Pollution of the Earth's atmosphere: sources, types, consequences. Air pollution and its consequences Main sources of air pollution

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

Natural sources of contamination

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

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

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

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

Artificial sources

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

Let's list the main artificial sources that cause air pollution:

• The rapid development of the industry. We start with the chemical pollution of the air caused by the activities of chemical plants. Toxic substances released into the air poison it. Also, atmospheric air pollution with harmful substances is caused by metallurgical plants: metal recycling is a complex process that involves huge emissions as a result of heating and combustion. In addition, small solid particles formed during the manufacture of building or finishing materials also pollute the air.
• The problem of air pollution from vehicles is especially urgent. Although other species also provoke emissions into the atmosphere, it is cars that have the most significant negative impact on it, since there are much more of them than any other vehicle. The exhaust, emitted by road transport and arising during engine operation, contains a lot of substances, including hazardous ones. It is sad that the amount of emissions is increasing every year. An increasing number of people are acquiring an "iron horse", which, of course, has a detrimental effect on the environment.
• Operation of thermal and nuclear power plants, boiler plants. The vital activity of mankind at this stage is impossible without the use of such attitudes. They supply us with vital resources: heat, electricity, hot water supply. But when any kind of fuel is burned, the atmosphere changes.
• Household waste. Every year the purchasing power of people grows, as a result, the volume of generated waste also increases. Their disposal is not given due attention, and some types of garbage are extremely dangerous, have a long decomposition period and emit vapors that have an extremely unfavorable effect on the atmosphere. Every person pollutes the air every day, but industrial waste is much more dangerous, which is taken to landfills and is not utilized in any way.

What substances most often pollute the air

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

• Carbon monoxide, also called carbon monoxide. It is colorless and odorless and is formed when fuel is not properly burned at low oxygen volumes and low temperatures. This compound is dangerous and causes death due to lack of oxygen.
• Carbon dioxide is found in the atmosphere and has a slightly sour odor.
• Sulfur dioxide is released during the combustion of some sulfur-containing fuels. This compound provokes acid rain and inhibits human respiration.
• Nitrogen dioxides and oxides characterize air pollution by industrial enterprises, since they are most often formed during their activity, especially in the production of certain fertilizers, dyes and acids. Also, these substances can be released as a result of fuel combustion or during the operation of the machine, especially if it is malfunctioning.
• Hydrocarbons are one of the most common substances and can be found in solvents, detergents, and petroleum products.
• Lead is also harmful and is used to make batteries and accumulators, cartridges and ammunition.
• Ozone is extremely toxic and is formed during photochemical processes or during the operation of vehicles and factories.

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

Sad consequences

The scale of the impact of air pollution on human health and the entire ecosystem as a whole is simply enormous, and many underestimate them. It's worth starting with ecology.

1. Firstly, due to polluted air, the greenhouse effect has developed, which is gradually but globally changing the climate, leading to warming and melting of glaciers, and provoking natural disasters. It can be said that it leads to irreversible consequences in the state of the environment.
2. Secondly, acid rain is becoming more and more frequent, which has a negative impact on all life on Earth. They are responsible for the death of entire populations of fish that are unable to live in such an acidic environment. A negative impact is observed when examining historical monuments and architectural monuments.
3. Thirdly, fauna and flora suffer, as dangerous vapors are inhaled by animals, they also get into plants and gradually destroy them.

A polluted atmosphere has an extremely negative effect on human health. The emissions enter the lungs and cause malfunctions in the respiratory system, severe allergic reactions. Together with the blood, dangerous compounds are carried throughout the body and wear out a lot. And some elements are capable of provoking cell mutation and degeneration.

How to solve the problem and preserve the environment

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

Consider several effective measures to prevent air pollution:

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

How to protect the ambient air from pollution? If all of humanity is struggling with it, then there are chances of improving the ecology. Knowing the essence of the problem of air pollution, its relevance and the main solutions, it is necessary to jointly and comprehensively fight pollution.

Under atmospheric air understand the vital component of the environment, which is a natural mixture of atmospheric gases and located outside residential, industrial and other premises (RF Law "On the protection of atmospheric air" dated 02.04.99). The thickness of the air shell that surrounds the globe is not less than a thousand kilometers - almost a quarter of the earth's radius. Air is essential for all life on Earth. A person consumes 12-15 kg of air daily, inhaling from 5 to 100 liters every minute, which significantly exceeds the average daily need for food and water. The atmosphere determines the light and regulates the thermal regimes of the Earth, contributes to the redistribution of heat on the globe. The gas shell protects the Earth from excessive cooling and heating, saves everything living on Earth from the destructive ultraviolet, X-ray and cosmic rays. The atmosphere protects us from meteorites. The atmosphere serves as a conduit for sounds. The main consumer of air in nature is the flora and fauna of the Earth.

Under ambient air quality understand the totality of the properties of the atmosphere, which determines the degree of impact of physical, chemical and biological factors on people, flora and fauna, as well as on materials, structures and the environment as a whole.

Under air pollution understand any change in its composition and properties, which has a negative impact on human and animal health, the state of plants and ecosystems.

Pollutant- an impurity in the atmospheric air, which, at certain concentrations, has an adverse effect on human, plant and animal health, other components of the natural environment, or damages material objects.

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

Natural air pollution caused by natural processes. These include volcanic activity, wind erosion, massive plant blooms, and smoke from forest and steppe fires.

Anthropogenic pollution associated with the release of pollutants as a result of human activities. In scale, it significantly exceeds natural air pollution and can be local characterized by an increased content of pollutants in small areas (city, district, etc.), regional when large areas of the planet are affected, and global- these are changes in the entire atmosphere.

According to the state of aggregation, emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere are classified into: 1) gaseous (sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons); 2) liquid (acids, alkalis, salt solutions); 3) solid (carcinogenic substances, lead and its compounds, organic and inorganic dust, soot, resinous substances).

The main anthropogenic air pollutants (pollutants), which account for about 98% of the total emissions of harmful substances, are sulfur dioxide (SO 2), nitrogen dioxide (NO 2), carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter. It is the concentrations of these pollutants that most often exceed the permissible levels in many cities of Russia. The total world emission of the main pollutants into the atmosphere in 1990 amounted to 401 million tons, in Russia in 1991 - 26.2 million tons. But in addition to them, more than 70 types of harmful substances are observed in the atmosphere of cities and towns, including lead, mercury, cadmium and other heavy metals (emission sources: cars, smelters); hydrocarbons, among them the most dangerous are benz (a) pyrene, which has a carcinogenic effect (exhaust gases, boiler furnaces, etc.), aldehydes (formaldehyde), hydrogen sulfide, toxic volatile solvents (gasolines, alcohols, ethers). Currently, millions of people are exposed to carcinogenic factors in atmospheric air.

The most dangerous pollution of the atmosphere - radioactive, due mainly to globally distributed long-lived radioactive isotopes - products of nuclear weapons tests carried out and from operating nuclear power plants during their operation. A special place is occupied by the release of radioactive substances as a result of the accident of the fourth unit at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986. Their total release into the atmosphere was 77 kg (during the atomic explosion over Hiroshima, 740 g were formed).

