Environmental pollution is a global problem of our time, which is regularly discussed in the news and scientific circles. Many international organizations have been created to combat the deterioration of natural conditions. Scientists have long sounded the alarm about the inevitability of an environmental catastrophe in the very near future.
At the moment, a lot is known about environmental pollution - a large number of scientific papers and books have been written, numerous studies have been carried out. But in solving the problem, mankind has advanced very little. Pollution of nature still remains an important and urgent issue, the postponement of which can be tragic.
History of biosphere pollution
In connection with the intensive industrialization of society, environmental pollution has become especially aggravated in recent decades. However, despite this fact, natural pollution is one of the most ancient problems in human history. Even in the era of primitive life, people began to barbarously destroy forests, exterminate animals and change the landscape of the earth to expand the territory of residence and obtain valuable resources.
Even then, this led to climate change and other environmental problems. The growth of the planet's population and the progress of civilizations was accompanied by increased mining, drainage of water bodies, as well as chemical pollution of the biosphere. The Industrial Revolution marked not only a new era in society, but also a new wave of pollution.
With the development of science and technology, scientists have received tools that make it possible to accurately and thoroughly analyze the ecological state of the planet. Weather reports, monitoring of the chemical composition of air, water and soil, satellite data, as well as smoking pipes everywhere and oil slicks on the water, indicate that the problem is rapidly aggravating with the expansion of the technosphere. No wonder the appearance of man is called the main ecological catastrophe.
Classification of nature pollution
There are several classifications of environmental pollution based on their source, direction, and other factors.
So, the following types of environmental pollution are distinguished:
- Biological - the source of pollution is living organisms, it can occur due to natural causes or as a result of anthropogenic activities.
- Physical - leads to a change in the corresponding characteristics of the environment. Physical pollution includes thermal, radiation, noise and others.
- Chemical - an increase in the content of substances or their penetration into the environment. Leads to a change in the normal chemical composition of resources.
- Mechanical - pollution of the biosphere with garbage.
In fact, one type of pollution may be accompanied by another or several at once.
The gaseous shell of the planet is an integral participant in natural processes, determines the thermal background and climate of the Earth, protects against harmful cosmic radiation, and affects relief formation.
The composition of the atmosphere has changed throughout the historical development of the planet. The current situation is such that part of the volume of the gas envelope is determined by human economic activity. The composition of the air is heterogeneous and differs depending on the geographical location - in industrial areas and large cities, a high level of harmful impurities.
The main sources of chemical pollution of the atmosphere:
- chemical plants;
- enterprises of the fuel and energy complex;
- transport.
These pollutants cause heavy metals such as lead, mercury, chromium, and copper to be present in the atmosphere. They are permanent components of the air in industrial areas.
Modern power plants emit hundreds of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every day, as well as soot, dust and ash.
The increase in the number of cars in settlements has led to an increase in the concentration of a number of harmful gases in the air, which are part of the engine exhaust. Anti-knock additives added to vehicle fuels release large amounts of lead. Cars produce dust and ash, which pollute not only the air, but also the soil, settling on the ground.
The atmosphere is also polluted by very toxic gases emitted by the chemical industry. Wastes from chemical plants, such as nitrogen and sulfur oxides, are the cause of acid rain and are capable of reacting with biosphere components to form other hazardous derivatives.
As a result of human activities, forest fires regularly occur, during which huge amounts of carbon dioxide are released.
Soil is a thin layer of the lithosphere, formed as a result of natural factors, in which most of the exchange processes between living and non-living systems take place.
Due to the extraction of natural resources, mining, the construction of buildings, roads and airfields, large-scale areas of soil are being destroyed.
Irrational human economic activity has caused the degradation of the fertile layer of the earth. Its natural chemical composition changes, mechanical pollution occurs. The intensive development of agriculture leads to significant losses of land. Frequent plowing makes them vulnerable to flooding, salinization and winds, which cause soil erosion.
