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What is qualitative environmental pollution? Causes of environmental pollution

Stopping pollution is essential to saving our planet and ensuring people's health and well-being. The air and water are poisoned by dangerous chemicals, and if nothing is done, the Earth will lose its beauty and diversity. In this article, we will tell you some ways to do your part to stop environmental pollution.

Steps

Selecting a vehicle

If possible, walk or bike. Avoiding your car for short trips is a great way to improve the environment. If you don't have far to travel and the weather is good, walk or bike. This way you will not only help stop environmental pollution, but also get some useful exercise.

Use public transport. Traveling by bus or subway will help reduce your carbon emissions because you won't be using your own car. If public transport is excellent where you live, use it. This will allow you to take your mind off the road and read or just relax.

Combine trips. Daily travel by private car has a negative impact on the environment. Therefore, when you need to travel for several things, try to combine your trips into one. This will also save you money, since starting a cold engine uses 20% more fuel than when the car is running.

Have your vehicle serviced regularly to ensure that the engine and components are operating properly. Keeping your car in excellent condition will reduce your carbon emissions and also help prevent other problems with your car.

Change the oil every 3 months or every 5000 km.
Maintain recommended tire pressure.
Change air, oil and fuel filters regularly.

Drive carefully, because dangerous driving contributes to environmental pollution. Driving safely will also save you money by reducing your fuel consumption.
- Accelerate gradually, lightly pressing the gas pedal.
- Do not exceed the permitted speed.
- Maintain a constant speed (try using cruise control if you have it).
- Prepare for braking in advance.
Buy a hybrid or electric car. Electric cars run solely on electricity, so they don't produce any emissions. A hybrid car has an electric motor and an internal combustion engine. Both electric and hybrid cars help reduce pollution. Although a hybrid car uses gasoline, such cars are more fuel efficient and produce fewer emissions (compared to conventional cars).
- Keep in mind that the price of electric and hybrid cars is higher than most conventional cars.

Food selection

Buy local products whenever possible. Transporting food across the country and around the world uses significant amounts of fuel, resulting in air pollution. So, buy locally sourced foods from nearby farms rather than food imported from other regions. If the farmer or gardener sells their own produce, ask how they grow it to learn about their efforts to prevent pollution.
- Go to a farmer's market to interact with the direct producers of the food.
- Find products made or grown by local producers at your local store.
- At large grocery stores, look for products made in your region.
Limit or avoid consumption of animal products made in large factories. This means meat, milk, cheese and eggs. Such enterprises heavily pollute the environment - the waste of some of them is comparable to the waste of a small city. To do your part to protect the environment, do not buy or eat animal products produced in large factories.
- If you cannot give up animal products, reduce your consumption, for example, to 1-2 times a week.
- If you want to help make an even bigger difference in the fight for a cleaner environment, consider becoming a vegetarian or vegan.
Eat organically grown fruits and vegetables. These products are grown by farmers who use production methods that do not harm the environment. For example, such farmers do not use chemical pesticides that pollute groundwater. By purchasing organically grown fruits and vegetables, you contribute to the development of farmers who practice environmentally friendly production methods.
- Look for fruits, vegetables and other foods labeled "Organic."
Grow your own fruits and vegetables. Plant a garden or vegetable garden on your own property, and you will contribute to protecting the environment. Plants and trees convert carbon into oxygen, which reduces air pollution. Moreover, the fruits and vegetables you grow will replace products from the store, which require a lot of fuel to transport.
- If you're new to gardening, start small. To start, plant some tomatoes, lettuce and cucumbers in your garden. As you gain experience and skills, gradually expand the area of your garden.

Selecting an Energy Source

When leaving the room, turn off the lights and electrical appliances. To save more energy, you can unplug electrical appliances. Or connect all electrical appliances to the surge protector so that when it is turned off, all electrical appliances are turned off at once.

