Air pollution is a serious environmental problem. Pollution of the Earth's Atmosphere: Sources, Types, Consequences Global Environmental Problems of Atmospheric Pollution

Pollution of the Earth's atmosphere is a change in the natural concentration of gases and impurities in the air shell of the planet, as well as the introduction of alien substances into the environment.

For the first time about at the international level started talking forty years ago. In 1979, the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution came into being in Geneva. The first international agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions was the 1997 Kyoto Protocol.

Although these measures bring results, air pollution remains a serious problem for society.

Substances polluting the atmosphere

The main components of atmospheric air are nitrogen (78%) and oxygen (21%). The share of the inert gas argon is slightly less than a percent. The concentration of carbon dioxide is 0.03%. In small quantities in the atmosphere are also present:

• ozone,
• neon,
• methane,
• xenon,
• krypton,
• nitrous oxide,
• sulfur dioxide,
• helium and hydrogen.

In clean air masses, carbon monoxide and ammonia are present in the form of traces. In addition to gases, the atmosphere contains water vapor, salt crystals, and dust.

Main air pollutants:

• Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that affects the heat exchange of the Earth with the surrounding space, and hence the climate.
• Carbon monoxide or carbon monoxide, getting into the human or animal body, causes poisoning (up to death).
• Hydrocarbons are toxic chemicals that irritate the eyes and mucous membranes.
• Sulfur derivatives contribute to the formation of acid rain and drying of plants, provoke respiratory diseases and allergies.
• Nitrogen derivatives lead to inflammation of the lungs, croup, bronchitis, frequent colds, and exacerbate the course of cardiovascular diseases.
• Radioactive substances, accumulating in the body, cause cancer, gene changes, infertility, and premature death.

Air containing heavy metals poses a particular danger to human health. Pollutants such as cadmium, lead, arsenic lead to oncology. Inhaled mercury vapor does not act with lightning speed, but, being deposited in the form of salts, destroy nervous system. Harmful and volatile in significant concentrations organic matter: terpenoids, aldehydes, ketones, alcohols. Many of these air pollutants are mutagenic and carcinogenic compounds.

Sources and classification of atmospheric pollution

Based on the nature of the phenomenon, the following types of air pollution are distinguished: chemical, physical and biological.

• In the first case, the atmosphere is observed increased concentration hydrocarbons, heavy metals, sulfur dioxide, ammonia, aldehydes, nitrogen and carbon oxides.
• With biological pollution, waste products are present in the air various organisms, toxins, viruses, spores of fungi and bacteria.
• A large amount of dust or radionuclides in the atmosphere indicates physical pollution. The same type includes the consequences of thermal, noise and electromagnetic emissions.

The composition of the air environment is influenced by both man and nature. Natural sources of air pollution: volcanoes during the period of activity, Forest fires, soil erosion, dust storms, decomposition of living organisms. A tiny fraction of the influence falls on cosmic dust formed as a result of the combustion of meteorites.

Anthropogenic sources of air pollution:

• enterprises of the chemical, fuel, metallurgical, machine-building industries;
• rural economic activity(pesticide spraying by aircraft, animal waste);
• thermal power plants, residential heating with coal and wood;
• transport (the “dirtiest” types are airplanes and cars).

How is air pollution determined?

When monitoring the quality of atmospheric air in the city, not only the concentration of substances harmful to human health is taken into account, but also the time period of their impact. Air pollution in Russian Federation evaluated according to the following criteria:

• The standard index (SI) is an indicator obtained by dividing the highest measured single concentration of a pollutant by the maximum allowable concentration of an impurity.
• The pollution index of our atmosphere (API) is a complex value, the calculation of which takes into account the hazard coefficient of a pollutant, as well as its concentration - the average annual and the maximum allowable average daily.
• The highest frequency (NP) - expressed as a percentage of the frequency of exceeding the maximum allowable concentration (maximum one-time) within a month or a year.

The level of air pollution is considered low when SI is less than 1, API varies between 0–4, and NP does not exceed 10%. Among the major Russian cities, according to Rosstat, the most environmentally friendly are Taganrog, Sochi, Grozny and Kostroma.