The abundant use of fertilizers, insecticides, and chemical poisons to kill pests and clear weeds leads to the ingress of toxic compounds that are unnatural for it into the soil. As a result of anthropogenic activity, chemical pollution of lands by heavy metals and their derivatives occurs. The main harmful element is lead, as well as its compounds. When processing lead ores, about 30 kilograms of metal is thrown out from each ton. Automobile exhaust containing a large amount of this metal settles in the soil, poisoning the organisms living in it. Drains of liquid waste from mines contaminate the earth with zinc, copper and other metals.
Power plants, radioactive fallout from nuclear explosions, research centers for the study of atomic energy cause radioactive isotopes to enter the soil, which then enter the human body with food.
The reserves of metals concentrated in the bowels of the earth are dissipated as a result of human production activity. Then they concentrate in the topsoil. In ancient times, man used 18 elements from the earth's crust, and today - all known.
Today, the water shell of the earth is much more polluted than one can imagine. Oil slicks and bottles floating on the surface are just what you can see. A significant part of the pollutants is in a dissolved state.
Water damage can occur naturally. As a result of mudflows and floods, magnesium is washed out of the mainland soil, which enters water bodies and harms fish. As a result of chemical transformations, aluminum penetrates into fresh water. But natural pollution is negligible compared to anthropogenic pollution. Through the fault of man, the following fall into the water:
- surface-active compounds;
- pesticides;
- phosphates, nitrates and other salts;
- medicines;
- oil products;
- radioactive isotopes.
The sources of these pollutants are farms, fisheries, oil platforms, power plants, chemical industries, and sewage.
Acid rain, which is also the result of human activity, dissolves the soil, washing away heavy metals.
In addition to chemical pollution of water, there is physical, namely thermal. Most of the water is used in the production of electricity. Thermal stations use it to cool turbines, and the heated waste liquid is drained into reservoirs.
Mechanical deterioration of water quality by household waste in settlements leads to a reduction in the habitats of living beings. Some species are dying.
Polluted water is the main cause of most diseases. As a result of liquid poisoning, many living beings die, the ocean ecosystem suffers, and the normal course of natural processes is disturbed. Pollutants eventually enter the human body.
Pollution control
In order to avoid an ecological catastrophe, the fight against physical pollution must be a top priority. The problem must be solved at the international level, because nature has no state borders. To prevent pollution, it is necessary to impose sanctions on enterprises that emit waste into the environment, to impose large fines for placing garbage in the wrong place. Incentives to comply with environmental safety standards can also be implemented through financial methods. This approach has proven effective in some countries.
A promising direction in the fight against pollution is the use of alternative energy sources. The use of solar panels, hydrogen fuel and other energy-saving technologies will reduce the release of toxic compounds into the atmosphere.
Other pollution control methods include:
- construction of treatment facilities;
- creation of national parks and reserves;
- increase in the number of green spaces;
- population control in third world countries;
- drawing public attention to the problem.
Environmental pollution is a large-scale global problem, which can be solved only with the active participation of everyone who calls the planet Earth their home, otherwise an ecological catastrophe will be inevitable.
The simplest definition of pollution is the introduction or emergence of new pollutants into the environment or the excess of the natural long-term average level of these pollutants.
Environmental pollution is divided into natural, caused by some natural causes: volcanic eruption, breaks in the earth's crust, natural fires, dust storms, etc., and anthropogenic, arising in connection with human economic activity.
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 soil temperature increase are underground construction, laying of communications. An increase in soil temperature stimulates the activity of microorganisms, which are agents of corrosion of various communications.
light pollution- Violation of natural light environment. It leads to a violation of the rhythms of the activity of living organisms. An increase in water turbidity in water bodies reduces the penetration of sunlight to the depth and the photosynthesis of aquatic vegetation.
Noise pollution– an increase in the intensity and frequency of noise above the natural level. Noise refers to serious environmental pollutants, adaptation to which organisms are practically impossible. Sources of noise pollution are automobile, rail, air transport, industrial enterprises, household appliances.
Noise pollution has a negative impact on the hearing organs, the nervous system (up to mental disorders), the cardiovascular system and other organs.