Make small changes that will lead to significant energy savings. It is recommended to do the following:

If you have the ability to regulate the temperature in the room, set the thermostat to 25 °C in the warm season, and 20 °C in the cold season. You will save energy by properly regulating your heating and air conditioning system.

Improve the insulation of your home. To do this, caulk the cracks around the window frames or replace the old frames with new ones. In winter, you can use special means. If you have old-style frames and not double-glazed windows, you can seal them for the winter so that the heat does not leave your home.

Consider alternative energy sources. If you live in your own home or are planning to build one, explore the possibility of installing solar panels or a wind turbine.

Consider switching to a different energy source. This means switching from a non-renewable source (for example, gas) to a renewable one (electricity). For example, if you are designing your own home, consider installing an electric boiler instead of a gas one. In a city apartment, you can replace a stove with a gas oven with an electric stove, if the electrical wiring allows.

Recycle, reuse and reduce waste

If possible, buy used items. In this case, you will help reduce the demand for new products, the production of which pollutes the environment, and also save money. You can find ads for used items online or in local newspapers.

Buy reusable items. The use of disposable cups, plates, and food containers leads to severe environmental pollution (due to a multiple increase in waste). Therefore, purchase reusable items.

Buy products in minimal packaging. The production of food packaging requires a lot of raw materials and electricity. Buy products with minimal packaging or no packaging at all (that is, by weight).

Do not buy products packaged in polystyrene foam. It is a very common packaging material, but it is difficult to dispose of, leading to its accumulation in landfills. Also, during its production, hydrocarbons are released into the atmosphere.

Recycle everything that can be recycled. If possible, avoid purchasing products that do not have a triangle with arrows symbol on the packaging to indicate that the product can be recycled. Also avoid products made from several different materials (these products are difficult to recycle).
- Find out if your waste collection company offers recycling services. If not, there may be special centers in your city where you can take recyclable waste. Find out on the Internet where you can take, for example, waste paper or plastic bottles.
Buy products made from recycled materials. This way you will help reduce the demand for new materials, the production of which pollutes the environment.
- Look for products labeled “Made from Recycled Materials.”
- Recycled products are often labeled with percentages indicating the amount of recycled material out of the total raw material. Look for products that have large percentages listed on them.

Preventing chemicals from entering the water supply

Use fewer chemicals. The chemicals we use for cleaning, personal hygiene, and car washing are washed down the drain, but often end up in the water supply. Such chemicals are harmful not only to the plants and animals that make up the ecosystem of our planet, but also to humans. If possible, use natural analogues of chemicals.
- For example, to clean the bathroom, you can make a solution of vinegar and water or baking soda, salt and water. These natural ingredients are excellent cleaning agents, but they do not pollute the water when washed down the drain.
- Try making your own laundry detergent and dishwashing detergent. If you don't have time, buy a detergent made from natural ingredients.
- If you can't find a natural alternative, use chemicals in the smallest quantities possible.
Do not use pesticides or herbicides. These chemicals are sprayed above the ground and when it rains they fall into the groundwater. Pesticides and herbicides protect crops from pests, but they harm the environment by leaking into groundwater, which is essential for the survival of people and animals.

Do not flush medications down the drain. Disinfection systems cannot completely remove drug residues from water, which negatively affects every person who drinks such water. Each medicine has specific instructions for disposing of it. If you need to throw away medications, find out how to do it correctly (do not flush medications down the drain!).
- It is recommended to wash off some medications so that they do not fall into the hands of a certain category of people (for example, children). But remember that this is an exception to the rule.
Dispose of toxic waste properly. Some substances should not be thrown into the trash because they seep into the ground and contaminate groundwater. If you are unsure how to dispose of toxic chemicals you have, contact your local service provider to find out how to dispose of them.
Save water. Remember that water is a valuable resource, and its overuse has a negative impact on the environment. In your daily life, you can easily reduce your water consumption and improve the ecosystem of your region. Here's what to do:
- Fix water leaks promptly.
- Install water-saving faucets.
- When washing dishes, turn off the water.
- Replace your old toilet with a new model that uses less water.
- Don't water your lawn too much.

