Ecology is the most important issue. Global environmental problems of our time

The modern world of technological progress is moving forward by leaps and bounds. Along with this, the question of the legacy of such progress – environmental problems – arises acutely. Report on the topic “Environmental problems” will talk about how technological progress affects the environment.

"Environmental problems" report

In every settlement there are buildings of factories, factories and other production facilities that emit tons of harmful substances into the atmosphere, dump waste into water bodies and dispose of their waste into the ground. And such actions are reflected not only in a specific localization, but throughout the entire planet.

Global environmental problems of our time:

* air pollution

This is one of the most important problems. After all, it was the air that became the first victim of technological progress. Just imagine for a moment that thousands of tons of toxic and harmful substances are released into the atmosphere every hour or even less often. Industry causes enormous harm to the environment. Large accumulations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere lead to warming of the planet. It seems that temperature fluctuations due to this are not large, but in global terms this is a significant deviation from the norm. Vapors of toxic substances that enter the atmosphere affect weather conditions. For example, due to excessive sulfur in the air, acid rain occurs. And they, in turn, harm plants, trees and the lithosphere.

* water pollution

This problem is particularly acute in some countries in Asia and Africa. Excessively polluted water bodies have led to a significant shortage of drinking water. It is not even suitable for washing clothes, much less for drinking or cooking.

* pollution land

Most enterprises, in order to get rid of waste, dispose of it by burying it in the ground. Of course, this has a negative impact on the soil not only in the area of disposal, but also in the surrounding area. As a result, vegetables and fruits grown in such soil can cause diseases that can be fatal.

Ways to solve environmental problems

1. Application of effective methods for recycling waste, as well as hazardous waste.

2. Transition to the use of safe, environmentally friendly fuel that does not pollute the atmosphere.

3. Introduction of strict government sanctions and fines for water, air and land pollution.

4. Conducting educational work and social advertising among the population.

At first glance, these actions are quite simple, but when it comes to practice, everything is not so simple. Many countries and non-profit organizations are constantly fighting against lawbreakers, but states lack the finances and people to implement projects to eliminate environmental problems.

We hope the information provided about environmental issues has helped you. And you can leave your report “Solving environmental problems” using the comment form.

More than four decades have passed since the first Earth Day, but there are still a huge number of environmental problems in the world that require solutions. Did you know that each of us can make our own contribution? We'll tell you which one.

Changing of the climate

97% of climate scientists believe that climate change is ongoing - and greenhouse gas emissions are the main cause of this process.

Until now, political will has not been strong enough to initiate a massive transition from fossil fuels to sustainable energy sources.

Perhaps more extreme weather events - drought, wildfires, floods - will be more convincing to policymakers. However, each of us can help reduce carbon emissions.

For example, make your home more energy efficient, choose a bicycle more often instead of a car, generally walk more and use public transport.

Pollution

Air pollution and climate change are closely related because they have the same causes. Greenhouse gases cause global temperatures to rise and also degrade air quality, which is clearly visible in large cities.

And this is a direct threat to people. The most striking examples are smog in Beijing and Shanghai. Recently, by the way, American scientists discovered a relationship between air pollution in China and the intensification of storms over the Pacific Ocean.

Soil pollution is another serious problem. For example, in China, almost 20% of arable land is contaminated with toxic heavy metals. Poor soil ecology threatens food security and poses a risk to human health.

The main factor in soil pollution is the use of pesticides and other harmful chemicals. And here, too, it’s worth starting with yourself - if possible, grow vegetables and herbs in your summer cottage or buy farm or organic products.

Deforestation

Trees absorb CO2. They allow us to breathe, and therefore to live. But forests are disappearing at a catastrophic rate. It is estimated that 15% of total greenhouse gas emissions come from deforestation of the Earth.

Cutting down trees threatens both animals and people. The loss of tropical forests is of particular concern to ecologists because about 80% of the world's tree species grow in these areas.

About 17% of the Amazon rainforest has been cut down over the past 50 years to make way for cattle ranching. This is a double whammy for the climate, since livestock produces methane, one of the main causes of climate change.

What can you do in such a situation? Support the Rainforest Alliance or other similar projects. They are pushing to stop using paper. You can refuse paper towels, for example. Instead, use washable fabric towels.

Plus, always check the labels to make sure you're only using FSC-certified wood products. You can also boycott products created by palm oil companies that contribute to deforestation in Indonesia and Malaysia.

Water shortage

With the world's population increasing every day and climate change causing more droughts, water shortages are becoming an increasingly important problem. Only 3% of the world's water supplies are fresh, and 1.1 billion people today lack access to safe drinking water.

The increasing incidence of drought in Russia, the USA and other developed countries suggests that water shortage is not only a problem in third world countries. So use water rationally: turn off the tap while brushing your teeth, take a shower no longer than 4 minutes, install oxygen mixers at home, etc.