With an increased level of emissions into the atmosphere, SI is 1–5, API is 5–6, and NP is 10–20%. The regions with the following indicators are characterized by a high degree of air pollution: SI – 5–10, ISA – 7–13, NP – 20–50%. A very high level of atmospheric pollution is observed in Chita, Ulan-Ude, Magnitogorsk and Beloyarsk.

Cities and countries of the world with the dirtiest air

May 2016 World Organization Health has published an annual ranking of the cities with the dirtiest air. The leader of the list was the Iranian Zabol - a city in the south-east of the country, regularly suffering from sandstorms. This atmospheric phenomenon lasts about four months, repeating every year. The second and third positions were occupied by the Indian cities of Gwalior and Prayag. WHO gave the next place to the capital Saudi Arabia- Riyadh.

Completing the top five cities with the dirtiest atmosphere is El Jubail - a relatively small place in terms of population on the Persian Gulf and at the same time a large industrial oil producing and refining center. On the sixth and seventh steps again were the Indian cities - Patna and Raipur. The main sources of air pollution there are industrial enterprises and transport.

In most cases, air pollution actual problem for developing countries. However, deterioration environment causes not only the rapidly growing industry and transport infrastructure, but also man-made disasters. A vivid example of this is Japan, which survived a radiation accident in 2011.

The top 7 countries where the air condition is recognized as deplorable is as follows:

1. China. In some regions of the country, the level of air pollution exceeds the norm by 56 times.
2. India. The largest state of Hindustan leads in the number of cities with the worst ecology.
3. SOUTH AFRICA. The country's economy is dominated by heavy industry, which is also the main source of pollution.
4. Mexico. The ecological situation in the capital of the state, Mexico City, has improved markedly over the past twenty years, but smog in the city is still not uncommon.
5. Indonesia suffers not only from industrial emissions, but also from forest fires.
6. Japan. The country, despite the widespread landscaping and the use of scientific and technological achievements in the environmental field, regularly faces the problem of acid rain and smog.
7. Libya. Main source environmental woes of the North African state - the oil industry.

Effects

Atmospheric pollution is one of the main reasons for the increase in the number of respiratory diseases, both acute and chronic. Harmful impurities contained in the air contribute to the development of lung cancer, heart disease, and stroke. The WHO estimates that 3.7 million people a year die prematurely due to air pollution worldwide. Most of these cases are recorded in the countries of Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific region.

In large industrial centers, such an unpleasant phenomenon as smog is often observed. The accumulation of particles of dust, water and smoke in the air reduces visibility on the roads, which increases the number of accidents. Aggressive substances increase the corrosion of metal structures, adversely affect the state of flora and fauna. Smog poses the greatest danger to asthmatics, people suffering from emphysema, bronchitis, angina pectoris, hypertension, VVD. Even healthy people who inhale aerosols can have a severe headache, lacrimation and sore throat can be observed.

Saturation of the air with oxides of sulfur and nitrogen leads to the formation of acid rain. After precipitation with a low pH level, fish die in water bodies, and surviving individuals cannot give birth. As a result, the species and numerical composition of populations is reduced. Acid precipitation leaches out nutrients, thereby impoverishing the soil. They leave chemical burns on the leaves, weaken the plants. For the human habitat, such rains and fogs also pose a threat: acidic water corrodes pipes, cars, building facades, monuments.

An increased amount of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, ozone, methane, water vapor) in the air leads to an increase in the temperature of the lower layers of the Earth's atmosphere. A direct consequence of the greenhouse effect is climate warming, which has been observed over the past sixty years.

Weather conditions are also significantly affected by “ozone holes” formed under the influence of bromine, chlorine, oxygen and hydrogen atoms. In addition to simple substances, ozone molecules can also destroy organic and inorganic compounds: freon derivatives, methane, hydrogen chloride. Why is the weakening of the shield dangerous for the environment and humans? Due to the thinning of the layer grows solar Activity, which, in turn, leads to an increase in mortality among representatives of marine flora and fauna, an increase in the number of oncological diseases.

How to make the air cleaner?