Currently, the main sources of air pollution in Russia are the following industries: heat and power (thermal and nuclear power plants, industrial and urban boiler houses), vehicles, enterprises of ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, oil production and petrochemicals, mechanical engineering, production of building materials.

Air pollution affects human health and the natural environment in various ways - from a direct and immediate threat to the slow and gradual destruction of various life support systems of the body. In many cases, air pollution disrupts ecosystem components to such an extent that regulatory processes are unable to return them to their original state, and as a result, homeostatic mechanisms do not work.

The physiological effect of the main pollutants on the human body is fraught with the most serious consequences. So, sulfur dioxide, combining with moisture, forms sulfuric acid, which destroys the lung tissue of humans and animals. Dust containing silicon dioxide (SiO2) causes a serious lung disease called silicosis. Nitrogen oxides irritate and corrode the mucous membranes of the eyes and lungs, and participate in the formation of poisonous mists. If they are contained in the air together with sulfur dioxide, then there is a synergistic effect, i.e. increased toxicity of the entire gaseous mixture.

The effect on the human body of carbon monoxide ( carbon monoxide): in case of poisoning, a lethal outcome is possible. Due to the low concentration of carbon monoxide in the atmospheric air, it does not cause mass poisoning, although it is dangerous for those suffering from cardiovascular diseases.

Very unfavorable consequences, which can affect a huge time interval, are associated with insignificant volumes of emissions of such substances as lead, benzo (a) pyrene, phosphorus, cadmium, arsenic, cobalt. They inhibit the hematopoietic system, cause cancer, and reduce the body's resistance to infections.

The consequences of exposure to the human body of harmful substances contained in the exhaust gases of cars are very serious and have a wide range of action: from coughing to death. A poisonous mixture of smoke, fog and dust - smog - causes severe consequences in the organism of living beings.

Anthropogenic emissions of pollutants in high concentrations and for a long time cause great harm not only to humans, but also to the rest of the biota. There are known cases of mass poisoning of wild animals, especially birds and insects, with the release of harmful pollutants of high concentration.

Emissions of harmful substances act both directly on the green parts of plants, getting through the stomata into the tissues, destroying chlorophyll and cell structure, and through the soil - on the root system. Sulfur dioxide is especially dangerous for plants, under the influence of which photosynthesis stops and many trees die, especially conifers.

The global environmental problems associated with air pollution are the greenhouse effect, ozone holes and acid rain.

Since the second half of the 19th century, there has been a gradual increase in the average annual temperature, which is associated with the accumulation in the atmosphere of the so-called "greenhouse gases" - carbon dioxide, methane, freons, ozone, and nitrogen oxide. Greenhouse gases inhibit long-wave thermal radiation from the Earth's surface, and the atmosphere, saturated with them, acts as a greenhouse roof. It, letting in most of the solar radiation, almost does not let the heat radiated by the Earth out.

The "greenhouse effect" is the reason for the increase in the average global air temperature at the earth's surface. So, in 1988, the average annual temperature was 0.4 ° C higher than in 1950-1980, and by 2005, scientists predict its rise by 1.3 ° C. The report of the UN International Panel on Climate Change claims that by 2100 the temperature on Earth will increase by 2-4 0.4 ° C. The magnitude of the warming in this relatively short period will be comparable to the warming that has occurred on the Earth after the ice age, and the ecological consequences could be catastrophic. First of all, this is an increase in the level of the World Ocean due to the melting of polar ice, a reduction in the areas of mountain glaciation. A rise in the ocean level by only 0.5-2.0 meters by the end of the 21st century will lead to a disturbance in the climatic balance, flooding of coastal plains in more than 30 countries, degradation of permafrost, and swamping of vast territories.

At the International Conference in Toronto (Canada) in 1985, the energy sector around the world was tasked with reducing industrial carbon emissions by 20% by 2005. At the UN conference in Kyoto (Japan) in 1997, the previously established barrier to greenhouse gas emissions was confirmed. But it is obvious that a tangible environmental effect can be obtained only by combining these measures with the global direction of environmental policy, the essence of which is the maximum possible preservation of the communities of organisms, natural ecosystems and the entire biosphere of the Earth.

"Ozone holes"- these are significant spaces in the ozone layer of the atmosphere at an altitude of 20-25 km with a markedly reduced (up to 50% or more) ozone content. Depletion of the ozone layer is recognized by all as a serious threat to global environmental security. It weakens the atmosphere's ability to protect all life from hard ultraviolet radiation, the energy of one photon of which is enough to destroy most organic molecules. Therefore, in areas with low ozone content, sunburns are numerous, and the incidence of skin cancer increases.

Both natural and anthropogenic origin of "ozone holes" are assumed. The latter is probably due to the increased content of chlorofluorocarbons (freons) in the atmosphere. Freons are widely used in industrial production and in everyday life (refrigeration units, solvents, sprayers, aerosol packages). In the atmosphere, freons decompose with the release of chlorine oxide, which has a detrimental effect on ozone molecules. According to the international environmental organization Greenpeace, the main suppliers of chlorofluorocarbons (freons) are the USA (30.85%), Japan (12.42%), Great Britain (8.62%) and Russia (8.0%). Recently, plants for the production of new types of refrigerants (hydrochlorofluorocarbons) with a low potential for depleting the ozone layer have been built in the United States and in a number of Western countries.

A number of scientists continue to insist on the natural origin of the "ozone holes". The reasons for their occurrence are associated with the natural variability of the ozonosphere, the cyclic activity of the Sun, rifting and degassing of the Earth, i.e. with a breakthrough of deep-seated gases (hydrogen, methane, nitrogen) through rift faults of the earth's crust.

"Acid Rains" are formed during industrial emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, which combine with atmospheric moisture to form dilute sulfuric and nitric acids. As a result, rain and snow are acidified (pH number below 5.6). Acidification of the natural environment negatively affects the state of ecosystems. Under the influence of acid precipitation, not only nutrients but also toxic metals are leached from the soil: lead, cadmium, aluminum. Further, they themselves or their toxic compounds are absorbed by plants and soil organisms, which leads to very negative consequences. The impact of acid rain reduces the resistance of forests to droughts, diseases, natural pollution, which leads to their degradation as natural ecosystems. Cases of destruction of coniferous and deciduous forests in Karelia, Siberia and in other regions of our country have been noted. An example of the negative impact of acid precipitation on natural ecosystems is the acidification of lakes. It is especially intense in Canada, Sweden, Norway and Finland. This is explained by the fact that a significant part of sulfur emissions in the USA, Germany and Great Britain falls on their territory.

Atmospheric air protection is a key problem of environmental health improvement.

Hygienic standard for the quality of atmospheric air- a criterion for the quality of atmospheric air, reflecting the maximum permissible maximum content of pollutants in the atmospheric air, in which there is no harmful effect on human health.

Environmental standard for ambient air quality- a criterion for the quality of atmospheric air, reflecting the maximum permissible maximum content of pollutants in the ambient air, at which there is no harmful effect on the environment.