Vibration pollution - arises as a result of the operation of different types of transport, vibration equipment, can lead to soil subsidence, 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, radars. This type of pollution has a significant impact on living organisms: on metabolism, blood composition, and the cardiovascular system.
Nuclear pollution - excess of the natural radioactive level of the environment. Sources of radioactive contamination of the environment are nuclear explosions, radioactive waste disposal, accidents at nuclear power plants, etc.
Mechanical pollution - pollution of the environment by materials that have only a mechanical effect without chemical consequences. Examples are: siltation of water bodies with soil, dust entering the atmosphere, construction waste dump 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 pollution divided into bacterial and organic. Bacterial contamination - the introduction into the environment of pathogens that contribute to the spread of diseases, such as hepatitis, cholera, dysentery and other diseases.
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, decay: waste from food, pulp and paper industries, untreated sewage.
Biological pollution also includes animal relocation into new ecosystems where their natural enemies are absent. Such relocation can lead to an explosion in the number of relocated animals and have unpredictable consequences.
geological pollution - stimulation under the influence of human activities of such geological processes as flooding, drainage of territories, the formation of landslides, collapses, subsidence of the earth's surface, etc.
Such violations occur as a result of mining, construction, leakage of water and sewage from communications, as a result of the vibrational impact of transport and other influences. The given impacts must be taken into account when designing in construction (choosing the design characteristics of soils, in calculating the stability of buildings and structures).
chemical pollution - change in the natural chemical properties of the environment as a result of emissions by industrial enterprises, transport, agriculture of various pollutants. For example, emissions into the atmosphere of hydrocarbon fuel combustion products, soil pollution with pesticides, and untreated wastewater discharges into water bodies. Some of the most dangerous pollutants are heavy metals and synthetic organic compounds.
Heavy metals are chemical elements that have a high density (> 8 g/cm3), such as 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, can enter the body and have a negative effect on it. The main sources of waste containing heavy metals are ore beneficiation, metal smelting and processing, and electroplating industries.
Synthetic organic compounds are used in the production of 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 bioaccumulative. Bioaccumulation- this is the accumulation of pollutants in living organisms when they enter from the external environment in small doses that seem harmless.
Bioaccumulation is exacerbated in the food chain, i.e. plant organisms assimilate pollutants from the external environment and accumulate them in their organs, herbivorous animals, eating vegetation, receive large doses, predatory 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 greater than in the external environment. This accumulation of a substance as it passes through the food chain is called bioconcentration.
The danger of bioaccumulation and bioconcentration became known in the 1960s when population declines were discovered for many birds of prey, animals at the end of the food chain.
Scientific and technological progress makes life easier for a person, but improved technologies often lead to pollution of nature. The main types of environmental pollution are anthropogenic sources, that is, those caused by human activities. It is important to learn how to identify polluting factors, eliminate them and prevent the emergence of new ones.
The concept of the environment
The concept of "environment" includes the natural conditions characteristic of a particular area, as well as the ecological state of the objects located on it. For a person, the environment is determined by the objects that are around him and with which he contacts. These include elements of animate and inanimate nature. The composition of the environment includes the following components:
- The atmosphere is the gaseous shell that surrounds the planet.
- The hydrosphere is the water shell of the planet.
- Lithosphere - the earth's crust, mantle.
- The biosphere is the habitat of living organisms.
Conventionally, two types of environment are distinguished: microenvironment and macroenvironment. The microenvironment is the local environment of a person which is in close proximity to it. The macroenvironment is a broader concept that includes biotic (living) and physical (non-living) objects.
The law establishes that a person must ensure the normal functioning of all ecosystems. Thus, Federal Law No. 7-FZ “On Environmental Protection” establishes the basic security principles, defines the concepts that are used in this area, distributes the powers of state bodies, explains the rights and obligations of citizens and organizations in the region.
Types of pollution
The revolution in science and industry has led to massive pollution of nature, which has affected the health of mankind. When scientists discovered a direct link between the state of the micro- and macroenvironment and human health, the science of ecology appeared.