Biodiversity loss

Humans today are actively invading the habitats of wild animals, which is causing a rapid loss of biodiversity on the planet. This threatens food security, public health and global stability as a whole.

Climate change is also one of the main reasons for the loss of biodiversity - some species of animals and plants are generally unable to adapt to changing temperatures.

According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), biodiversity has declined by 27% over the past 35 years. Every time you shop in a store, pay attention to eco-labels - manufacturing products with such marks does not harm the environment. In addition, do not forget about the garbage - recycle recyclable materials.

Soil erosion

Industrial agricultural methods lead to soil erosion and land degradation. The result is less productive arable land, water pollution, increased flooding and desertification of soils.

According to the World Wildlife Fund, half of the Earth's topsoil has been lost in the last 150 years. Each of us can support the sustainable development of agriculture - to do this, buy organic products, avoid products with GMOs and chemical additives.

Currently, most of humanity is simply a consumer of the generous gifts of nature, destroying what the planet has protected for millions of years. But there is a limit to everything, and our current ecology is an example of this.

The rapid development of industry, the emergence of new synthetic materials and the thoughtless use of natural resources by people have led to the fact that the environmental situation of the planet is steadily deteriorating. And environmental problems have already assumed global proportions.

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Ecology occupies a special place among the global problems of the modern world, which are transnational and interstate in nature. The issue of the relationship between people and nature has always been acute, but with the advent of the third millennium, contradictions in the chain “individual – society – surrounding nature” reached their maximum.

The pride of our country, some of the best diamonds in the world, are mined in the SAHA Republic of Yakutia. Before becoming precious diamonds, stones undergo a lengthy mining process

Soil, the fertile layer of the earth, thanks to which most living organisms on the planet, including humans, feed. Preserving it is the most important task of people.

Environmental pollution is an inevitable consequence of the progress of human civilization. This phenomenon poses a threat to both the environment as a whole and the life and health of people.

What is it like to be in hothouse conditions?

The greenhouse effect is the overheating of the planet's inner atmospheric layers.

It is caused by increased volumes of fuel consumption, during the combustion of which dust, methane, CO2 and other harmful compounds are released into the atmosphere. Accumulating there, they allow the sun's rays to pass through, but do not allow heat to dissipate (like plastic film). Results: an increase in the Earth's temperature, smoothing out the difference between day and night temperatures, melting glaciers, a sharp change in climate.

What harms nature the most?

The most environmentally harmful industries are:

enterprises of ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy;
chemical industry enterprises;
oil refineries;
pulp and paper production.

Each of us makes a daily contribution to environmental degradation by throwing out and pouring into the environment:

household synthetic waste;
vehicle exhausts;
waste water containing detergents, detergents and pesticides.

The scale of the environmental problem

All of the above factors lead to the following:

About 20 billion hectares of soil are depleted annually;
6 million hectares of formerly cultivated land are becoming deserts;
there is an expansion of desert areas (the Sahara covers 50 km of land per year);
over 60 years, forest areas have decreased from 15% to 7%;
annually destroys 11 million hectares;
the area of tropical forests burned per year is 1/2 the area of France;
The 20 billion tons of CO2 emitted annually into the atmosphere has increased by 10% since the beginning of the last century, which contributes to the development of the greenhouse effect;
the planet's ozone layer is destroyed by 9%, an area equal to the size of the United States;
30 billion tons of petroleum products, 50,000 tons of pesticides and 5,000 tons of mercury enter the waters of the World Ocean every year;
In the Russian Federation alone, vehicle emissions account for 30% of the total amount of air pollutants.

And this is not a complete list of the results of anthropogenic activities.

What will the greenhouse effect lead to?

According to scientists' forecasts, if during this century the temperature increases by another 1-3°, then due to the melting of Greenland's glaciers, the water level in the World Ocean will rise, which will lead to desalination of the current on a planetary scale (the Gulf Stream). Its salty waters warm the whole of Europe, but desalination causes the Gulf Stream to slow down, and as a result the average annual temperature and climate change.

Abnormal heat in summer and arctic cold in winter will turn fertile lands into deserts. Species of plants and animals living in narrow temperature ranges will die, destroying links in food chains. The number of earthquakes, floods and hurricanes will increase. It will be very difficult for both flora and fauna to survive in such conditions.

When will the Earth become a garbage dump?

The accumulation of household waste and toxic substances in the habitats of living organisms will lead to the complete destruction of their habitats and the destruction of food. Poisoned waters and soils will turn plants poisonous and unsuitable for food. Some living beings mutate due to radiation substances accumulated in the environment. However, such individuals will not be able to leave full-fledged offspring. Consequently, no one will have a chance for normal living conditions and survival.

limit the population;
reduce energy consumption and use;
reduce emissions into the atmosphere;
use natural energy sources;
Use cleaning filters in heavily contaminated areas.