Maximum permissible (critical) load- an indicator of the impact of one or more pollutants on the environment, exceeding which may lead to harmful effects on it.

Harmful (pollutant) substance- a chemical or biological substance (or their mixture) contained in the atmospheric air, which in certain concentrations has a harmful effect on human health and the natural environment.

Air quality standards determine the permissible limits for the content of harmful substances in:

production area, intended for the placement of industrial enterprises, experimental production of research institutes, etc .;

residential area, designed to accommodate housing stock, public buildings and structures, settlements.

In GOST 17.2.1.03-84. "Protection of Nature. Atmosphere. Terms and definitions of pollution control ”presents the main terms and definitions related to indicators of air pollution, observation programs, behavior of impurities in the air.

For atmospheric air, there are two MPC standards - one-time and average daily.

Maximum permissible concentration of harmful substances- this is the maximum one-time concentration, which should not cause reflex reactions in the human body (smell, change in the light sensitivity of the eyes, etc.) in the air of populated areas when air is inhaled for 20-30 minutes.

The concept of n the maximum permissible concentration of a harmful substance used in the establishment of scientific and technical standards for maximum permissible emissions of pollutants. As a result of dispersion of impurities in the air under unfavorable meteorological conditions at the border of the sanitary protection zone of the enterprise, the concentration of the harmful substance at any time should not exceed the maximum permissible.

The maximum permissible concentration of a harmful substance, average daily, is the concentration that should not have a direct or indirect harmful effect on a person for an indefinitely long (years) time. Thus, this concentration is designed for all groups of the population for an indefinitely long period of exposure and, therefore, is the most stringent sanitary and hygienic standard setting the concentration of a harmful substance in the air. It is the value of the average daily maximum permissible concentration of a harmful substance that can act as a "standard" for assessing the well-being of the air in a residential area.

Maximum permissible concentration of harmful substances in the air working area- this concentration, which, during daily (except weekends) work for 8 hours, or for another duration, but not more than 41 hours per week, throughout the entire working experience should not cause diseases or deviations in the state of health detected by modern research methods , in the process of work or in the remote periods of life of the present and subsequent generations. The working area should be considered to be a space up to 2 meters above the floor or area where the places of permanent or temporary residence of workers are located.

As follows from the definition, the maximum permissible concentration of the working area is a standard that limits the impact of a hazardous substance on the adult working part of the population during the period of time established by labor legislation. It is completely unacceptable to compare the levels of pollution of the residential area with the established maximum permissible concentrations of the working area, as well as to talk about the maximum permissible concentration in the air in general, without specifying which standard is in question.

Permissible level of radiation and other physical impact on the environment- this is a level that does not pose a danger to human health, the state of animals, plants, their genetic fund. The permissible level of radiation exposure is determined on the basis of radiation safety standards. The permissible levels of exposure to noise, vibration, and magnetic fields have also been established.

Currently, a number of integrated indicators of atmospheric pollution (together with several pollutants) have been proposed. The most common and recommended methodological documentation of the State Committee on Ecology is the integrated air pollution index. It is calculated as the sum of the average concentrations of various substances normalized to the average daily maximum permissible concentration and reduced to the concentration of sulfur dioxide.

Maximum allowable emission, or discharge- this is the maximum amount of pollutants that per unit of time is allowed to be emitted by this particular enterprise into the atmosphere or discharged into a water body, without causing an excess of the maximum permissible concentrations of pollutants and adverse environmental consequences in them.

The maximum permissible emission is set for each source of atmospheric pollution and for each impurity emitted by this source in such a way that emissions of harmful substances from this source and from a set of sources of a city or other settlement, taking into account the prospects for the development of industrial enterprises and dispersion of harmful substances in the atmosphere, do not create surface concentration exceeding their maximum one-time maximum permissible concentration.

The main values ​​of the maximum permissible emissions - the maximum one-time - are established under the condition of the full load of the technological and gas cleaning equipment and their normal operation and should not be exceeded in any 20-minute period of time.

Along with the maximum one-time (control) values ​​of maximum permissible emissions, derived from them, the annual values ​​of maximum permissible emissions are established for individual sources and the enterprise as a whole, taking into account the temporary unevenness of emissions, including due to the planned repair of technological and gas cleaning equipment.

If the values ​​of maximum permissible emissions cannot be achieved for objective reasons, for such enterprises the provisionally agreed emissions hazardous substances and introduced a step-by-step reduction in emissions of hazardous substances to values ​​that ensure compliance with the values ​​of maximum permissible emissions.

Public environmental monitoring can solve the problem of assessing the compliance of the enterprise with the established values ​​of maximum permissible emissions or temporarily agreed emissions by determining the concentrations of pollutants in the surface air layer (for example, at the border of the sanitary protection zone).

To compare data on pollution by several atmospheric substances of different cities or city districts complex air pollution indices must be calculated for the same amount (n) of impurities. When compiling an annual list of cities with the highest level air pollution to calculate the complex index Yn use the values ​​of the unit indices Yi of those five substances in which these values ​​are greatest.

The movement of pollutants in the atmosphere “does not respect national boundaries”, ie. transboundary. Transboundary pollution Are pollution transferred from the territory of one country to the area of ​​another.

To protect the atmosphere from negative anthropogenic impact in the form of pollution with harmful substances, the following measures are used:

Greening technological processes;

Purification of gas emissions from harmful impurities;

Dispersion of gas emissions in the atmosphere;

Arrangement of sanitary protection zones, architectural and planning solutions.

The most radical measure to protect the air basin from pollution is the greening of technological processes and, first of all, the creation of closed technological cycles, waste-free and low-waste technologies that exclude the ingress of harmful pollutants into the atmosphere, in particular, the creation of continuous technological processes, preliminary fuel purification or replacement its more environmentally friendly types, the use of hydro-dusting, transfer of various units to an electric drive, gas recirculation.

Under waste-free technology they understand the principle of organizing production, in which the cycle "primary raw materials - production - consumption - secondary raw materials" is built with the rational use of all components of raw materials, all types of energy and without disturbing the ecological balance.

Today, the primary task is to combat air pollution from exhaust gases from cars. There is an active search for a cleaner fuel than gasoline. Development continues to replace the carburetor engine with more environmentally friendly types, and test models of cars powered by electricity have been created. The current level of greening of technological processes is still insufficient to completely prevent gas emissions into the atmosphere. Therefore, various methods of cleaning exhaust gases from aerosols (dust) and toxic gaseous and vaporous impurities are widely used. To clean emissions from aerosols, various types of devices are used depending on the degree of dustiness of the air, the size of solid particles and the required level of cleaning: dry dust collectors (cyclones, dust collection chambers), wet dust collectors (scrubbers), filters, electrostatic precipitators, catalytic, absorption and other methods for cleaning gases from toxic gaseous and vaporous impurities.

Dispersion of gaseous impurities in the atmosphere- This is the reduction of their dangerous concentrations to the level of the corresponding maximum permissible concentration by dispersing dust and gas emissions using high chimneys. The higher the pipe, the greater its scattering effect. But, as noted by A. Gore (1993): "The use of tall chimneys, although it helped to reduce local smoke pollution, at the same time complicated the regional problems of acid rain."