Involving other people in the fight for a cleaner environment

Find out which businesses in your area are the most polluting. Look for the necessary information on the Internet or talk to people who will tell you about it. Collect as much data as possible to have a better understanding of the situation.
- Although individuals can do their best to combat environmental pollution, its main source is enterprises. Therefore, be sure to find out who or what is causing the main harm to the environment.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

4. Melting glaciers.

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

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

5. Agriculture.

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

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

6. Water consumption and water supply.

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

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

7. Human health.

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

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

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

First of all, due to:

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

2. Increasing the efficiency of energy consumption;

3. Introduction of energy saving measures;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Agriculture.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION

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

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

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

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

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

FUTURE PROSPECTS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Noise pollution . Sound– as a physical phenomenon, it is a wave movement of an elastic medium. Noise - all kinds of sounds that interfere with the perception of useful sounds or disrupt silence. The sound frequency range that the human ear perceives is from 16 to 20,000 Hz. Sound waves with a frequency below 20 Hz are called infrasonic, above 20000 – ultrasonic.

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

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

Electromagnetic pollution . The development of energy, electronics and radio engineering has caused environmental pollution by electromagnetic fields. Their main sources are power plants and substations, television and radar stations, high-voltage power lines, electric transport, etc.

Impact measure electromagnetic fields is the field strength. High-intensity fields have a negative effect on the human body, causing nervous system disorders, headaches, fatigue, the development of neuroses, insomnia, etc.

Ionizing radiation – this is radiation, the interaction of which with a medium leads to the formation in it of ions (positively or negatively charged particles) from neutral atoms or molecules. There are several types of ionizing radiation.

Gamma radiation is a stream of electromagnetic waves, has a high penetrating ability, its propagation speed is close to the speed of light. In the air it can spread hundreds of meters, freely pass through the human body and other organisms.

Beta radiation- constitutes a stream of negatively charged particles - electrons, penetrates several meters in the air, and several millimeters in living tissues and water.

Alpha radiation - e then a stream of positively charged particles (nuclei of helium atoms), their penetrating ability is small, but their ionizing ability is enormous, so they pose the greatest danger when they enter the body.

Exposure of a person to ionizing radiation leads to irradiation. A quantitative assessment of the ionization of the body is dose irradiation. Absorbed radiation dose is the amount of radiation energy absorbed per unit mass of the irradiated body. The unit of absorbed dose is the gray.

Under the influence of ionizing radiation, substances in the body of the body are ionized at the molecular level, causing strong changes (depending on the radiation dose) in the nuclei of cells, disrupting their normal functioning.

There are different types of irradiation external when the source of radiation is outside the body and internal when the radiation source is inside the body, getting there with air, water, food, and medications.

Until the mid-20th century, the main sources of ionizing radiation were natural sources - cosmic rays and rocks. But even then, radiation levels varied significantly, reaching the highest values in the areas of deposits of uranium ores, radioactive shales, phosphorites, crystalline rocks, etc.

Currently, man-made sources of radioactive radiation have led to an increase in natural background radiation.

Radiation doses to the population from natural sources depend on the height of cities above sea level and the geological structure of the territory. For residents of mountainous areas, exposure to cosmic rays increases. Aircraft crews and passengers who frequently fly at altitudes of 8–11 km can receive significant doses of radiation.

An increase in radiation dose from natural sources can be caused by the use of building materials with a high content of radionuclides during the construction of buildings, roads, or when planning territories.

Gas is a dangerous natural source of internal exposure radon. It is a radioactive gas, a product of the radioactive decay of radium and thorium. It has now been revealed that it is present in many rooms on all continents. It comes from the rocks of the foundations of buildings and structures and accumulates in basements and rooms on the first floors, especially when they are insufficiently ventilated, and also enters other floors through cracks in walls and ceilings. Sources of radon are also the building materials from which buildings and structures are constructed.