It is also possible to stop the greenhouse effect, and for this it is necessary:

replace fossil fuels with hydro, solar, and water energy;
apply waste-free technologies;
achieve minimization of methane emissions;
develop technologies for CO2 absorption;
stop massive deforestation;
increase the amount of green space.

Provided that these measures are observed by absolutely all states and countries of the world, with close international cooperation, our planet will be able to get out of the impending environmental disaster.

Local environmental problems

Environmental problems can be divided into three groups - local, regional and global. Let's consider each of these groups separately. Environmental problems at the local level are characteristic of a particular region, region, region of a particular country. For example, environmental problems of the Trans-Baikal region of Russia.

Atmospheric air The region has very high, high and increased levels of pollution, especially in the winter months. Chita, the main city of the territory, due to its geographical location, is included in the list of the dirtiest cities in the country. Some reduction in emissions of harmful substances from stationary sources was observed in the period from $2001$-$2008$. The reduction in emissions occurred as a result of improved technological processes, the introduction of new dust collection units and the elimination of pollution sources. As a result of annual monitoring in the region, the main causes of air pollution were identified. Energy enterprises are in first place in terms of pollution, and motor transport firmly holds second place.

Main share industrial waste is formed during mining, which accounts for $90$% of all waste in the region. Enterprises of the fuel and energy complex and public utilities contribute their significant share. As for housing and communal services, they dispose of waste at sites that do not meet environmental safety requirements. These can be both authorized and unauthorized landfills. Of all the generated waste, most of it remains at the enterprises for a decision on disposal; only $0.05$% is neutralized at the enterprises; a third of them dissolves in the environment.

Note 1

All waste from enterprises ideally needs to be processed into a resource for later involvement in economic circulation, but technologies for collecting, sorting and processing waste are not used. The main reason is the deficit of regional budgets, and small deductions for the negative impact on nature are not able to solve the problem. A set of measures is needed, including legislative acts on environmental issues. When handling waste, an important point is the preparation of permits.

This activity is carried out by special municipal unitary enterprises under the administration of settlements. According to the legislation of the Russian Federation, household waste belongs to the $4$ hazard class, and this requires the issuance of a license. Unfortunately, enterprises in the Trans-Baikal Territory do not have licenses to carry out activities with hazardous waste. To obtain a license, it is necessary to carry out a whole range of work, and after obtaining the license, develop a draft waste generation standards and limits on their disposal. Standards and limits are approved by Rostechnadzor.

An unfavorable situation in the region has developed with water disposal and wastewater treatment. There are $77$ sewage treatment facilities in the region, $80$% of which require urgent reconstruction. Insufficiently treated or completely untreated wastewater is discharged into open water bodies, as a result of which the environmental situation is complicated.

Not all is well in the area land resources. Every year there is a reduction in the area of agricultural land, soil fertility decreases, and processes of degradation and waterlogging occur. The lands are overgrown with bushes and polluted.

There are in the region and positive progress For example, the work of the regional government authorities has achieved success in resolving the issue of creating the Chikoy National Park.

The rivers flowing through the territory have a transboundary position. In order to rationally use and protect transboundary waters, an agreement was signed between Russia and China back in 2008. In the same year, the first meeting of the joint Russian-Chinese commission on the rational use and protection of transboundary waters was held in Khabarovsk.

Regional environmental problems

Note 2

This group of problems is typical for any region of the country or continent. This may be a regional environmental problem of the Kuznetsk coal deposit, which is an almost closed basin in the mountains. The basin is filled with gases from coke ovens and smoke from the metallurgical giant. This could be the deterioration of the environmental situation along the periphery of the Aral Sea or the radioactivity of the Chernobyl soil. Environmental problems are associated with human economic activity, and therefore are mainly anthropogenic in nature. The waste from this activity pollutes three layers of the Earth - the lithosphere, the hydrosphere, and the atmosphere. Biosphere adaptation mechanisms cannot cope with the increasing load, and natural systems begin to collapse.

Lithosphere of the Earth and its soil cover is the most important component of the biosphere. The problem is exacerbated by the use of cheap pesticides and poor agricultural practices. Vast areas of land become deserts due to extensive use of pastures or deforestation. In Africa, for example, the rate of spread of deserts is $100$ thousand hectares annually, and the Thar semi-desert, on the border of India and Pakistan, spreads at a rate of $1$ km per year. There is a problem with soil acidity. Acidic soils have low and unstable fertility and are quickly depleted. Downward flows of water spread acidity throughout the entire soil profile and acidify groundwater.