Sanitary protection zone is a strip separating sources of industrial pollution from residential or public buildings to protect the population from the influence of harmful production factors. The width of these zones is from 50 to 1000 m and depends on the class of production, the degree of hazard and the amount of substances released into the atmosphere. It should be noted that citizens, whose dwelling is within the sanitary protection zone, defending their constitutional right to a favorable environment, may demand either the termination of environmentally hazardous activities of the enterprise, or resettlement at the expense of the enterprise outside the sanitary protection zone.

Architectural and planning measures include the correct mutual placement of emission sources and populated areas, taking into account the direction of the winds, the choice for building an industrial enterprise of a flat, elevated place, well blown by the winds.

The Law of the Russian Federation "On Environmental Protection" (2002) contains a separate article (Article 54) devoted to the problem of protecting the ozone layer, which indicates its exceptional importance. The law provides for the following set of measures to protect the ozone layer:

Organization of observations of changes in the ozone layer under the influence of economic activities and other processes;

Compliance with the standards of permissible emissions of substances that have a harmful effect on the state of the ozone layer;

Regulation of the production and use of chemicals that deplete the ozone layer of the atmosphere.

So, the issue of human impact on the atmosphere is in the center of attention of ecologists all over the world, since the largest global environmental problems of our time - the "greenhouse effect", ozone depletion, acid rainfall, are associated precisely with anthropogenic pollution of the atmosphere. To assess and predict the impact of anthropogenic factors on the state of the natural environment, the Russian Federation operates background monitoring system operating within the Global Atmosphere Service and the Global Background Monitoring Network.

PLAN: Introduction 1. The atmosphere is the outer shell of the biosphere 2. Air pollution 3. Environmental consequences of air pollution7

3.1 Greenhouse effect

3.2 Ozone depletion

3 Acid rain

Conclusion

List of sources used Introduction Atmospheric air is the most important life-supporting natural environment and is a mixture of gases and aerosols of the surface layer of the atmosphere, formed during the evolution of the Earth, human activities and located outside residential, industrial and other premises. Currently, of all forms of degradation of the natural environment in Russia it is the pollution of the atmosphere with harmful substances that is the most dangerous. The peculiarities of the environmental situation in certain regions of the Russian Federation and the emerging environmental problems are due to local natural conditions and the nature of the impact on them of industry, transport, utilities and agriculture. The degree of air pollution depends, as a rule, on the degree of urbanization and industrial development of the territory (the specifics of enterprises, their capacity, location, technologies used), as well as on climatic conditions that determine the potential for atmospheric pollution. The atmosphere has an intense impact not only on humans and the biosphere, but also on the hydrosphere, soil and vegetation cover, geological environment, buildings, structures and other man-made objects. Therefore, the protection of atmospheric air and the ozone layer is the highest priority environmental problem and it is given close attention in all developed countries. Man has always used the environment mainly as a source of resources, but for a very long time his activities did not have a noticeable impact on the biosphere. Only at the end of the previous century, changes in the biosphere under the influence of economic activity attracted the attention of scientists. In the first half of this century, these changes were growing and at present they have fallen into an avalanche on human civilization. The burden on the environment increased especially sharply in the second half of the 20th century. A qualitative leap took place in the relationship between society and nature, when, as a result of a sharp increase in the population, intensive industrialization and urbanization of our planet, economic loads began to everywhere exceed the ability of ecological systems to self-purify and regenerate. As a result, the natural circulation of substances in the biosphere was disrupted, and the health of the present and future generations of people was under threat.

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

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

Three gases that make up the atmosphere are of greatest importance for various ecosystems: oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen. These gases are involved in the main biogeochemical cycles.

Oxygen plays an essential role in the life of most living organisms on our planet. Everyone needs it for breathing. Oxygen has not always been part of the earth's atmosphere. It appeared as a result of the vital activity of photosynthetic organisms. Under the influence of ultraviolet rays, it turned into ozone. With the accumulation of ozone, the formation of the ozone layer took place in the upper atmosphere. The ozone layer, like a screen, reliably protects the Earth's surface from ultraviolet radiation, which is fatal to living organisms.

The modern atmosphere contains barely one-twentieth of the oxygen available on our planet. The main reserves of oxygen are concentrated in carbonates, organic substances and iron oxides, part of the oxygen is dissolved in water. In the atmosphere, apparently, an approximate balance has developed between the production of oxygen in the process of photosynthesis and its consumption by living organisms. But recently there has been a danger that as a result of human activity, the oxygen reserves in the atmosphere may decrease. The destruction of the ozone layer, which has been observed in recent years, poses a particular danger. Most scientists associate this with human activities.

The oxygen cycle in the biosphere is extremely difficult, as it reacts with it a large number of organic and inorganic substances, as well as hydrogen, combining with which oxygen forms water.

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

Some fluctuations in the content of carbon dioxide in the air of the area depend on the time of day, season of the year, biomass of vegetation. At the same time, studies show that since the beginning of the century, the average content of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, albeit slowly, but steadily increases. Scientists associate this process mainly with human activity.

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

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

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

Other constituents of air do not participate in biochemical cycles, but the presence of large amounts of pollutants in the atmosphere can seriously disrupt these cycles.

2. Air pollution.

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

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

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

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

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

Acid rains, mainly caused by sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, cause enormous damage to forest biocenoses. Determined that conifers suffer more from acid rain than broadleaf.

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

Green spaces are particularly affected in industrial cities, the atmosphere of which contains a large amount of pollutants.

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

Human economic activity, becoming more and more global in nature, begins to exert a very tangible influence on the processes taking place in the biosphere. You have already learned about some of the results of human activity and their impact on the biosphere. Fortunately, up to a certain level, the biosphere is capable of self-regulation, which makes it possible to minimize Negative consequences human activities. But there is a limit when the biosphere is no longer able to maintain balance. Irreversible processes begin, leading to environmental disasters. Humanity has already encountered them in a number of regions of the planet.

3. Environmental consequences of air pollution

The most important environmental consequences of global air pollution include:

1) possible climate warming ("greenhouse effect");

2) violation of the ozone layer;

3) the fallout of acid rain.

Most scientists in the world regard them as the biggest environmental problems of our time.

3.1 Greenhouse effect

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

Table 9

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

Note. (+) - enhancement of the effect; (-) - reduced effect

Greenhouse gases, primarily CO 2, inhibit long-wave thermal radiation from the Earth's surface. The greenhouse gas atmosphere acts like a greenhouse roof. On the one hand, it lets in most of the solar radiation, on the other hand, it almost does not let out the heat re-emitted by the Earth.