Sources of radioactive radiation created by man.

Radiation aerosols, which enter the atmosphere during nuclear weapons testing. Despite the fact that the volume of nuclear weapons testing has decreased compared to the 50s and 60s of the 20th century, long-lived radionuclides continue to reach the Earth’s surface from the stratosphere, contributing to an increase in background radiation.

Sources of ionizing radiation used in many instruments, equipment in the national economy, civil defense, construction, research purposes, etc.

Common source of radiation are medical procedures (especially x-ray examinations). Radiation doses largely depend on the qualifications of personnel and the condition of equipment.

Nuclear power makes a significant contribution to the increase in background radiation: when storing waste generated during the mining and enrichment of uranium ores, the production of nuclear fuel, during the disposal of spent nuclear fuel and end-of-life equipment of nuclear power plants, but the greatest danger is posed by accidents at nuclear power plants.

As a result of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (which is assessed as the worst man-made disaster in the history of mankind), radioactive contamination of large areas occurred, both in our country and abroad. More than 500 radionuclides with different half-lives were released into the atmosphere. The radiation background near the accident site was thousands of times higher than the natural radiation background, which led to the need to resettle residents of nearby areas.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Heavy metals are chemical elements that have a high density

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

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

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

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

At all stages of development, man was closely connected with nature. But with the emergence and formation of industrial society, environmental pollution is increasingly becoming a problem in the modern world.

The types of pollution are quite diverse in their impact and are characterized by the danger of spreading in the air, as well as in the water element and through the soil.

Natural causes

There are two types of sources of harmful emissions into the atmosphere - natural and anthropogenic. These are precisely its main types. the diagram of which is given below is an important problem that needs to be solved.

The first type has nothing to do with human activity and occurs according to certain laws of nature. It should be noted that this type of pollution took place long before humanity appeared, so the environment copes well with such “waste”.

This is due to the fact that evolution already includes natural disasters (storms, volcanic eruptions, forest fires, decomposition of dead animals and plants). Natural pollution can be considered as biological pollution of the environment. Types of pollution of this kind include, first of all, nature itself in general.

Natural pollution can be illustrated by the following examples:

Death Valley. At the foot of the Kikhpinych volcano (Kamchatka) there is a valley filled with volcanic hydrogen sulfide gases. In the absence of wind above ground level, gas accumulates, and all animals and birds that enter this area die. Scientists studying Death Valley not only study this phenomenon, but also clear the area of corpses. This is necessary to prevent scavengers from coming into the valley, which can harm not only living animals, but also spread infection from dead animals. Thus, this type of pollution has quite clear signs that similar types of environmental pollution have.

- "Red Tide". A brown coating forms on the surface of the seas, strongly reminiscent of blood. This occurs due to the proliferation of a certain type of algae, which is very toxic in nature. Toxic substances enter the food chain into the inhabitants of the sea, causing the latter to die.

There are known cases where crews of ships sailing in such areas received severe poisoning after eating fish or shellfish caught in “poisonous” places. Scientists associate the appearance of toxic algae with large amounts of chemical emissions into the ocean waters.

Anthropogenic sources

The saturation of nature with harmful substances by humans deserve special attention, since they are not limited to decomposition or fires caused by people. The classification of types of environmental pollution in this case may be as follows:

Fallout;

Inorganic water pollution;

Organic;

Thermal types;

Soil pollution;

Saturation with pesticides;

- (as a result of the relationship with the water cycle in nature).

All of the above methods are types of anthropogenic environmental pollution, that is, the result of human activity.

Aerosol emissions

Due to the functioning of mankind, the atmosphere contains a lot of impurities that can be called man-made dust. It is expressed in the form of fog, haze or ordinary smoke. As a result of the combustion of certain substances in production, toxic fumes and carcinogenic compounds are released into the environment.