Hydrosphere of the Earth. This is an aquatic environment, including land waters. It ensures the existence of all life on the planet and is the main means of producing material goods. The growth of industrial and agricultural production volumes, the growth of household wastewater, lead to a deterioration in its quality. By now, the water systems of many countries around the world have been disrupted. Not only surface water, but also groundwater is depleted. Drainage of swamps, uncontrolled use of water, and destruction of water protection strips caused the death of small rivers. Water shortages are largely associated with pollution of water bodies by wastewater from industrial, municipal enterprises, mines, oil fields, and light, food, and textile industries.

Heavy pollutants are pulp and paper, metallurgical, chemical, and oil refineries. A dangerous pollutant of the water surface is oil and its products. Vast areas of water are polluted during oil tanker disasters. In addition to oil, salts of heavy metals - lead, mercury, copper, iron - are dangerous. Aquatic plants, absorbing heavy metal ions, pass to herbivores, and then to carnivores. The concentration of heavy metal ions in the body of fish can exceed the permissible concentration of the reservoir by tens and hundreds of times.

Earth's atmosphere. Pollution of this shell can reach a global level, because all harmful substances will be transported by air currents from one place to another. In addition, harmful substances contained in the air react with each other, thereby worsening air quality. Radical measures to clean the air are required in areas with high population density, in large cities, where there are not only many industrial enterprises, but also personal transport. With limited air circulation in such areas, suffocating smog occurs. Since the end of the 19th century, smog has become an integral part of London. More than $4,000 people died from it in 1952, and another $8,000 died in the following months. Today, with the British government pursuing an active environmental policy, smog is a thing of the past.

Global environmental problems

Among global environmental problems, the problem of climate change takes first place today. The eternal ice of the Arctic and Antarctic is slowly but surely melting, and not a single coastal region will be able to escape the catastrophic consequences. There are many factors that cause global warming, but scientists name the greenhouse effect as the main one. As a result of centuries of human economic activity, the gas composition of the lower layers of the atmosphere and its dust content have changed greatly. Millions of tons of different substances enter the air, as a result of which the amount of carbon dioxide has increased by $25% compared to the 18th century.

Consequences of global warming:

As temperatures rise, the planet's climate will change significantly;
The tropical region of the planet will receive significantly more precipitation;
Dry areas will turn into deserts uninhabitable;
The water temperature in the seas will increase, which may cause the water level to rise and flood part of the land;
Melting glaciers will cause water to rise by $70$-$80$ m;
The water-salt balance of the oceans will change;
The trajectory of cyclones and anticyclones will be different;
Animals and plants that fail to adapt to new conditions will die.

What measures should humanity take to prevent global warming and not become a victim of it? The main answer is to have time to find a new type of fuel or change the technology for using modern types of fuel.

It means:

Reduce the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere;
All enterprises will be equipped with installations for purifying emissions into the atmosphere;
Use environmentally friendly fuels, abandoning traditional ones;
Reduce the volume of deforestation and ensure their reproduction;
Adoption of laws to prevent global warming;
Identify and analyze the causes of global warming and promptly eliminate their consequences.

Note 3

One of the important areas for solving environmental problems facing modern civilization is human ecological culture. Serious environmental education and upbringing will help eradicate the main environmental conflict that exists in the human mind - the conflict between the consumer and the intelligent inhabitant of a fragile world.

State budgetary educational institution Gymnasium No. 63 of the Kalininsky district of St. Petersburg

Environmental problems of the modern world

Subject: Ecology

Completed by: student of grade 9 “A”

Ardalyonov A.V.

Teacher: Tumanova O.G.

St. Petersburg 2015

Introduction

Chapter 1. The problem of water pollution

1.1 Oil pollution. The impact of oil on flora and fauna

1.2 Remedies

1.3 Other types of pollution

Chapter 2. The problem of air pollution

2.1 Causes of air pollution

2.2 Main types of air pollution on Earth

2.3 Methods and methods for protecting the Earth’s atmospheric layer

2.4 Consequences

2.5 Impact on the atmosphere

Conclusion

Bibliography

Introduction

Everything is interconnected with everything - says the first environmental law. This means that you cannot take a single step without touching, and sometimes even disturbing, something from the environment. Every human step on an ordinary lawn means dozens of destroyed microorganisms, frightened insects, changing their migration routes, and perhaps reducing their natural productivity.

The environmental problem is one of the most serious global problems facing humanity. The problem of water and atmosphere pollution is the most pressing today, because any changes in the natural environment lead to disruption and functioning of nature.

The purpose of this work: to determine the main causes of environmental pollution, specifically water and atmosphere, and also to identify ways to solve this problem.

To achieve this goal, it is necessary to solve a number of problems:

) Find out the causes of water pollution.

) Identify the main types of air pollution.

) Find out what methods exist to protect the atmospheric layer.

) Understand what activities help eliminate environmental problems.

A person who lived in the 20th century found himself in a society that was burdened with many dilemmas that accompanied its socio-economic development. Society is faced with a severe crisis and it can be concluded that its foundations are the positions of relations between society and nature.