The types of pollution that existed were classified, and the relationship of living organisms with humans and the environment was studied in detail.
The following types of environmental pollution have been identified:
All types of environmental pollution harm animals, plants and humans. As a result of the action of polluting factors, thousands of birds, mammals and inhabitants of water bodies die, and serious diseases develop in humans. An example of the negative impact of pollution is the destruction of the planet's ozone layer, which should protect against harmful ultraviolet radiation. As a result of the destruction of the ozone layer, there is an increase in the number of oncological diseases and diseases of the retina.
Control of pollutants
Depending on what types of pollution are known, scientists create programs to combat environmental pollutants. Protective measures are becoming a priority for most countries, environmental and environmental protection measures have reached the level of international cooperation. Pollution Control Measures:
Global environmental pollution can lead to the death of all life on the planet, including humans. The task of mankind is to stop the pollution of nature and save life.
At present, such concepts as ecology, environmental pollution have already firmly entered our consciousness, and we can confidently say that the negative impact on the state of the environment is largely due to anthropogenic (human) activities.
The main sources of environmental pollution are concentrated mainly in cities, where a significant number of industrial facilities are concentrated on a relatively small area. At the same time, the nature of the production impact is complex, i.e. applies to all natural components: water bodies, air basin, soil cover, flora and fauna and, of course, concerns the main culprit of the unfavorable situation - man.
So, the main sources of environmental pollution are:
Energy facilities;
Industrial enterprises: chemical, petrochemical, metallurgical;
Transport.
Energy is the leading branch of the economy, which determines not only the level of development of industrial production, but also the standard of living of people in certain regions and settlements. The bad thing is that in our country the energy industry is mainly based on the use of "dirty" energy sources such as coal and oil, and the situation will not change in the near future. For this reason, energy is one of the "leaders" in terms of contribution to environmental pollution. The combustion of high-ash solid fuels causes emissions of significant amounts of suspended solids, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen. Moreover, if the existing technologies make it possible to effectively clean emissions from solid substances, then the capture of gaseous substances is rather difficult and costly. However, the impact of energy is not limited to atmospheric air; numerous ash dumps are a serious pollutant of water bodies and land resources.
One of the most "dirty" industries in our country is the metallurgical industry, its share in the total emissions in Russia is about 40%. Non-ferrous and ferrous metallurgy enterprises, as the main sources of air pollution, are one of the main suppliers of dust, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, phenol, hydrogen sulfide, and non-ferrous metallurgy, among other things, various metals, including copper, nickel, lead. Ferrous metallurgy is one of the largest water consumers, about 40% of wastewater discharged is highly polluted.
Non-ferrous metallurgy enterprises, among other things, are the most powerful sources of soil pollution, therefore, in settlements where non-ferrous metallurgy facilities are located, elevated concentrations of heavy metals in the soil cover are found.
Oil producing and oil refineries also have a significant negative impact on all components of the environment. Oil industry facilities emit a whole range of pollutants, including sulfur and nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, hydrocarbons, mercaptans and unburned solid particles containing benzo(a)pyrene. Serious harm is caused by accidental oil spills on drilling platforms, as well as main oil pipelines.
Urbanized territories are inextricably linked with such a concept as road transport. The main types of its impact include emissions of pollutants with exhaust gases, as well as the use of large areas for the construction of garages, service stations, utility facilities.
In general, the main sources of environmental pollution include most industrial facilities, as well as the transport complex, without which modern life is impossible. However, it is in our power to take steps to ensure that their impact on the environment, and ultimately our health, is minimal.
Any kind of environmental pollution is a significant global problem of our time, which is discussed with increasing regularity on television, as well as in scientific circles. Many international organizations have been formed, the main focus of which is to combat the deteriorating natural conditions.
To date, a lot is known about the processes leading to environmental pollution. Many scientific papers and books have been written, innumerable studies have been carried out. However, the practical solution of these problems for humanity turned out to be not entirely within our power. The issues of natural pollution are still relevant, putting them on the back burner can turn into tragic consequences for the same humanity.
