planet. As a result, reserves of minerals - coal, oil and others, which are used by humans, are gradually consumed and cease to exist. Humanity faces new, more ambitious tasks in finding alternative energy sources.

Thirdly, waste-free production in nature and waste-free human production. In nature, production is carried out in a closed cycle. It is waste-free. The final product of production activity becomes the source for a new production cycle. Unlike natural production, human production in its mass and its basis is waste. In other words, the final product of production is not and does not become the source for the next cycle, but goes to waste. It is estimated that for human life it is necessary to consume at least 20 tons of natural resources per year. Of this, only 5-10% goes to products, and 90-95% goes to waste. The extreme waste of human production creates environmental pollution with harmful substances that are not characteristic of nature, which leads to premature depletion of the natural environment and ultimately to the destruction of natural ecological systems.

Fourthly, man’s knowledge and use of the laws of natural development. The fact is that a person is forced to learn the laws of the development of nature, which determine the consequences of human activity, not speculatively and not through laboratory tests, but in the process of using nature, by accumulating experience in farming.

Here we should mention two features of the manifestation of the results of human impact on the natural environment. The first concerns influence over time. The results of production and economic activities, environmental pollution, and the destruction of its ecological connections manifest themselves not only in the present, during the life of a given generation, but also in the future, during the life of other generations, where a person cannot witness the harmful consequences of his domination over nature.

The second feature relates to the manifestation of the consequences of economic activity in space. The impact that management has on nature in a certain place, at a certain point, thanks to the current laws of unity and interconnection of the natural environment, has an impact on other regions remote from the point of human impact on the environment. Such originality can create a false impression of the supposedly harmless nature of this or that economic activity, of the absence of directly harmful, or more precisely, negative symptoms of economic activity.

It is through its sad experience of managing nature that humanity learns the harmful consequences of its activities. Humanity is learning that the destruction of forests leads to the disappearance of soil cover, deprives it of soils necessary for agriculture, to shallowing, and subsequently to the disappearance of rivers and reservoirs, to a decrease in the oxygen supply of the planet and deprivation of the environment of other environmental protection functions that forests perform ; that massive environmental pollution creates diseases, leads to degradation of the human personality, and has a harmful effect on the health of future generations.

Thus, the current generation - the younger one - can already feel the results of the pollution noted in the 70-80s, when this generation was formed, born and grew up. This is confirmed by data on nervous diseases and an increase in the percentage of births of defective people (from 4% increased to 11%). Unfortunately, a person learns all these sad results in the process of accumulating his experience. But, enriched by this experience, he constantly predicts the elimination of negative consequences for the present and future of people, for the entire environment.

The second group consists of subjective reasons. Among them, it is necessary to note, first of all, the shortcomings of the organizational, legal and economic activities of the state in environmental protection. Secondly, defects in environmental education and upbringing. Despite the achievements of social and technological progress, the end of the 20th century, unfortunately, is characterized by the dominance of human consumer psychology in relation to nature.
Man was born and raised on consumer psychology in relation to nature. He always considered nature primarily as the source of his existence, as a resource, and not as an object of his care and protection.

Despite numerous discussions about the rational management of natural resources, which naturally intensified at the turn of the two centuries, the psychology of the bulk of people remained at the consumer level. This is evidenced by numerous data from sociological surveys of the population, and in particular, one of the surveys conducted among Muscovites. It asked two questions. The first - the most important social problems requiring urgent solutions - 50% named improving medical care, 44% - food supply; 37% put housing problems in first place, 30% - pension provision. The problem of environmental protection is classified among other issues and does not receive a significant percentage in this list. Of course, we must make allowances for the difficulties of the period we are going through, but in general, such answers indicate a person’s consumer psychology.

Research by scientists on environmental protection problems shows a close connection between measures to protect nature and the state of not only human health, but also morality. There is a dialectical relationship between man and nature. Man influences nature, adapting it to solve his practical problems. Nature transformed by man, adapted by him to solve his problems through a feedback system, influences man, shapes his personality, his moral and spiritual character.