Atmospheric air is the most important life-supporting natural environment and is a mixture of gases and aerosols in the surface layer of the atmosphere. Water is one of the most important life-supporting natural environments formed as a result of the evolution of the Earth. It is an integral part of the biosphere and has a number of anomalous properties that affect the physical, chemical and biological processes occurring in ecosystems. Due to the continuously increasing pollution of surface waters, groundwater is becoming practically the only source of household and drinking water supply for the population. Therefore, protection from pollution and depletion and rational use are of strategic importance. In my work I used a number of books, articles and several magazines. Among which are the works of R.R. Ismailov, Yu.L. Khotuntsev, A.D. Yanshin, as well as several Internet sources.

Chapter 1. The problem of water pollution

1.1Oil pollution. The impact of oil on flora and fauna

Oil and petroleum products are the most common pollutants in the World Ocean. By the beginning of the 90s, about 16 million tons of oil entered the ocean annually, which amounted to 0.23% of world production. Most of the oil that pollutes the seas and oceans gets there not as a result of accidents or natural disasters, but as a consequence of ordinary operations.

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

Birds are particularly affected by oil spills, as the oil soaks their feathers, depriving them of both water-repellent and thermal insulation properties. Birds find themselves unable to swim or maintain the required body temperature. Estimates of the number of birds killed in oil spills are often low, simply because stranded birds are not visible to observers. When birds try to get out of the oil, it coats them from head to toe, making them unable to see and poisoning their entire body. Oil also contaminates or destroys birds' natural food sources. Diving birds are especially affected, as they must repeatedly dive through the layer of oil on the surface in search of food. In addition to its impact on individual aquatic organisms, oil also affects entire ecosystems. In areas where oil often enters the water, changes in the species composition of the marine community also become noticeable. Both petroleum and petroleum resins (tar) contain some carcinogens. The results of several studies conducted on shellfish in contaminated waters indicate that these animals exhibit an abnormally high number of neoplasms similar to human cancers.

Once oil or petroleum products enter the water, it takes a certain time for their traces to disappear. This must also include the time required for the repopulation of the contaminated area with the same and in the same numbers of organisms that lived here previously.

If the oil release does not lead to the complete death of all local organisms, then the remaining ones, multiplying, begin to fill the free space as the oil disappears.

1.2 Remedies

Natural self-cleaning processes no longer cope due to the systematic entry of oil and petroleum products into sea water. In recent years, significant material has been accumulated on the development of various methods for eliminating oil pollution. Let's look at them in more detail.

Oil and petroleum products can be burned, but only immediately after a spill, because during the first two hours it loses light fractions, and quickly spreading, forms a thin layer, and the cooling effect of the water located under this layer leads to the cessation of combustion.

Oil and petroleum products can be collected from the surface of the water in three ways: by simple manual scooping from the side of small boats;

Limiting the oil film using floating booms with its further concentration by reducing the surface and bringing the booms closer together; complex machine systems.

Oil floating on the surface of the water can be partially collected by covering it with absorbent material.

A very promising treatment method is to coat the oil film with a powder or finely granulated substance, which, when mixed with the oil, sticks and floods it. However, numerous experiments have shown that after a few months the submerged mass is mobile, and oil can rise when the sea is rough.

Promising is the use of detergents, which include substances that form an emulsion and chemically act on the molecules of hydrocarbon compounds and change their surface tension.

Oil and petroleum products have low surface tension compared to water, so when bubbling air through water there is no need to use foaming agents. In this case, oil and oil products will be adsorbed at the gas-liquid phase interface; the total surface area of air bubbles depends on their diameter and can be quite large. Taking all this into account, scientists have developed a mechanical floating movable device on which all these three physical and chemical processes (flotation, adhesion and adsorption) are carried out. The advantage of this proposed device over existing ones is as follows:

) oil and petroleum products are extracted not only from the surface of the water, but also from the surface layer of water, determined by the design of the apparatus;

) the surface layer of water is cleared not only of liquid, but also of solid particles;

) the simultaneous implementation of all three of these physical and chemical processes determines the greater efficiency of the process of cleaning a given water area from oil and oil products.

1.3 Other types of pollution

· Dumping of waste into the sea for the purpose of burial (dumping).

Many countries with access to the sea carry out marine disposal of various materials and substances, in particular dredging soil, drilling slag, industrial waste, construction waste, solid waste, explosives and chemicals, and radioactive waste. The volume of burials amounted to about 10% of the total mass of pollutants entering the World Ocean. The basis for dumping at sea is the ability of the marine environment to process large quantities of organic and inorganic substances without much damage to the water. However, this ability is not unlimited. Therefore, dumping is seen as a forced measure, a temporary tribute from society to the imperfection of technology.