The main sources of man-made dust are metallurgical plants, oil refineries, soot plants and others that use heat treatment of raw materials. Also, the main types of environmental pollution by aerosol include the release of dust and toxic substances in the mining industry.

When forming artificial embankments (dumps) from overburden rocks during mining, a huge amount of processing results is released into the atmosphere. Harmful particles are released into the environment during blasting operations.

For example, an explosion of average power releases up to 2 thousand cubic meters of carbon monoxide and about 150 tons of dust. During the technological processes of processing semi-finished products for cement production, a lot of chemicals and process dust are also released into the air.

Types of environmental pollution from transport can also be called aerosol. As a result of combustion of a substance (gasoline or diesel fuel), gases are released: carbon oxides, hydrocarbons and nitrogen. The duration of these mixtures being in the atmosphere before their natural decomposition ranges from several hours to several years.

Photochemical fog

Smog is formed by combining chemically harmful emissions into the atmosphere with solar radiation energy. As a result, a photochemical reaction of nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons and other harmful substances occurs.

Fog, thus, represents a category of saturation with harmful substances that contains types of chemical pollution of the environment.

The chain reaction of nitrogen dioxide converting into nitric oxide and atomic oxygen should result in ozone (a compound of molecular and atomic oxygen). The oxidation reaction of nitrogen with this compound should produce molecular oxygen and, as a result, nitrogen dioxide. However, when ozone occurs, it immediately reacts with exhaust gases in the atmosphere, resulting in the formation of a certain number of combined oxygen atoms and molecules.

This compound, reacting with impurities in the air, forms oxidants and free radicals, which are characteristic of smog. The compounds with which the air is literally saturated have an extremely negative effect on the circulatory and respiratory systems of residents, as a result of which a person can die.

Fallout

This type of pollution is the most dangerous for humanity and for all living things in the world. Precipitation that contains radioactive particles consists of atmospheric moisture and dust.

The heaviest particles of radioactive elements settle immediately on the surface of the earth, while lighter ones tend to linger in the atmosphere and be transported over fairly long distances.

Due to this, radionucleotides contained in the air fall to the ground in the form of rain, snow or fog.

When such precipitation gets on human skin, radioactive atoms penetrate into the body, gradually destroying it from the inside.

Inorganic types

Types of environmental pollution are also represented by inorganic “methods”.

In connection with the development of industry, waste that is generated during the activities of factories and enterprises for the procurement and processing of timber, during work in mines, in mines, as well as as a result of the use of transport, enters the water.

For example, wastewater that then ends up in water bodies contains large amounts of synthetic detergent residues. These elements, when entering the water treatment system, are not removed and are returned to the water supply.

Types of chemical environmental pollution include, in this case, pollution of wastewater with compounds of elements such as cadmium, arsenic, lead, mercury and other equally dangerous substances.

These compounds are absorbed by low-level inhabitants of water bodies and transmitted along the food chain to highly organized organisms.

Chemical contaminants tend to change the pH of water to a state where the inhabitants of the aquatic environment cannot live and reproduce in such water.

However, many invertebrate organisms inhabiting the water element are capable of accumulating radioactive elements and poisons. That is why they serve as an indicator of what main types of environmental pollution caused the pollution of the reservoir.

Despite the fact that water has the property of self-purification, due to the ingress of a large number of chemical compounds into it, the organisms that provide purification die. Accordingly, additional methods are required to separate harmful particles from water, but, unfortunately, this is not enough.

Organic "garbage"

Types of pollution in the human environment include their organic nature. These include oil, consisting mainly of saturated hydrocarbons.

If there is water on the surface, the inhabitants of the seas, as well as animals and plants of the coastal zone, die.