To reduce air pollution allows the introduction of technologies that reduce emissions in production. In the field of thermal power engineering, one should rely on alternative energy sources: build solar, wind, geothermal, tidal and wave power plants. The state of the air environment is positively affected by the transition to combined generation of energy and heat.

In the fight for clean air, an important element of the strategy is a comprehensive waste management program. It should be aimed at reducing the amount of waste, as well as its sorting, processing or reuse. Urban planning aimed at improving the environment, including the air, involves improving the energy efficiency of buildings, building cycling infrastructure, and developing high-speed urban transport.

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The problem of atmospheric air pollution is one of the most serious global problems faced by mankind. The danger of atmospheric pollution is not only that harmful substances that are detrimental to living organisms get into clean air, but also in the change in the Earth's climate caused by pollution.

It is not difficult to illustrate such a statement. The World Health Organization provided data on this topic for 2014. About 3.7 million people have died due to air pollution worldwide. Almost 7 million people died from exposure to polluted air. And this is in one year.

The air has been polluted at all times. Volcanic eruptions, forest and peat fires, dust and pollen from plants and other substances entering the atmosphere that are usually not inherent in its natural composition, but that occurred as a result of natural causes - this is the first type of air pollution origin - natural. The second is as a result of human activity, that is, artificial or anthropogenic.

Also, most of the physical, chemical elements occur during the combustion of hydrocarbon fuels and during the operation of engines Vehicle. When released into the atmosphere harmful substances various negative phenomena occur, such as the greenhouse effect, the destruction of the ozone layer, acid rain, etc.

Main harmful substances:

Carbon monoxide or carbon monoxide. Chemical formula CO. It is a colorless and odorless gas. Appears after incomplete combustion of coal, gas, oil and other fuels under conditions of oxygen deficiency and low temperature. It interacts with the hemoglobin present in human blood and blocks the flow of oxygen into it. It was first identified in 1776 by the physician Jacques de Lasson.

Carbon dioxide or carbon dioxide. Chemical formula of CO2. Colorless gas, but with a sour smell and taste. Appears after complete oxidation of carbon. It is one of the greenhouse gases.

Sulfur dioxide or sulfur dioxide. Chemical formula of SO2. The gas is colorless. The smell is sharp. Appears during the combustion of such fuels that contain sulfur and during the processing of sulfur ores. A type of gas that forms acid rain. In the human body, it first causes loss of taste, then difficulty breathing, pulmonary edema and respiratory arrest.

Nitrogen oxides and dioxides, ozone, hydrocarbons, lead, industrial dust, etc.

There are also more harmful anthropogenic factors.:

Nuclear weapons testing.

Operation of thermal power plants.

Emissions of toxic gases from enterprises.

Boiler work.

Decomposition of garbage and waste in landfills.

Fires caused by people.

Vehicle exhaust gases.

Flights of jet aircraft.

There is different ways solutions to this problem. They are:

absorption method. It involves the installation of limestone filters, activated carbon, ammonia. All these compounds have the ability to absorb harmful gases. This method is considered one of the most common, due to its simplicity and high quality of cleaning. The disadvantage of the absorption (absorption) method is that the filter installations are large and take up a lot of space. Difficulties are also associated with the need to periodically replace the cleaning fluid.

Oxidative method. This method involves the "burning out" of harmful impurities. However, this releases carbon dioxide.

catalytic method. It allows the passage of toxic gases and vapors through solid catalysts, which accelerate their separation. This method is quite effective, but requires significant financial and energy costs.

mechanical method. It is rarely used today. mechanical method involves the direction of toxic gases in special turbines. The screws present there create vortices, due to which the process of collecting toxic compounds takes place. It should be noted that this method requires high energy costs. The filtration process is also complicated by the need to carry out constant maintenance of the installations. At the same time, the cleaning efficiency is rather small.

Electric fire method. This method is considered the newest and most effective today. The gas is directed into vessels and then passed through an electrified flame. However, this method has a significant drawback. It is rather difficult to put it into practice.