Industrial slag contains a variety of organic substances and heavy metal compounds. Household waste on average contains (by dry matter weight) 32-40% organic matter; 0.56% nitrogen; 0.44% phosphorus; 0.155% zinc; 0.085% lead; 0.001% mercury; 0.001% cadmium. During the discharge, when the material passes through a column of water, some of the pollutants go into solution, changing the quality of the water, while others are sorbed by suspended particles and pass into bottom sediments. At the same time, the turbidity of the water increases. The presence of organic substances leads to the rapid consumption of oxygen in water and not to its complete disappearance, the dissolution of suspended matter, the accumulation of metals in dissolved form, and the appearance of hydrogen sulfide. The presence of a large amount of organic substances creates a stable reducing environment in the soil, in which a special type of silt water appears, containing hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and metal ions.

Benthos organisms and others are exposed to varying degrees to the effects of discharged materials. In the case of the formation of surface films containing petroleum hydrocarbons and surfactants, gas exchange at the air-water interface is disrupted. Pollutants entering the solution can accumulate in the tissues and organs of aquatic organisms and have a toxic effect on them. The discharge of dumping materials to the bottom and prolonged increased turbidity of the added water leads to the death of sedentary benthos from suffocation. In surviving fish, mollusks and crustaceans, their growth rate is reduced due to deteriorating feeding and breathing conditions. The species composition of a given community often changes. When organizing a control system for waste discharges into the sea, identifying dumping areas and determining the dynamics of pollution of sea water and bottom sediments are of decisive importance. To identify possible volumes of discharge into the sea, it is necessary to carry out calculations of all pollutants in the material discharge.

· Thermal pollution.

Thermal pollution of the surface of reservoirs and coastal marine areas occurs as a result of the discharge of heated wastewater by power plants and some industrial production. The discharge of heated water in many cases causes an increase in water temperature in reservoirs by 6-8 degrees Celsius. The area of heated water spots in coastal areas can reach 30 square meters. km. More stable temperature stratification prevents water exchange between the surface and bottom layers. The solubility of oxygen decreases, and its consumption increases, since with increasing temperature the activity of aerobic bacteria decomposing organic matter increases. The species diversity of phytoplankton and the entire algal flora is increasing.

Based on the generalization of the material, we can conclude that the effects of anthropogenic impact on the aquatic environment manifest themselves at the individual and population-biocenotic levels, and the long-term effect of pollutants leads to a simplification of the ecosystem.

·Wastewater.

Industrial wastes take first place in terms of the volume and damage they cause, so the problem of their discharge into rivers must be solved first. Due to pollution caused by wastewater, various biogenic mutations begin. Many types of fish disappear from rivers and lakes, and those that remain are unfit for food. The flora and fauna of water bodies is significantly depleted. Due to industrial wastewater, there is an excess of oxygen in water bodies, so you can observe the so-called “blooming” of water bodies. The chemical composition of water bodies also changes, the content of nitrogen, phosphorus and chlorine-containing substances increases. An important problem is the pollution of water bodies with agricultural waste. With the onset of spring floods, many people have probably noticed more than once the unpleasant odor that drinking water emits.

This smell is caused by the fact that stormy spring streams wash into the river fecal matter that has accumulated over the winter and was transported to the fields in the spring. Instead of monitoring the entry of these substances into rivers, they prefer to mix it with a huge amount of bleach, which is far from a safe substance, before supplying this water to homes. The third problem is the entry of various household and industrial waste into rivers and other bodies of water. In some place, all this garbage accumulates and sediment forms in the river bed, and islands appear. All this leads to clogging and drying out of the river. The same garbage, when decomposed, releases various carcinogenic substances that end up on our table with food.

· Basic methods of wastewater treatment.

Reservoirs are polluted mainly as a result of the discharge of wastewater from industrial enterprises and populated areas into them. As a result of wastewater discharge, the physical properties of water change (temperature increases, transparency decreases, colors, tastes, and odors appear); floating substances appear on the surface of the reservoir, and sediment forms at the bottom; the chemical composition of water changes (the content of organic and inorganic substances increases, toxic substances appear, the oxygen content decreases, the active reaction of the environment changes, etc.); The qualitative and quantitative bacterial composition changes, and pathogenic bacteria appear. Polluted water bodies become unsuitable for drinking, and often for technical water supply; lose their fishery importance, etc. The general conditions for the release of wastewater of any category into surface water bodies are determined by their national economic significance and the nature of water use.

Methods used to treat industrial and domestic wastewater can be divided into three groups: mechanical; physico-chemical, biological. The complex of treatment facilities, as a rule, includes mechanical treatment facilities. Depending on the required degree of purification, they can be supplemented with biological or physical-chemical treatment facilities, and with higher requirements, deep treatment facilities are included in the treatment facilities. Before being discharged into a reservoir, treated wastewater is disinfected, and the sludge or excess biomass formed at all stages of treatment is supplied to sludge treatment facilities. Treated wastewater can be sent to circulating water supply systems of industrial enterprises, for agricultural needs, or discharged into a reservoir.