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

The consequence of the increase in the concentration of these gases, creating the "greenhouse effect" is an increase in the average global air temperature at the earth's surface. Over the past 100 years, the warmest were 1980, 1981, 1983, 1987 and 1988. In 1988, the average annual temperature was 0.4 degrees higher than in 1950-1980. Calculations of some scientists show that in 2005 it will be 1.3 ° C more than in 1950-1980. The report, prepared under the auspices of the United Nations by an international group on climate change, claims that by 2100 the temperature on Earth will increase by 2-4 degrees. The magnitude of the warming in this relatively short period will be comparable to the warming that has occurred on the Earth after the ice age, which means that the environmental consequences can be catastrophic. First of all, this is due to the expected rise in the level of the World Ocean, due to the melting of polar ice, reduction of the areas of mountain glaciation, etc. scientists have established that this will inevitably lead to a disturbance in the climatic balance, flooding of coastal plains in more than 30 countries, degradation of permafrost, swamping of vast territories and other adverse consequences.

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

There is also no consensus on the question of the degree of influence of greenhouse gases on global warming. Thus, the report of the Intergovernmental Group of Experts on Climate Change (1992) notes that the 0.3-0.6 ° C warming observed in the last century could be mainly due to the natural variability of a number of climatic factors.

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

3.2 Ozone depletion

The ozone layer (ozonosphere) covers the entire globe and is located at altitudes from 10 to 50 km with a maximum ozone concentration at an altitude of 20-25 km. The saturation of the atmosphere with ozone is constantly changing in any part of the planet, reaching a maximum in the spring in the circumpolar region. For the first time, the depletion of the ozone layer attracted the attention of the general public in 1985, when an area with a reduced (up to 50%) ozone content was discovered over Antarctica, which received the name "Ozone hole". WITH Since then, measurements have confirmed the widespread decrease in the ozone layer practically on the entire planet. For example, in Russia over the past ten years, the concentration of the ozone layer has decreased by 4-6% in winter time and by 3% in summer. At present, the depletion of the ozone layer is recognized by all as a serious threat to global environmental security. A decrease in ozone concentration weakens the atmosphere's ability to protect all life on Earth from hard ultraviolet radiation (UV radiation). Living organisms are very vulnerable to ultraviolet radiation, because the energy of even one photon from these rays is enough to destroy chemical bonds in most organic molecules. It is no coincidence that, therefore, in areas with a low ozone content, sunburns are numerous, an increase in the number of people with skin cancer, etc. 6 million people. In addition to skin diseases, it is possible to develop eye diseases (cataracts, etc.), suppress the immune system, etc. ecosystems, etc. Science has not yet fully established what are the main processes that disturb the ozone layer. Both natural and anthropogenic origin of "ozone holes" are assumed. The latter, according to most scientists, is more likely and is associated with an increased content of chlorofluorocarbons (freons). Freons are widely used in industrial production and in everyday life (refrigeration units, solvents, sprayers, aerosol packages, etc.). Rising into the atmosphere, freons decompose with the release of chlorine oxide, which has a detrimental effect on ozone molecules. According to the international environmental organization Greenpeace, the main suppliers of chlorofluorocarbons (freons) are the USA - 30.85%, Japan - 12.42%, Great Britain - 8.62% and Russia - 8.0%. The USA punched a "hole" in the ozone layer with an area of ​​7 million km 2, Japan - 3 million km 2, which is seven times more than the area of ​​Japan itself. Recently, plants for the production of new types of refrigerants (hydrochlorofluorocarbons) with a low potential for depleting the ozone layer have been built in the United States and in a number of Western countries. According to the protocol of the Montreal Conference (1990), later revised in London (1991) and Copenhagen (1992), it was planned to reduce emissions of chlorofluorocarbon by 1998 by 50%. According to Art. 56 of the Law of the Russian Federation on Environmental Protection, in accordance with international agreements, all organizations and enterprises are obliged to reduce and subsequently completely stop the production and use of ozone-depleting substances.

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

3.3 Acid rain

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

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

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

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

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

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

On a huge territory natural environment acidifies, which has a very negative effect on the state of all ecosystems. It turned out that natural ecosystems are subject to destruction even with a lower level of air pollution than that which is dangerous to humans. "Lakes and rivers, deprived of fish, dying forests - these are the sad consequences of the industrialization of the planet." The danger is, as a rule, not the acid precipitation itself, but the processes occurring under their influence. Under the influence of acid precipitation, not only nutrients vital for plants are leached out of the soil, but also toxic heavy and light metals - lead, cadmium, aluminum, etc. Subsequently, they themselves or the resulting toxic compounds are assimilated by plants and other soil organisms, which leads to very negative consequences.

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

A striking example of the negative impact of acid precipitation on natural ecosystems is the acidification of lakes. . In our country, the area of ​​significant acidification from acid precipitation reaches several tens of millions of hectares. There are also some cases of acidification of lakes (Karelia and others). Increased acidity of precipitation is observed along the western border (transboundary transfer of sulfur and other pollutants) and on the territory of a number of large industrial regions, as well as fragmentarily on the coast of Taimyr and Yakutia.

Conclusion

Conservation of nature is the task of our century, a problem that has become social. Again and again we hear about the danger threatening the environment, but still many of us consider them an unpleasant, but inevitable product of civilization and believe that we still have time to cope with all the difficulties that have emerged.

However, the human impact on the environment has become rampant. Only in the second half of the 20th century, thanks to the development of ecology and the spread of environmental knowledge among the population, it became obvious that humanity is an indispensable part of the biosphere, that the conquest of nature, the uncontrolled use of its resources and environmental pollution is a dead end in the development of civilization and in the evolution of man himself. Therefore, the most important condition for the development of mankind is a careful attitude towards nature, comprehensive concern for the rational use and restoration of its resources, and the preservation of a favorable environment.

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

Broad environmental education should help people to assimilate such environmental knowledge and ethical norms and values, attitudes and lifestyles that are necessary for sustainable development nature and society. To fundamentally improve the situation, you need purposeful and thoughtful actions. A responsible and effective policy in relation to the environment will be possible only if we accumulate reliable data on the current state of the environment, substantiated knowledge about the interaction of important environmental factors, if we develop new methods to reduce and prevent harm caused to Nature by humans.

Bibliography

1. Akimova TA, Khaskin VV Ecology. M .: Unity, 2000.

2. Bezuglaya E.Yu., Zavadskaya E.K. The impact of air pollution on public health. Saint Petersburg: Gidrometeoizdat, 1998, pp. 171–199. 3. Halperin MV Ecology and the basics of nature management. M .: Forum-Infra-m, 2003.4. Danilov-Danilyan V.I. Ecology, nature protection and ecological safety. M .: MNEPU, 1997 5. Climatic characteristics of the conditions for the propagation of impurities in the atmosphere. Reference manual / Ed. E.Yu.Bezuglaya and M.E. Berlyand. - Leningrad, Gidrometeoizdat, 1983. 6. Korobkin VI, Peredelskiy LV Ecology. Rostov-on-Don: Phoenix, 2003 7. V.F. Protasov Ecology, health and environmental protection in Russia. Moscow: Finance and Statistics, 1999 8. Work K., Warner S., Air pollution. Sources and Control, trans. from English, M. 1980. 9. The ecological state of the territory of Russia: a textbook for students of higher education. ped. Educational institutions / V.P.Bondarev, L.D. Dolgushin, B.S. Pledge and others; Ed. S.A. Ushakova, Ya.G. Katz - 2nd ed. Moscow: Academy, 2004.10. List and codes of substances that pollute the atmospheric air. Ed. 6th. SPb., 2005, 290 p. 11. Yearbook of the state of air pollution in cities on the territory of Russia. 2004.– M .: Meteoagentstvo, 2006, 216 p.