Currently, scientists propose to combine the main ways to solve the problem of atmospheric pollution. So, for example, many enterprises operate filtration plants of various types. Some are equipped with filters, others use special lead-free additives, catalytic converters. As a result, the gases go through several stages of purification. Considering the main ways to solve air pollution, one cannot but mention new developments in the automotive industry. As you know, transport is considered one of the main suppliers of toxic substances into the air. Today, new models are being produced equipped with exhaust filtration systems. In a number of countries, public transport runs exclusively on electricity and biofuels.

Thus, this problem can be solved, but for the implementation of these methods of action, one country is not enough. This problem can be solved only by joint efforts. All countries, by implementing methods of air purification, reducing emissions of harmful substances, will be able to save the environment and people from death.

Bibliography:

Zhukov V.I., Gorbunova L.N."Assessment of the impact of the transport and road complex on the environment." 2016.

Lysov P.K., Akifiev A.P., Dobrotina N.A. " Biology with the basics of ecology Textbook for universities "2015.

Maglysh S.S., Karevsky A.E. " Biology » 2015

Pekhov " Biology with the basics of ecology "2013.

Ponomareva I. N., Kornilova O. A., Simonova L. V.; ed. Ponomareva I. N .. - M .: Ventana-Count. " Biology» 2014

Sukhorukova L.N. " Biology» 2017

Every day, people breathe in air enriched not only with oxygen, but with harmful gases and chemical compounds, which negatively affects health. AT this moment The following types of pollution can be distinguished:

• natural (plant pollen, dust after volcanic eruptions);
• chemical (gaseous substances);
• radioactive (radiation by radioactive substances);
• (electromagnetic waves);
• (warm air);
• biological (contamination by microbes, viruses, bacteria).

Sources of air pollution

The problem of air pollution is relevant for all countries of the world, but the air mass is not equally polluted all over the planet. The largest shortage of clean air in the economically developed countries and large metropolitan areas. Various enterprises operate there: metallurgical, chemical, energy, petrochemical, construction. All these facilities emit harmful substances into the atmosphere during operation. They are required to use purification facilities. Some businesses do not use them because they do not comply with regulations or because the equipment is outdated.

Air is polluted by the following elements and substances:

• carbon monoxide;
• sulfur dioxide;
• nitrogen oxide;
• carbon dioxide;
• hydrocarbons;
• heavy metals;
• mechanical dust;
• sublimates, etc.

Consequences of atmospheric pollution

First of all, air pollution negatively affects human health, as it leads to allergies, lung cancer, heart and respiratory diseases. Secondly, pollution leads to diseases of animals, birds, fish, to the death of plants.

Air pollution problems contribute to the formation of ozone holes, and the ozone layer protects the earth from solar radiation. In addition, it increases, due to which the air temperature constantly increases, which leads to the planet. Once in the atmosphere, chemicals fall to the ground in the form of nitrogen and sulfur oxides. Large cities are covered in smog of steam, smoke and dust, making it difficult for people to breathe and move around the streets, as smog significantly reduces visibility.

In order for all living beings to have the opportunity to enrich their body with oxygen in the process of breathing, it is necessary to clean up the atmosphere. This requires reducing the use of vehicles, reducing waste, using environmentally friendly technologies and switching to renewable energy sources.

From elementary grades, we are taught that man and nature are one, that one cannot be separated from the other. We learn the development of our planet, the features of its structure and structure. These areas affect our well-being: the atmosphere, soil, water of the Earth are, perhaps, the most important components of normal human life. But why, then, every year, environmental pollution goes further and reaches an ever greater scale? Let's look at the main environmental problems.

Environmental pollution, which also refers to the natural environment and the biosphere, is an increased content of physical, chemical or biological reagents in it that are not typical for this environment, brought in from outside, the presence of which leads to negative consequences.