Mechanical treatment is used to separate undissolved mineral and organic impurities from wastewater. As a rule, it is a pre-treatment method and is intended to prepare wastewater for biological or physico-chemical treatment methods. As a result of mechanical cleaning, suspended solids are reduced by up to 90%, and organic substances by up to 20%.

Mechanical cleaning structures include screens, various types of traps, settling tanks, and filters. Sand traps are used to separate heavy mineral impurities (mainly sand) from wastewater. Dehydrated sand, with reliable disinfection, can be used in road work and in the production of building materials. Moderators are used to regulate the composition and flow of wastewater. Averaging is achieved either by differentiating the flow of incoming wastewater, or by intensive mixing of individual wastewater.

Biological treatment is a widely used treatment method in practice. It is based on the process of biological oxidation of organic compounds contained in wastewater. Biological oxidation is carried out by a community of microorganisms, including many different bacteria, protozoa and a number of more highly organized organisms - algae, fungi, etc., interconnected into a single complex by complex relationships (metabiosis, symbiosis and antagonism). Chemical and physicochemical treatment methods play a significant role in the treatment of industrial wastewater. They are used both independently and in combination with mechanical and biological methods.

oil water atmosphere pollution

Chapter 2. The problem of air pollution

1 Causes of air pollution

The problem of air pollution is one of the most serious global problems facing humanity. The danger of air pollution lies not only in the fact that harmful substances that are harmful to living organisms enter clean air, but also in the change in the Earth's climate caused by pollution.

Air (atmosphere) pollution due to human activities has caused carbon dioxide concentrations to increase by almost 30% over the past 200 years. However, humanity continues to actively burn fossil fuels and destroy forests. The process is so large-scale that it leads to global environmental problems. Air pollution also occurs as a result of other human activities. The combustion of fuel in thermal power plants is accompanied by the release of sulfur dioxide. Nitrogen oxides enter the atmosphere with vehicle exhaust gases. When fuel burns incompletely, carbon monoxide is formed. In addition, we should not forget about fine solid pollutants such as soot and dust.

The main cause of air pollution is the ingress of uncharacteristic physical, chemical and biological substances into it, as well as a change in their natural concentration. This occurs as a result of both natural processes and human activity. Moreover, it is humans who play an increasingly important role in air pollution. The cause of most chemical and physical pollution is the combustion of hydrocarbon fuels during the production of electrical energy and during the operation of vehicle engines. One of the most toxic gases released into the atmosphere as a result of human activity is ozone. Lead contained in car exhaust gases is also toxic. Other hazardous pollutants include carbon monoxide, nitrogen and sulfur oxides, and fine dust. Every year, as a result of human industrial activity (during the generation of electricity, cement production, iron smelting, etc.), 170 million tons of dust enter the atmosphere.

2.2 Main types of air pollution on Earth

Various properties are taken as the basis for the classification of atmospheric pollution: the origin of pollution, its nature, types and types of sources.

The nature of pollution can be physical. Such pollutants include particulate matter (dust), radioactive radiation and isotopes, various types of electromagnetic waves, loud sounds and low-frequency vibrations, and heat emissions.

Chemical pollution includes the release of gases and aerosols into the atmosphere. Among the main types of atmospheric pollution of this kind are emissions of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, hydrocarbons, aldehydes, heavy metals, ammonia, and radioactive isotopes.

Biological pollution is mainly microbial in nature. These are, first of all, spores of bacteria and fungi, viruses, as well as waste products of living organisms.

Another way of classification is by the sources and composition of air pollution. Sources of anthropogenic pollution are divided into transport, industrial and domestic. Based on their composition, they are usually divided into mechanical (dust, solid particles), chemical (gases and aerosols capable of entering into chemical reactions), and radioactive - posing a danger due to radiation.

2.3 Methods and methods for protecting the Earth’s atmospheric layer

Solving the problem of air pollution requires concerted action at multiple levels. At the level of governments and international organizations, various documents are adopted obliging economic participants to reduce harmful emissions. Such documents include the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and environmental legislation of states.

One of the most common ways to control greenhouse emissions (primarily carbon dioxide) is carbon quotas, which imply that each participant in economic activity (industrial enterprise, transport company) buys for itself the right to produce emissions in a strictly defined volume, exceeding which will lead to severe penalties. sanctions. The funds received from the sale of carbon credits should be spent on overcoming the consequences of global warming. At the level of specific sources of harmful emissions, measures must be taken to prevent or at least reduce air pollution. Such measures include cleaning the air from dust, aerosols and gases. The most effective methods here are inertial (“cyclones”) or mechanical (filtration) dust collection, adsorption of gaseous pollutants, and afterburning of combustion products.