Interesting and original studies on the connection between alcoholism and environmental pollution are described by A.V. Yablokov in the book “No Other is Given” (Progress, 1988, p. 253). An experiment was conducted: rats were placed in a normal ecological environment, with clean water and water diluted with a weak alcohol solution placed in front of them. The rats chose clean water. Then they changed the ecological environment, polluting it with carbon dioxide at levels that are close to large cities. The rats began to drink not water, but a solution diluted with alcohol. This experiment leads us to believe that the deterioration of the environmental situation, especially in large cities where the population concentration is high, leads to outbreaks of alcoholism, drug addiction and other harmful social vices.

Among the subjective factors influencing the state of the environment, two more should be mentioned. This is environmental ignorance and ecological nihilism. What they have in common is a disregard for the knowledge and use of environmental laws in communication between man and the environment - a kind of ecological anarchism. The characteristics of these factors are not significant. Ecological ignorance - reluctance to study the laws of the relationship between man and the environment; ecological nihilism is an unwillingness to be guided by these laws, a disdainful attitude towards them. A nihilist may have knowledge of these laws, but be dismissive of their application and ignore them in economic activity. Ecological ignorance and environmental nihilism, combined with consumer psychology, have taken a dominant place among the problems of environmental protection.

Man is an animal that left its natural habitat and at the same time created its own - the so-called cultural environment. However, although we do not live in natural conditions, we still depend on nature and probably will always depend on it. From an early age, the fact that “man” and “nature” are inseparable concepts should settle in our heads, and we must maintain the harmony of these relations.

The atmosphere, the water of the World Ocean, the condition of the soil - all this directly affects our lives. The question arises: if everyone knows that pollution of the natural environment can lead to the death of all humanity, why every year the volume Is the harmful impact on our planet only increasing?

Environmental pollution is a global problem for humanity, which is discussed from all sides in the world community. Many organizations and groups are being created whose goal is to prevent an impending disaster or combat the consequences of a disaster that has already occurred.

In general, environmental problems - this is not only a modern phenomenon, but it was in recent decades that it acquired colossal proportions. However, environmental problems are one of the most ancient human problems, associated primarily with the thoughtless and simply barbaric activities of people. It is worth saying that even in the primitive era, forests were mercilessly cut down, animals were exterminated, the landscape was changed to please people who were exploring new habitats and looking for resources.

And even in those days these actions did not go unpunished. The climate changed, environmental disasters occurred. Then, with the growth of the Earth's population, the migration of peoples and increased mining, chemical pollution of the surrounding world came to the fore.

We cannot assess what contribution past generations have made to the current environmental situation, but now the most accurate and detailed analysis of the state of any of the vital indicators of our planet has become possible. Therefore, it is necessary to use strength new technologies to monitor the current state and develop programs that can improve the environmental situation on the planet. So far, everything suggests that the appearance of man is the most important environmental disaster on Earth. Thus, with the development of industry, with an increase in its scale, the condition of each environmental indicator, for example, the chemical composition of air, water and soil, deteriorates.

Classification of natural pollutants

There are several types of pollution, identified by source and direction:

Biological. The source is living beings. Can occur due to natural causes or as a result of human activity.
Physical. Changes in the physical characteristics of the environment. This includes: noise, heat, radiation and other pollution.
Mechanical. Pollution through the accumulation of undisposed garbage and waste.

Often, types of pollution combine to create a complex problem that must be solved.

Without constant gas exchange, the life of not a single living creature on the planet is possible. The atmosphere is a participant in a wide variety of natural processes. It determines the temperature of the earth, and with it the climate, protects from cosmic radiation, and also affects the topography.

It is known that the chemical composition of the atmosphere has changed throughout the historical development of the Earth. Nowadays, a situation has arisen in which the composition of part of the volume of the atmosphere is determined by emissions created by a set of industrial enterprises. Due to this, the composition of the air is heterogeneous and strongly depends on the geographical location. Thus, in a large industrial and densely populated city located on a plain, the content of various impurities is much higher than in a mountain village, whose residents are mostly involved in agriculture.

The main sources of chemical pollution of the atmosphere:

Chemical industry enterprises;
Fuel and energy facilities;
Transport.

Due to the activity of these pollution factors, salts of heavy metals such as mercury, copper, chromium and lead accumulate in the atmosphere. It even got to the point that they became permanent elements of the chemical composition of the air in cities, whose main activity is the work of large enterprises in the heavy or chemical industries. Enterprises in these industries are the most dangerous for the environment.