Pollution of the atmospheric air with various harmful substances leads to the occurrence of diseases of the human organs and, first of all, of the respiratory system.

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

The main anthropogenic pollution of the atmospheric air is created by enterprises in a number of industries, motor transport and heat power engineering.

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

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

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

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

Dense fog mixed with smoke or gas production waste;

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

Smog reduces visibility, increases corrosion of metal and structures, adversely affects health and is the cause of increased morbidity and mortality of the population.

Acid rain known for more than 100 years, however, the problem of acid rain began to be given due attention relatively recently. For the first time the expression "acid rain" was used by Robert Angus Smith (Great Britain) in 1872.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Heat from solar radiation 25 10 23 99.80

Warmth from natural sources

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

Heat from anthropogenic sources

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

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

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

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

Depletion of the ozone layer... The main substances that deplete the ozone layer are chlorine and nitrogen compounds. According to estimates, one chlorine molecule can destroy up to 10 5 molecules, and one nitrogen oxide molecule - up to 10 ozone molecules. The sources of chlorine and nitrogen compounds entering the ozone layer are:

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

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

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

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

Currently, about half of the world's population is deprived of the opportunity to consume sufficient quantities of clean fresh water. Most affected by this developing countries in which 61% of rural residents are forced to use epidemiologically unsafe water, and 87% do not have a sewage system.

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

Untreated sewage water can be a source of contamination of surface water bodies.

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

Recently, the original quality of natural water has been changing due to irrational human economic activity. Penetration into the aquatic environment of various toxicants and substances that change the natural composition of water poses an exceptional danger to natural ecosystems and humans.

Human use water resources Lands are distinguished in two directions: water use and water consumption.

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

At water consumption water is withdrawn from water bodies and either is included in the composition of the produced product (and, together with evaporation losses in the production process, is included in the irrevocable water consumption), or is partially returned to the reservoir, but usually of a much poorer quality.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Severe soil pollution in the Republic of Kazakhstan occurs due to the lack of the necessary control over the use, storage, transportation of mineral fertilizers and pesticides. The fertilizers used, as a rule, are not cleaned, therefore, along with them, many toxic chemical elements and their compounds get into the soil: arsenic, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, lead, nickel, zinc, selenium. In addition, an excess of nitrogen fertilizers leads to the saturation of vegetables with nitrates, which causes human poisoning. Currently, there are many different pesticides (pesticides). In Kazakhstan alone, more than 100 types of pesticides are used annually (metaphos, decis, BI-58, vitovax, vitotiuram, etc.), which have a wide spectrum of action, although they are used for a limited number of crops and insects. They persist in the soil for a long time and exhibit toxic effects on all organisms.

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

The release of mercury into the soil, even in insignificant quantities, has a great influence on its biological properties. Thus, it was found that mercury reduces the ammonifying and nitrifying activity of the soil. The increased content of mercury in the soil of populated areas adversely affects the human body: there are frequent diseases of the nervous and endocrine systems, urogenital organs, and a decrease in fertility.

When lead gets into the soil, it inhibits the activity of not only nitrifying bacteria, but also microorganisms-antagonists of E. coli and dysentery bacillus Flexner and Sonne, and lengthens the self-cleaning period of the soil.

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

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

Pathogens of a number of other infectious diseases can spread with soil dust: tuberculosis microbacteria, poliomyelitis viruses, Coxsackie, ECHO, etc. The soil plays an important role in the spread of epidemics caused by helminths.

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

Vibrations in urban environments and residential buildings, the source of which is technological equipment impact action, rail vehicles, construction vehicles and heavy vehicles spread over the ground.

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

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

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

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

The radiation dose generated by anthropogenic sources (with the exception of radiation during medical examinations) is small compared to the natural background of ionizing radiation, which is achieved by using collective protection equipment. In cases where the regulatory requirements and radiation safety rules are not observed at economic facilities, the levels of ionizing effects increase sharply.

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

The migration of radioactive substances in the soil is mainly determined by its hydrological regime, the chemical composition of the soil and radionuclides. Sandy soil has a smaller sorption capacity, clay soil, loams and chernozems have a larger one. 90 Sr and l 37 Cs have a high retention strength in soil.

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

Of the considered energy pollution in modern conditions, the greatest negative impact on humans is exerted by radioactive and acoustic pollution.

Negative Factors in Emergencies... Emergencies occur during natural events (earthquakes, floods, landslides, etc.) and during man-made accidents. To the greatest extent, accidents are characteristic of the coal, mining, chemical, oil and gas and metallurgical industries, geological exploration, boiler inspection facilities, gas and material handling facilities, as well as transport.

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

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

Combustion of buildings, materials, etc. (consequences - thermal burns, loss of strength of structures, etc.);

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

Environmental contamination with radioactive substances. Emergency situations also arise as a result of unregulated storage and transportation of explosives, flammable liquids, chemical and radioactive substances, supercooled and heated liquids, etc. Explosions, fires, spills of chemically active liquids, emissions of gas mixtures are the result of violation of the operating procedure.

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

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

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

Static electricity discharges and sparks in electrical circuits pose a great danger in an environment with a high content of flammable gases (for example, methane in mines, natural gas in living quarters) or flammable vapors and dust in rooms.

The main causes of major industrial accidents are:

Refusals technical systems due to manufacturing defects and violations of operating conditions; many modern potentially hazardous production facilities are designed so that the probability of a major accident at them is very high and is estimated at a risk of 10 4 or more;

Erroneous actions of operators of technical systems; statistics show that more than 60% of accidents occurred as a result of errors of the service personnel;

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

High energy level of technical systems;

External negative impacts on energy facilities, transport, etc.

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

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

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

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

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

Noise generated by an industrial plant should not exceed the maximum permissible spectra. Enterprises can operate mechanisms that are a source of infrasound (internal combustion engines, fans, compressors, etc.). The permissible levels of sound pressure of infrasound are established by sanitary standards.

Impact technological equipment (hammers, presses), powerful pumps and compressors, motors are sources of vibration in the environment. Vibrations propagate along the ground and can reach the foundations of public and residential buildings.

Control questions:

1. How are energy sources subdivided?

2. What energy sources are natural?

3. What are physical hazards and hazards?

4. How are chemical hazards and harmful factors classified?

5. What do biological factors include?

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

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

8. What sources create the main anthropogenic air pollution?

9. What are the most common toxic substances that pollute the atmosphere?

10. What is smog?

11. What types of smog are distinguished?

12. What causes acid rain?

13. What causes ozone layer depletion?

14. What are the sources of pollution of the hydrosphere?

15. What are the sources of lithosphere pollution?

16. What is surfactant?

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

18. What level can the sound reach on city highways and in the surrounding areas?

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

First, consider how it affects the natural environment local (local) pollution atmosphere and then global.