The main typological division of pollution types
From the history of biosphere pollution
Due to the fact that there is an intensive industrialization of public life, the problem of environmental pollution has become especially acute in recent decades, although environmental pollution is still considered one of the oldest problems in human history. In ancient times, at the dawn of mankind, people barbarously destroyed forests, exterminated flora and fauna, and also engaged in changing the natural landscape in order to further expand their territories of residence and receive precious resources in ever greater quantities.
Even in those days, this attitude led to climate change of various scales and other environmental disasters. The constant increase in the population of the Earth and the rapid progress of civilization was accompanied by intensive mining. This often led to the drainage of water bodies and, of course, to chemical pollution of the biosphere. The age of the scientific, technological and industrial revolution was marked not only by a new era of social order, but also by a new wave of pollution.
The development of science and technology has given scientists the tools to make accurate and detailed diagnostics of the environmental situation on the planet. Satellite data, weather reports, samples of the chemical composition of air masses, water resources, soil, as well as a visual demonstration of ubiquitous smoking pipes and oil slicks on the sea surface can only confirm that the problem is only getting worse due to the expansion of the technosphere. It is not for nothing that some scientists express the opinion that the appearance of a “reasonable” person is the main ecological catastrophe.
Types (classification) of pollution of the biosphere
The main pollutants of the biosphere
To date, there is a whole classification of types of causes of environmental pollution, which are based on a wide variety of factors.
Mainly, several types of environmental pollution are known. So pollution is:
- Biological. The source of pollution is living organisms. This may occur naturally, or the primary source may be anthropogenic activity;
- Physical. Such pollution leads to changes in the corresponding characteristics in the environment. Physical pollution can be thermal, radiation, noise and other varieties;
- Chemical. Occur due to an increase in the percentage of substances or their penetration into the environment. This can lead to changes in the normal chemical composition of the resources;
- Mechanical. With this type of pollution of the biosphere come from garbage.
In fact, each type of pollution can be accompanied by another or several at the same time.
Human pollution
The gaseous layer of the Earth is the most important participant in the natural processes of the planet, thanks to which its climate with a thermal background is determined (a change in temperature is now observed). It protects against the harmful effects of cosmic radiation, takes part in relief formation. The composition of gases in the atmosphere has been modified throughout the history of the formation of the planetary body. The harsh reality is that some of the volume in the Earth's gaseous envelope is due to human activity. So industrial areas and large metropolitan areas are characterized by a high level of harmful impurities in the atmosphere.
Chemical pollution is caused by some human activities
The main sources of chemical pollution of the atmosphere can be activities:
- Chemical plants;
- Enterprises of the fuel and energy complex;
- Vehicle.
Such sources of pollution are considered to be the cause of the appearance of many heavy metals in the atmosphere, such as lead, mercury, chromium, and copper. They are permanent components of air masses from industrial areas. Modern power plants emit thousands of tons of carbon dioxide, soot, dust, and ash into the atmosphere every day.
The growth in the number of vehicles in cities and villages has led to an increased accumulation of many harmful substances in the atmosphere, which come with car exhaust gases. Anti-knock additives that are added to the fuel contribute to the release of large amounts of lead. Car engines produce ash with dust, due to which not only the air environment is polluted, but also the soil.
The air, among other things, is polluted with extremely toxic gases emitted by factories and chemical industry factories. Chemical waste containing nitrogen and sulfur oxides often leads to acid rain. They tend to react with the elements of the biosphere, after which other equally dangerous derivatives are formed. As a result of thoughtless human activity, forest fires systematically occur, during which a huge amount of carbon dioxide is released.
Soil pollution by humans
Types of physical pollution and main factors
The soil is a thin layer of the lithosphere, which was formed due to many natural circumstances. There are many processes associated with the interaction of living and non-living systems. By extracting natural resources, carrying out mining operations, erecting a wide variety of buildings, roads and airfields, large-scale areas of soil are being destroyed.