This is due to the fact that oil, falling on fish or waterfowl, envelops them in a thin black-brown film, and therefore the natural streamlining of the surface of the birds’ plumage (or fish scales) is disrupted.

Long before people learned to extract this natural resource, oil also reached the surface of the water. However, in the seas and oceans there are microscopic bacteria that can process “black gold” by feeding on it. Gradually, the stain disappears from the surface, and the bacteria become food for highly organized creatures.

The difficulty today in the natural destruction of spills is the huge amount of oil that spills out during tanker crashes or accidents on platforms. Bacteria do not have time to process it, and the flammable substance can flow into other bodies of water, spreading throughout the World Ocean.

Thermal type

Releases of temperature-unstable wastewater into rivers and lakes by power plants - this example illustrates such a category as types of energy pollution of the environment.

At first glance, a slight increase in water temperature should not harm the ecosystem as a whole. However, the amount of such runoff and the constant change and instability of liquid temperature in reservoirs leads to an artificial limitation of water exchange between the surface and the bottom.

Since the circulation necessary for the rational functioning of phytoplankton and algae is disrupted, the species constancy of the water structure changes.

Soil pollution

The Earth's soil is the most important component of the biosphere. This shell accumulates not only organic substances, but also energy. The existence of soil as an element of the biosphere is one of the important links in its functioning. Therefore, the problems of pollution of the earth's surface with chemicals (organic and inorganic), as well as special types of substances (pesticides), require special attention from scientists.

Pesticide pollution

Since special pesticides for treating plants are produced and used by humans, it can be said that soil contamination with these elements can illustrate the types of environment.

Despite the fact that this group of chemicals is an important element in agriculture for the large-scale cultivation of plant foods, such poisons pose a huge danger to the soil.

Pesticides tend to accumulate in the body into which they enter and, like radioactive elements, destroy human health from the inside, and also lead to the death of many microorganisms. Disruption of the natural course of the evolutionary process occurs, among other reasons, also due to the fact that environmental pollution is observed.

Types of pollution, which include saturation with pesticides, cause an imbalance and, as a consequence, natural selection. Chemicals penetrate the human body through the food chain and are found not only in the internal organs of adults, but also in newborns. This means that pesticides accumulated during life can be transmitted vertically from mother to child.

Today, chemicals are being developed and tested that, after use, having had the necessary effect, independently decompose into safe elements. In this case, it is important to observe the order of the chemical reaction, excluding the presence of catalysts that could disrupt the natural course of the decomposition of harmful substances into elementary ones.

Acid rain

As a result of human functioning, large amounts of oxides of chemical elements are released into the atmosphere, which causes environmental pollution. Types of pollution can be roughly defined as domestic and industrial.

When combustible materials intended for domestic and industrial needs are burned, oxides of nitrogen, sulfur, carbon and hydrogen sulfide are released. When interacting with moisture contained in the atmosphere, these mixtures degenerate into acids, which then fall out as precipitation.

If there is a threat of such anomalies, it is necessary to be extremely careful, since the effect of acid on people, even in small concentrations, causes a chemical burn. If exposed to acid rain, a person can not only lose part of his hair or ruin his headdress, but also get a burn to his face or entire body.

When acid falls out, it harms not only people, but also the soil, that is, it causes environmental pollution. Types of pollution that are associated with the peculiarities of water circulation in nature cause oversaturation of the earth with these compounds. The soil is no longer able to retain beneficial natural properties. If vegetation appears on such soil and is then eaten, it can harm human health.

In addition, acidic rainwater, penetrating deep into the soil, ends up in groundwater. They are the ones who spread chemical compounds over long distances, which can further harm even those areas that are located quite far from the area where acid precipitation occurred.

Noise pollution

A person cannot live in absolute silence, just as he cannot live with fairly loud sounds. This imbalance changes intracranial pressure and can lead to disruption of the entire body.

In connection with these features of human essence, one can distinguish the environment, which cannot be seen.