Needless to say, even today power plants emit hundreds of tons of carbon dioxide, as well as ash, dust and soot, into the atmosphere every day. The huge emission of carbon dioxide is believed to be the main cause of global warming on the planet.

Almost every family owns a car. The city is chock full of cars of different makes and models. However, there is a price for convenience and freedom of movement: currently, in cities and other populated areas, the content of various harmful substances in the air, which are part of machine exhaust, has sharply increased. Due to various production fuel additives, volatile lead compounds are formed in gasoline, which are easily released into the atmosphere. In addition, a car is a source of dust, dirt and ash, which, when settled, also pollute the soil.

The gas envelope of the earth is also greatly affected by poisonous gases - by-products of chemical industry production. Waste from chemical plants is very difficult to dispose of, and the little that is still decided to be released into the atmosphere, for example, oxides of sulfur and nitrogen, will cause the next acid rain and can even completely change the chemical composition of the air in the surrounding area, reacting with other components atmosphere.

Also, numerous forest and peat fires, which can be caused by both natural factors and anthropogenic activities, contribute to the release of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide into the atmosphere.

Soil is a thin layer of lithosphere, which was formed as a result of metabolic processes between living and nonliving systems.

Most of these dangerous compounds are lead compounds. It is known that during the production process from lead ore approximately 30 kg of metal per ton. Car exhaust also contributes, containing large amounts of lead that settles in soils. It disrupts the natural relationships in the existing ecosystem of the earth. In addition, waste from mines also leads to increased levels of copper, zinc and other hazardous metals in the soil.

Power plants, radioactive waste from nuclear power plants and other nuclear enterprises are one of the reasons for the release of radioactive isotopes into the soil.

An additional danger is that all of the listed substances and compounds can enter the human body with products grown on poisoned soil, which will at least lead to a decrease in immunity.

Dangerous discharges into water

The scale of hydrosphere pollution is much greater than you can imagine. Oil spills and debris in the world's oceans are just the tip of the iceberg. Its bulk is hidden in the depths, or rather, dissolved in water. Catastrophic water pollution causes enormous harm to its inhabitants.

However, water can also become polluted due to natural reasons. As a result of mudflows and floods, magnesium is washed out from the soil of the continents, which ends up in the ocean, causing harm to its inhabitants. But natural pollution is a tiny part if we compare the scale of the impact with the anthropogenic one.

Due to human activity, the following substances enter the waters of the World Ocean:

The source of pollution is fishing vessels, large farms, oil platforms, offshore resource extraction, hydroelectric power plants, chemical industry facilities, and sewage effluents.

Acid rain, being the result of anthropogenic activity, affects the soil, dissolves the soil and washes out heavy metal salts, which, once in the water, poison it.

There is also physical pollution of water, more specifically thermal pollution. Enormous volumes of water are used in the process of generating electricity, for example, to cool turbines. And then the waste liquid, which has an elevated temperature, is disposed of in water bodies.

Also, water quality may deteriorate due to its contamination by household waste in populated areas. This has a detrimental effect on the flora and fauna of water bodies and can even lead to the extinction of entire species. The protection of water from pollution is primarily associated with the construction of modern treatment facilities.

Ways to combat environmental pollution

This problem should become a priority for all states of the world. Even the most powerful state alone cannot cope with such a task. Nature has no state borders, planet Earth is our common home, which means taking care of it and maintaining order in it is our common and most important responsibility. Protecting our planet is only possible through joint efforts.

In order to stop or reduce the release of toxic substances into the environment, strict sanctions should be introduced to enterprises that discharge waste into the environment, and the implementation of the imposed ones should be monitored. In addition, enterprises that emit gases into the atmosphere must be required to install filters that reduce the percentage of toxic substances released into the air. It is necessary to oblige all states to impose large fines for leaving garbage in places not designated for it, as, for example, this has been successfully done in Singapore.

What other methods should you use?

We all need to remember that environmental pollution and human health are dependent. In short, the worse the environmental situation, the more diseases people are susceptible to. Have you noticed that there have been more reports of cancer recently? This fact is also associated with the deplorable environmental situation on the planet. The earth is our home, its protection and protection is the task of each of us. In order not to look out the window at a picture more suitable for illustrations for books in the post-apocalypse genre, we need to join forces in a mission to improve the environmental situation on the planet. Together we can do this.