2.4 Consequences

In the process of human activity, the atmosphere is polluted by emissions of various gases, aerosols and solid particles. In addition, humanity is intensively polluting the atmosphere with electromagnetic and radiation radiation, thermal emissions, and so on. This kind of impact is commonly called anthropogenic air pollution.

It is anthropogenic air pollution that accounts for the bulk of harmful emissions. In addition, they are more dangerous than naturally occurring pollution. Based on their state of aggregation, I distinguish the following types of anthropogenic atmospheric pollution: solid particles, liquids (aerosols) and gases. The latter account for more than 90% of all emissions.

The main anthropogenic sources of air pollution are: chemical industry enterprises, where technological processes can produce ozone, which is dangerous for living organisms; thermal power plants that emit carbon dioxide, the “main” greenhouse gas, as well as toxic nitrogen oxides and other substances; road transport that pollutes the atmosphere with carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic substances and soot; refrigeration equipment and aerosol cans containing freons, chemical compounds that contribute to the destruction of stratospheric ozone and global warming.

2.5 Impact on the atmosphere

The impact of air pollution on humans is not limited solely to the direct impact of impurities contained in the air on the functioning of the body. Although, of course, this is an extremely important aspect. Thus, the presence of carbon monoxide (carbon monoxide) in the inhaled air prevents the flow of oxygen into the blood, which leads to human death. Heavy metal salts present in car exhaust gases are extremely toxic, as is ozone, which is a by-product of the chemical industry. Fine dust and soot particles formed during the combustion of diesel fuel have a carcinogenic effect.

In addition, the harmful effects of pollution may occur indirectly. For example, freons, which are absolutely safe for humans when inhaled, enter the upper layers of the atmosphere, decompose and destroy the ozone layer, which protects humans (and all living things along with them) from hard ultraviolet radiation.

The influence of air pollution on the climate also, ultimately, negatively affects human health, as it leads to a reduction in areas suitable for agriculture (and this means hunger), leads to an expansion of the range of carriers of dangerous diseases, in addition, a simple increase air temperature can cause an increase in cardiovascular diseases.

Conclusion

Environmental pollution, depletion of natural resources and disruption of ecological connections in ecosystems have become global problems for humanity. And if humanity continues to follow the current path of development, then its death, according to the world's leading ecologists, is inevitable in two to three generations. As the negative consequences of ecological imbalance began to become universal, the need arose to create an environmental movement.

The rational use of water resources is currently an extremely pressing problem. This is, first of all, the protection of water spaces from pollution, and since industrial wastes occupy first place in terms of the volume and damage they cause, it is first of all necessary to solve the problem of dumping them into rivers. In particular, it is necessary to limit discharges into water bodies, as well as improve production, treatment and disposal technologies. Another important aspect is the collection of fees for the discharge of wastewater and pollutants and the transfer of collected funds to the development of new non-waste technologies and treatment facilities. It is necessary to reduce the amount of payment for environmental pollution to enterprises with minimal emissions and discharges, which in the future will serve as a priority to maintain a minimum discharge or reduce it. When organizing a control system for waste discharges into the sea, identifying dumping areas and determining the dynamics of pollution of sea water and bottom sediments are of decisive importance.

During the work, the main causes of air pollution were identified. The main cause of air pollution is the ingress of uncharacteristic physical, chemical and biological substances into it, as well as a change in their natural concentration.

Harmful emissions entering the atmospheric air are a factor affecting a variety of processes and objects. And yet, for obvious reasons, research into the impact of air pollution on humans and on the climate of our planet is of greatest importance. One of the most common ways to control greenhouse emissions (primarily carbon dioxide) is carbon quotas, which imply that each participant in economic activity (industrial enterprise, transport company) buys for itself the right to produce emissions in a strictly defined volume, exceeding which will lead to severe penalties. sanctions. The influence of air pollution on the climate also, ultimately, negatively affects human health, as it leads to a reduction in areas suitable for agriculture (and this means hunger), leads to an expansion of the range of carriers of dangerous diseases, in addition, a simple increase air temperature can cause an increase in cardiovascular diseases.

Unfortunately, at the present stage, the development of market and economic relations is significantly ahead of the development of the legislative framework, including this applies to stimulating the rational use of natural resources. But let’s not rush to pessimistic conclusions, because the development of an appropriate legislative framework has been underway for several years now, and the attitude towards the environment and the need to protect it is gradually changing in people’s minds. The economic and legal levers for protecting the natural environment and preventing its pollution, described in this work, are an important foundation for the further development of economic and legal relations in the field of environmental safety.

Bibliography

1. Ismagilov R.R. The problem of water pollution and ways to solve it [Text] / R.R. Ismagilov // Young scientist. - 2012. - No. 11. - pp. 127-129.

2. Khotuntsev Yu.L. Ecology and environmental safety: Textbook. allowance. - M.: ACADEMA, 2012. - 233 p.

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