The physiological effect of the main pollutants (pollutants) on the human body is fraught with the most serious consequences. So, sulfur dioxide, combining with moisture, forms sulfuric acid, which destroys the lung tissue of humans and animals. This connection is especially clearly traced in the analysis of pediatric pulmonary pathology and the degree of concentration of dioxide, sulfur in the atmosphere of large cities. According to studies by American scientists, at a level of SO 2 pollution up to 0.049 mg / m 3, the incidence rate (in person-days) of the population of Nashville (USA) was 8.1%, at 0.150-0.349 mg / m 3 - 12 and in areas with pollution air above 0.350 mg / m 3 - 43.8%. Sulfur dioxide is especially dangerous when it settles on dust particles and in this form penetrates deep into the respiratory tract.

Dust containing silicon dioxide (SiO2) causes a serious lung disease called silicosis. Nitrogen oxides irritate and, in severe cases, corrode mucous membranes, for example, eyes, lungs, participate in the formation of poisonous mists, etc. They are especially dangerous if they are contained in polluted air together with sulfur dioxide and other toxic compounds. In these cases, even at low concentrations of pollutants, a synergistic effect occurs, that is, an increase in the toxicity of the entire gaseous mixture.

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

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

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

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

Impact of car exhaust gases on human health

Harmful substances	Consequences of exposure to the human body
Carbon monoxide	Interferes with the absorption of oxygen by the blood, which impairs thinking, slows reflexes, causes drowsiness, and can cause unconsciousness and death
Lead	Affects the circulatory, nervous and genitourinary systems; causes, probably, a decrease in mental abilities in children, is deposited in bones and other tissues, therefore it is dangerous for a long
Nitrogen oxides	May increase the body's susceptibility to viral diseases (such as influenza), irritate the lungs, cause bronchitis and pneumonia
Ozone	Irritates the mucous membrane of the respiratory system, causes coughing, disrupts lung function; reduces resistance to colds; can exacerbate chronic heart disease, as well as cause asthma, bronchitis
Toxic emissions (heavy metals)	Cause cancer, reproductive system dysfunction, and neonatal defects

The poisonous mixture of smoke, fog and dust - smog - also causes severe consequences in the organism of living beings. There are two types of smog: winter smog (London type) and summer smog (Los Angeles type).

London type of smog occurs in winter in large industrial cities under unfavorable weather conditions (no wind and temperature inversion). Temperature inversion manifests itself in an increase in air temperature with height in a certain layer of the atmosphere (usually in the range of 300-400 m from the earth's surface) instead of the usual decrease. As a result, the circulation of atmospheric air is sharply disturbed, smoke and pollutants cannot rise up and are not dispersed. Fogs are not uncommon. Concentrations of sulfur oxides, suspended dust, carbon monoxide reach levels dangerous to human health, leading to circulatory disorders, breathing, and often death. In 1952, more than 4 thousand people died from smog in London from December 3 to 9, up to 10 thousand people became seriously ill. At the end of 1962, in the Ruhr (FRG), he killed 156 people in three days. Only the wind can dissipate the smog, and reduce the emission of pollutants to smooth out the smog-dangerous situation.

Los Angeles type of smog, or photochemical smog, no less dangerous than London. It arises in the summer under the intense influence of solar radiation on the air saturated, or rather oversaturated with exhaust gases from cars. In Los Angeles, the exhaust fumes of more than four million cars emit more than a thousand tons of nitrogen oxides alone per day. With very weak air movement or calm air in this period, complex reactions take place with the formation of new highly toxic pollutants - photooxidants(ozone, organic peroxides, nitrites, etc.) that irritate mucous membranes gastrointestinal tract, lungs and organs of vision. Only in one city (Tokyo) smog caused the poisoning of 10 thousand people in 1970 and 28 thousand - in 1971. According to official data, in Athens, the death rate on smog days is six times higher than on days with a relatively clean atmosphere. In some of our cities (Kemerovo, Angarsk, Novokuznetsk, Mednogorsk, etc.), especially in those located in the lowlands, due to the increase in the number of cars and the increase in exhaust gases containing nitrogen oxide, the likelihood of photochemical smog formation increases.

Anthropogenic emissions of pollutants in high concentrations and for a long time cause great harm not only to humans, but also adversely affect animals, the state of plants and ecosystems in general.

The ecological literature describes cases of mass poisoning of wild animals, birds, insects during the release of harmful pollutants of high concentration (especially salvo). For example, it was found that when some toxic types of dust settle on honey plants, a noticeable increase in bee mortality is observed. As for large animals, the poisonous dust in the atmosphere affects them mainly through the respiratory organs, as well as entering the body along with the eaten dusty plants.

Toxic substances enter plants in various ways. It was found that emissions of harmful substances act both directly on the green parts of plants, getting through the stomata into the tissues, destroying chlorophyll and cell structure, and through the soil to the root system. So, for example, soil pollution with dust of toxic metals, especially in combination with sulfuric acid, has a detrimental effect on the root system, and through it on the entire plant.

Gaseous pollutants have different effects on the condition of vegetation. Some only slightly damage leaves, needles, shoots (carbon monoxide, ethylene, etc.), others have a detrimental effect on plants (sulfur dioxide, chlorine, mercury vapor, ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, etc.). Sulfur dioxide (SO) is especially dangerous for plants, under the influence of which many trees die, and primarily conifers - pines, spruces, fir, cedar.

Toxicity of air pollutants to plants

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

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

Environmental consequences of global air pollution

The most important environmental consequences of global air pollution include:

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

2) violation of the ozone layer;

3) the fallout of acid rain.

Most scientists in the world regard them as the biggest environmental problems of our time.

Potential climate warming

("Greenhouse effect")

At present, the observed climate change, which is expressed in a gradual increase in the average annual temperature since the second half of the last century, is attributed by most scientists to the accumulation of so-called “greenhouse gases” in the atmosphere - carbon dioxide (СО 2), methane (СН 4), chlorofluorocarbons (freons), ozone (O 3), nitrogen oxides, etc.

Greenhouse gases, primarily CO 2, inhibit long-wave thermal radiation from the Earth's surface. The greenhouse gas atmosphere acts like a greenhouse roof. On the one hand, it lets in most of the solar radiation, on the other hand, it almost does not let out the heat re-emitted by the Earth.

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

The consequence of the increase in the concentration of these gases, creating the "greenhouse effect" is an increase in the average global air temperature at the earth's surface. Over the past 100 years, the warmest were 1980, 1981, 1983, 1987 and 1988. In 1988, the average annual temperature was 0.4 degrees higher than in 1950-1980. Calculations of some scientists show that in 2005 it will be 1.3 ° C more than in 1950-1980. The report, prepared under the auspices of the United Nations by an international group on climate change, claims that by 2100 the temperature on Earth will increase by 2-4 degrees. The magnitude of the warming in this relatively short period will be comparable to the warming that has occurred on the Earth after the ice age, which means that the environmental consequences can be catastrophic. First of all, this is due to the expected rise in the level of the World Ocean, due to the melting of polar ice, the reduction of the areas of mountain glaciation, etc. found that this will inevitably lead to a violation of the climatic balance, flooding of coastal plains in more than 30 countries, degradation of permafrost, swamping of vast territories and other adverse consequences.