Scientists have been sounding the alarm about an imminent environmental catastrophe for several decades in a row. Conducted studies in various fields lead to the conclusion that we are already facing global climate change and external environment under the influence of human activity. Pollution of the oceans due to leaks of oil and oil products, as well as debris, has reached enormous proportions, which affects the decline in the populations of many animal species and the ecosystem as a whole. The growing number of cars every year leads to a large emission into the atmosphere, which, in turn, leads to the drying of the earth, heavy rainfall on the continents, and a decrease in the amount of oxygen in the air. Some countries are already forced to bring water and even buy canned air, as the production has spoiled the environment in the country. Many people have already realized the danger and are very sensitive to negative changes in nature and major environmental problems, but we still perceive the possibility of a catastrophe as something unrealizable and far away. Is this really so or the threat is close and something needs to be done immediately - let's figure it out.

Types and main sources of environmental pollution

The main types of pollution classify the sources of environmental pollution themselves:

• biological;
• chemical
• physical;
• mechanical.

In the first case, environmental pollutants are the activities of living organisms or anthropogenic factors. In the second case, the natural chemical composition of the contaminated sphere is changed by adding other chemicals to it. In the third case, the physical characteristics of the environment change. These types of pollution include thermal, radiation, noise and other types of radiation. The latter type of pollution is also associated with human activities and waste emissions into the biosphere.

All types of pollution can be present both separately by themselves, and flow from one to another or exist together. Consider how they affect individual areas of the biosphere.

People who have come a long way in the desert will surely be able to name the price of every drop of water. Although most likely these drops will be priceless, because a person's life depends on them. In ordinary life, we, alas, do not attach such great importance to water, since we have a lot of it, and it is available at any time. But in the long run, this is not entirely true. In percentage terms, only 3% of the total world fresh water supply remained unpolluted. Understanding the importance of water for people does not prevent a person from polluting an important source of life with oil and oil products, heavy metals, radioactive substances, inorganic pollution, sewage and synthetic fertilizers.

Polluted water contains a large number of xenobiotics - substances that are alien to the human or animal body. If such water enters the food chain, it can lead to serious food poisoning and even death of all participants in the chain. Of course, they are also contained in the products of volcanic activity, which pollute water even without human help, but the activity of the metallurgical industry and chemical plants is of predominant importance.

With the advent of nuclear research, quite significant harm has been done to nature in all areas, including water. Charged particles that get into it cause great harm to living organisms and contribute to the development of oncological diseases. Effluent from factories, ships with nuclear reactors, and simply rain or snow in a nuclear test area can contaminate the water with decomposition products.

Sewer drains that carry a lot of garbage: detergents, food leftovers, small household waste and more, in turn, contribute to the reproduction of other pathogenic organisms, which, when they enter the human body, give a number of diseases, such as typhoid fever, dysentery and others.

Perhaps it does not make sense to explain how the soil is an important part of human life. Most of the food a person eats comes from the soil: from cereals to rare species fruits and vegetables. For this to continue, it is necessary to maintain the state of the soil at the proper level for a normal water cycle. But anthropogenic pollution has already led to the fact that 27% of the planet's land is subject to erosion.

Soil pollution is the ingress of toxic chemicals and debris into it in high quantities, preventing the normal circulation of soil systems. The main sources of soil pollution:

• residential buildings;
• industrial enterprises;
• transport;
• Agriculture;
• nuclear power.

In the first case, soil pollution occurs due to ordinary garbage that is thrown out in the wrong places. But the main reason should be called landfills. Burning waste leads to clogging of large areas, and combustion products spoil the soil irrevocably, littering the entire environment.

Industrial enterprises emit many toxic substances, heavy metals and chemical compounds that affect not only the soil, but also the life of living organisms. It is this source of pollution that leads to man-made pollution of the soil.

Transport emissions of hydrocarbons, methane and lead, getting into the soil, affect food chains - they enter the human body through food.
Excessive plowing, pesticides, pesticides and fertilizers, which contain enough mercury and heavy metals, lead to significant soil erosion and desertification. Abundant irrigation also cannot be called a positive factor, since it leads to soil salinization.

Today buried in the ground up to 98% radioactive waste nuclear power plants, mainly products of uranium fission, which leads to degradation and depletion of land resources.

The atmosphere in the form of a gaseous shell of the Earth has great value, since it protects the planet from cosmic radiation, affects the relief, determines the climate of the Earth and its thermal background. It cannot be said that the composition of the atmosphere was homogeneous and only with the advent of man began to change. But it was after the beginning of the vigorous activity of people that the heterogeneous composition was "enriched" with dangerous impurities.