As a result of irrational economic human activity, the fertile layer of the earth is degrading. There is a change in its natural chemical composition, as well as mechanical pollution. Intensity in the development of agriculture leads to significant losses of fertile land. Excessively frequent plowing contributes to the fact that soils are threatened by flooding, salinization and wind, as a result of which soil erosion can occur.
The generous use of fertilizers, insecticides, pesticides, and chemical poisons to kill pests and weeds introduces unnatural chemicals into the soil. Anthropogenic activity leads to changes associated with chemical pollution of the earth, and pollution is produced mainly by heavy metals and their derivatives. The main harmful element in this case is lead, together with its compounds. When processing lead ores, chemical plants emit approximately 30 kg of metals from each processed ton of raw materials. Automobile exhausts containing a lot of this metal penetrate the soil and lead to the poisoning of living organisms living in it. Liquid waste discharged from mines that contain zinc, copper and other metals also lead to contamination of the earth.
The activities of power plants and research centers that study atomic energy, radioactive fallout, for example, during nuclear tests, leads to radioactive contamination. Because of all this, radioactive isotopes enter the soil, and they can then enter human bodies when eating food. The metals accumulated in the bowels of the earth are scattered due to the exorbitant industrial activity of man. Further, they will concentrate in the upper soil layers.
It should be noted that not so long ago, only 18 elements were used in industrial production, from those available in the earth's crust, and in our time - all known.
One of the examples of chemical pollution of water by man
At present, unlike land or air, the waters on the planet are much more polluted than one can imagine. Spots of oil, as well as many plastic bottles floating on the surface of the seas and oceans - this is just what, as they say, "lies on the surface." Where most of all kinds of pollutants have already dissolved and remain in this state.
Of course, water quality can also deteriorate due to natural causes. So, for example, when mudflows and floods occur, magnesium particles are washed out of mainland soils, which, when they enter water bodies, harm aquatic animals and fish more than their natural enemies do. Any chemical transformations lead to the penetration of aluminum into fresh water. Thus, natural pollution makes up only a small proportion, in contrast to anthropogenic ones. Through the fault of people, imperfect industrial equipment pollutes water:
- Surface-active compounds;
- pesticides;
- Phosphates, nitrates and other salts;
- medicines;
- Oil products;
- radioactive isotopes.
There can be many sources of such pollutants. A lot of pollution is allowed:
- farms;
- Fisheries;
- oil platforms;
- power plants;
- chemical industry enterprises;
- Sewer drains.
By the way, acid precipitation, which also appears as a result of human activity, dissolves soils, which leads to washing out of heavy metals.
In addition to chemical pollution of water, there is also physical, or rather, thermal pollution. A large amount of water is used in the power industry. So thermal power plants use it to cool turbines, and the heated waste liquids are drained into reservoirs. Mechanical degradation of water quality by household waste and organic residues in cities reduces the habitats of aquatic life, and some of them die.
Polluted waters are the main cause of most diseases. For example, many living beings die, the ecosystem of the seas and oceans suffers, normal natural processes are disrupted. As a result, pollutants get into food, after which they negatively affect human organisms.
Global pollution problems: how to deal with them?
To avoid catastrophic consequences, the fight against physical pollution should be the number one task. Problems must be solved at the global level, because nature does not have state borders. To prevent pollution, sanctions are needed against enterprises that dump waste into the environment, as well as considerable fines for throwing garbage in the wrong places. It is necessary to stimulate compliance with environmental safety standards using financial methods. Such approaches have already proven their effectiveness in some countries.
One of the promising directions in the fight against pollution can be the use of alternative energy sources. Thus, the use of solar panels, hydrogen fuel and other energy-saving technologies will lead to a reduction in emissions of harmful compounds into the environment.
To combat pollution, you need:
- Build treatment facilities;
- Create national parks and reserves;
- Increase green spaces;
- To draw public attention to the problem of the consequences of pollution.
Environmental pollution is a global problem, the solution of which is directly dependent on the active participation of everyone who considers the planet Earth to be their home, otherwise an ecological catastrophe simply cannot be avoided.