The noise produced by numerous factories, equipment, trains, cars has an extremely negative effect on residents of large cities or people who are forced to be close to such “noisy” achievements of mankind.

Exposure to such sounds disrupts the natural functioning of internal organs, blood vessels, etc., which in the worst case can lead to premature aging and death.

Ways to fight

The types of sources of environmental pollution are quite diverse. However, it can be noted that they are all related to human activity. Some sources directly pollute the atmosphere, soil or water with toxic substances, while others only disrupt the natural course of events in nature. At the same time, quite often the system weakens, important food and other chains are broken, and mutations occur.

Genetically modified organisms are individuals that are fully adapted to survive in conditions of severe environmental pollution. With each attack by pesticides, the cells changed so much that they could (already in future generations) resist the destructive effects of the most powerful substances.

But we should not forget that our Earth is not adapted to absorb the “conveniences” of civilization, therefore, today, development is underway not of new chemically hazardous substances, but of their neutralizers.

The newest preparations or cultures of microorganisms are designed not only not to cause harm, but also to facilitate the rapid decomposition into safe elements of the substances that are planned to be used.

Sakhalin buckwheat

The natural properties of plants and organisms are identified and used in the fight for a clean planet. For example, Sakhalin buckwheat has an excellent property - it can germinate and bloom in soil that is saturated with heavy metals.

According to the results of numerous experiments, such plants can “take” up to 1 kg of cadmium, 24 kg of lead and 322 kg of zinc from the soil in just 1 year. And an experiment at one of the military training grounds where chemical weapons were tested showed that 2 years after planting buckwheat in the ground, the soil was completely clean.

Scientific and technological progress makes life easier for people, but improved technologies often lead to environmental pollution. The main types of environmental pollution are anthropogenic sources, that is, those caused by human activity. It is important to learn how to identify polluting factors, eliminate them and prevent the emergence of new ones.

Environment concept

The concept of “environment” includes natural conditions characteristic of a particular area, as well as the ecological state of objects located on it. For a person, the environment is determined by the objects that are around him and with which he is in contact. These include elements of living and inanimate nature. The environment includes the following components:

Atmosphere is a gaseous shell surrounding the planet.
Hydrosphere is the watery shell of the planet.
Lithosphere - the earth's crust, mantle.
Biosphere is the habitat of living organisms.

Conventionally, two types of environment are distinguished: microenvironment and macroenvironment. Microenvironment is the local environment of a person, which is located in close proximity to it. Macroenvironment is a broader concept that includes biotic (living) and physical (non-living) objects.

The law establishes that people must ensure the normal functioning of all ecosystems. Thus, Federal Law No. 7-FZ “On Environmental Protection” establishes the basic protective principles, defines the concepts that are used in this area, distributes the powers of government bodies, and explains the rights and responsibilities of citizens and organizations in the field.

Types of pollution

The revolution in science and industry has led to massive pollution of nature, which has affected the health of humanity. When scientists discovered a direct connection between the state of the micro- and macroenvironment and human health, the science of ecology appeared.

The types of pollution that existed were classified, and the relationships of living organisms with humans and the environment were studied in detail.

The following types of environmental pollution have been identified:

All types of environmental pollution harm animals, plants and humans. As a result of the action of polluting factors, thousands of birds, mammals and inhabitants of water bodies die, and people develop serious diseases. An example of the negative impact of pollution is the destruction of the planet's ozone layer, which is supposed to protect against harmful ultraviolet radiation. As a result of the destruction of the ozone layer, there is an increase in the number of cancers and diseases of the retina.

Fight against pollutants

Depending on what types of pollution are known, scientists create programs to combat environmental pollutants. Protective measures are becoming a priority for most countries; environmental and environmental measures have reached the level of international cooperation. Anti-pollution measures:

Global environmental pollution can lead to the death of all life on the planet, including humans. The task of humanity is to stop pollution of nature and save life.