The main pollutants in this case are chemical plants, the fuel and energy complex, agriculture and cars. They lead to the appearance of copper, mercury, and other metals in the air. Of course, in industrial areas, air pollution is felt most of all.

Thermal power plants bring light and heat to our homes, however, in parallel, they emit a huge amount of carbon dioxide and soot into the atmosphere.
Acid rain is caused by waste from chemical plants, such as sulfur oxide or nitrogen oxide. These oxides can react with other elements of the biosphere, which contributes to the appearance of more destructive compounds.

Modern cars are quite good in design and technical specifications, but the problem with the atmosphere has not yet been solved. Ash and fuel processing products not only spoil the atmosphere of cities, but also settle on the soil and make it unusable.

In many industrial and industrial areas, use has become an integral part of life precisely because of the pollution of the environment by factories and transport. Therefore, if you are concerned about the state of air in your apartment, with the help of a breather you can create a healthy microclimate at home, which, unfortunately, does not cancel the glider problems of environmental pollution, but at least allows you to protect yourself and loved ones.

Environmental pollution is global problem modernity, which is regularly discussed in the news and scientific circles. Set created international organizations aimed at combating the deterioration natural conditions. Scientists have long sounded the alarm about the inevitability of an environmental catastrophe in the very near future.

At the moment, a lot is known about environmental pollution - a large number of scientific works and books, numerous studies have been carried out. But in solving the problem, mankind has advanced very little. Pollution of nature still remains an important and urgent issue, the postponement of which can be tragic.

History of biosphere pollution

In connection with the intensive industrialization of society, environmental pollution has become especially aggravated in recent decades. However, despite this fact, natural pollution is one of the most ancient problems in human history. Even in the era of primitive life, people began to barbarously destroy forests, exterminate animals and change the landscape of the earth to expand the territory of residence and obtain valuable resources.

Even then, this led to climate change and other environmental problems. The growth of the planet's population and the progress of civilizations was accompanied by increased mining, drainage of water bodies, as well as chemical pollution of the biosphere. The Industrial Revolution marked not only new era in the social order, but also a new wave of pollution.

With the development of science and technology, scientists have received tools that make it possible to accurately and thoroughly analyze the ecological state of the planet. Weather reports, monitoring of the chemical composition of air, water and soil, satellite data, as well as smoking pipes everywhere and oil slicks on the water, indicate that the problem is rapidly aggravating with the expansion of the technosphere. No wonder the appearance of man is called the main ecological catastrophe.

Classification of nature pollution

There are several classifications of environmental pollution based on their source, direction, and other factors.

So, the following types of environmental pollution are distinguished:

• Biological - the source of pollution is living organisms, it can occur due to natural causes or as a result of anthropogenic activities.
• Physical - leads to a change in the corresponding characteristics of the environment. Physical pollution includes thermal, radiation, noise and others.
• Chemical - an increase in the content of substances or their penetration into the environment. Leads to a change in the normal chemical composition of resources.
• Mechanical - pollution of the biosphere with garbage.

In fact, one type of pollution may be accompanied by another or several at once.

The gaseous shell of the planet is an integral participant in natural processes, determines the thermal background and climate of the Earth, protects against destructive cosmic radiation, and affects relief formation.

The composition of the atmosphere has changed throughout the historical development of the planet. The current situation is such that part of the volume of the gas envelope is determined by human economic activity. The composition of air is heterogeneous and differs depending on geographical location in industrial areas and major cities high levels of contaminants.

The main sources of chemical pollution of the atmosphere:

• chemical plants;
• enterprises of the fuel and energy complex;
• transport.

These pollutants cause heavy metals such as lead, mercury, chromium, and copper to be present in the atmosphere. They are permanent components of the air in industrial areas.

Modern power plants emit hundreds of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every day, as well as soot, dust and ash.