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

There is also no consensus on the question of the degree of influence of greenhouse gases on global warming. Thus, the report of the Intergovernmental Group of Experts on Climate Change (1992) notes that the 0.3-0.6 ° C warming observed in the last century could be mainly due to the natural variability of a number of climatic factors.

At an international conference in Toronto (Canada) in 1985, the energy sector around the world was tasked with reducing industrial carbon emissions by 20% by 2005. But it is obvious that a tangible environmental effect can be obtained only by combining these measures with the global direction of environmental policy - the maximum possible preservation of communities of organisms, natural ecosystems and the entire biosphere of the Earth.

Disruption of the ozone layer

The ozone layer (ozonosphere) covers the entire globe and is located at altitudes from 10 to 50 km with a maximum ozone concentration at an altitude of 20-25 km. The saturation of the atmosphere with ozone is constantly changing in any part of the planet, reaching a maximum in the spring in the circumpolar region.

For the first time, the depletion of the ozone layer attracted the attention of the general public in 1985, when an area with a reduced (up to 50%) ozone content was discovered over Antarctica, which received the name "Ozone hole". WITH Since then, measurements have confirmed the widespread decrease in the ozone layer practically on the entire planet. For example, in Russia over the past ten years, the concentration of the ozone layer has decreased by 4-6% in winter and by 3% in summer. At present, the depletion of the ozone layer is recognized by all as a serious threat to global environmental security. A decrease in ozone concentration weakens the atmosphere's ability to protect all life on Earth from hard ultraviolet radiation (UV radiation). Living organisms are very vulnerable to ultraviolet radiation, because the energy of even one photon from these rays is enough to destroy chemical bonds in most organic molecules. It is no coincidence that, therefore, in areas with a low ozone content, sunburns are numerous, an increase in the number of people with skin cancer, etc. 6 million people. In addition to skin diseases, it is possible to develop eye diseases (cataracts, etc.), suppression of the immune system, etc.

It was also found that plants under the influence of strong ultraviolet radiation gradually lose their ability to photosynthesis, and the disruption of the vital activity of plankton leads to the rupture of the trophic chains of the biota of aquatic ecosystems, etc.

Science has not yet fully established what are the main processes that disrupt the ozone layer. Both natural and anthropogenic origin of "ozone holes" are assumed. The latter, according to most scientists, is more likely and is associated with an increased content of chlorofluorocarbons (freons). Freons are widely used in industrial production and in everyday life (refrigeration units, solvents, sprayers, aerosol packages, etc.). Rising into the atmosphere, freons decompose with the release of chlorine oxide, which has a detrimental effect on ozone molecules.

According to the international environmental organization Greenpeace, the main suppliers of chlorofluorocarbons (freons) are the USA - 30.85%, Japan - 12.42%, Great Britain - 8.62% and Russia - 8.0%. The USA punched a “hole” in the ozone layer with an area of ​​7 million km 2, Japan - 3 million km 2, which is seven times more than the area of ​​Japan itself. Recently, plants for the production of new types of refrigerants (hydrochlorofluorocarbons) with a low potential for depleting the ozone layer have been built in the United States and in a number of Western countries.

According to the protocol of the Montreal Conference (1990), later revised in London (1991) and Copenhagen (1992), it was planned to reduce emissions of chlorofluorocarbon by 1998 by 50%. According to Art. 56 of the Law of the Russian Federation on Environmental Protection, in accordance with international agreements, all organizations and enterprises are obliged to reduce and subsequently completely stop the production and use of ozone-depleting substances.

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

Acid rain

One of the most important environmental problems associated with the oxidation of the natural environment is acid rain. They are formed during industrial emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, which combine with atmospheric moisture to form sulfuric and nitric acids. As a result, rain and snow are acidified (pH number below 5.6). In Bavaria (FRG) in August 1981, it rained with an acidity of pH = 3.5. The maximum recorded acidity of precipitation in Western Europe is pH = 2.3.

The total world anthropogenic emissions of the two main air pollutants - the culprit for acidification of atmospheric moisture - SO 2 and NO are annually - more than 255 million tons (1994). On a huge territory, the natural environment is acidifying, which has a very negative effect on the state of all ecosystems. It turned out that natural ecosystems are subject to destruction even with a lower level of air pollution than that which is dangerous to humans. "Lakes and rivers, deprived of fish, dying forests - these are the sad consequences of the industrialization of the planet."

The danger is, as a rule, not the acid precipitation itself, but the processes occurring under their influence. Under the influence of acid precipitation, not only nutrients vital for plants are leached out of the soil, but also toxic heavy and light metals - lead, cadmium, aluminum, etc. Subsequently, they themselves or the resulting toxic compounds are assimilated by plants and other soil organisms, which leads to very negative consequences.

Fifty million hectares of forests in 25 European countries suffer from a complex mixture of pollutants, including acid rain, ozone, toxic metals, etc. For example, coniferous mountain forests in Bavaria are dying. Cases of destruction of coniferous and deciduous forests in Karelia, Siberia and in other regions of our country have been noted.

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

Acidification is a striking example of the negative impact of acid precipitation on natural ecosystems. lakes. It is especially intense in Canada, Sweden, Norway and southern Finland. This is explained by the fact that a significant part of sulfur emissions in such industrially developed countries as the USA, Germany and Great Britain falls on their territory. The most vulnerable in these countries are lakes, since the bedrock that composes their bed is usually represented by granite-gneisses and granites, which are not able to neutralize acidic precipitation, in contrast, for example, from limestones, which create an alkaline environment and prevent acidification. Many lakes in the northern United States are also highly acidified.

Acidification of lakes in the world

Country	State of the lakes
Canada	More than 14 thousand lakes are highly acidified; every seventh lake in the east of the country has suffered biological damage
Norway	In reservoirs with a total area of ​​13 thousand km 2 fish were destroyed and another 20 thousand km 2 - amazed
Sweden	In 14 thousand lakes, the species most sensitive to the level of acidity have been destroyed; 2,200 lakes are practically lifeless
Finland	8% of lakes do not have the ability to neutralize acid. The most acidified lakes in the southern part of the country
USA	There are about 1,000 acidified lakes and 3,000 almost acidic lakes in the country (data from the Environmental Protection Fund). An EPA study in 1984 showed that 522 lakes are highly acidic and 964 are on the verge of this.

Acidification of lakes is dangerous not only for populations different types fish (including salmonids, whitefishes, etc.), but often entails the gradual death of plankton, numerous species of algae and its other inhabitants. The lakes become practically lifeless.

In our country, the area of ​​significant acidification from acid precipitation reaches several tens of millions of hectares. There are also some cases of acidification of lakes (Karelia and others). Increased acidity of precipitation is observed along the western border (transboundary transfer of sulfur and other pollutants) and on the territory of a number of large industrial regions, as well as fragmentarily on the coast of Taimyr and Yakutia.