The increase in the number of cars in settlements has led to an increase in the concentration of a number of harmful gases in the air, which are part of the engine exhaust. Anti-knock additives added to vehicle fuels release large amounts of lead. Cars produce dust and ash, which pollute not only the air, but also the soil, settling on the ground.

The atmosphere is also polluted by very toxic gases emitted by the chemical industry. Wastes from chemical plants, such as nitrogen and sulfur oxides, are the cause of acid rain and are capable of reacting with biospheric components to form other hazardous derivatives.

As a result of human activities, forest fires regularly occur, during which huge amounts of carbon dioxide are released.

Soil is a thin layer of the lithosphere, formed as a result of natural factors, in which most of the exchange processes between living and non-living systems take place.

Due to the extraction of natural resources, mining, the construction of buildings, roads and airfields, large-scale areas of soil are being destroyed.

Irrational human economic activity has caused the degradation of the fertile layer of the earth. Changes his natural chemical composition mechanical contamination occurs. Intensive development Agriculture leading to significant loss of land. Frequent plowing makes them vulnerable to flooding, salinization and winds, which cause soil erosion.

The abundant use of fertilizers, insecticides, and chemical poisons to kill pests and cleanse weeds leads to the ingress of toxic compounds that are unnatural for it into the soil. As a result of anthropogenic activity, chemical pollution of lands by heavy metals and their derivatives occurs. The main harmful element is lead, as well as its compounds. When processing lead ores, about 30 kilograms of metal is thrown out from each ton. Automobile exhaust containing a large amount of this metal settles in the soil, poisoning the organisms living in it. Drains of liquid waste from mines contaminate the earth with zinc, copper and other metals.

Power plants, radioactive fallout from nuclear explosions, research centers for the study atomic energy are the cause of radioactive isotopes entering the soil, which then enter the human body with food.

The reserves of metals concentrated in the bowels of the earth are dissipated as a result of human production activity. Then they concentrate in the topsoil. In ancient times, man used 18 elements from the earth's crust, and today - all known.

Today, the water shell of the earth is much more polluted than one can imagine. Oil slicks and bottles floating on the surface are just what you can see. A significant part of the pollutants is in a dissolved state.

Water damage can occur naturally. As a result of mudflows and floods, magnesium is washed out of the mainland soil, which enters water bodies and harms fish. As a result of chemical transformations, aluminum penetrates into fresh water. But natural pollution is negligible compared to anthropogenic pollution. Through the fault of man, the following fall into the water:

• surface-active compounds;
• pesticides;
• phosphates, nitrates and other salts;
• medicines;
• oil products;
• radioactive isotopes.

The sources of these pollutants are farms, fisheries, oil platforms, power plants, chemical industries, and sewage.

Acid rain, which is also the result of human activity, dissolves the soil, washing away heavy metals.

In addition to chemical pollution of water, there is physical, namely thermal. Most of the water is used in the production of electricity. Thermal stations use it to cool turbines, and the heated waste liquid is drained into reservoirs.

Mechanical deterioration of water quality household waste in settlements leads to a reduction in the habitats of living beings. Some species are dying.

Polluted water is the main cause of most diseases. As a result of liquid poisoning, many living beings die, the ocean ecosystem suffers, and the normal course of natural processes is disrupted. Pollutants eventually enter the human body.

Pollution control

In order to avoid an ecological catastrophe, the fight against physical pollution must be a top priority. The problem must be solved at the international level, because nature has no state borders. To prevent pollution, it is necessary to impose sanctions on enterprises that emit waste into the environment, to impose large fines for placing garbage in the wrong place. Incentives to comply with environmental safety standards can also be implemented through financial methods. This approach has proven effective in some countries.

A promising direction in the fight against pollution is the use of alternative energy sources. The use of solar panels, hydrogen fuel and other energy-saving technologies will reduce the release of toxic compounds into the atmosphere.

Other pollution control methods include:

• construction of treatment facilities;
• creation of national parks and reserves;
• increase in the number of green spaces;
• population control in third world countries;
• drawing public attention to the problem.

Environmental pollution is a massive world problem, which can be solved only with the active participation of everyone who calls the planet Earth their home, otherwise an ecological catastrophe will be inevitable.