At all stages of development, man was closely connected with nature. But as the industrial society emerges and forms, pollution is increasingly becoming a problem in the modern world. environment.

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

natural causes

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

The first type is in no way connected with the activities of people and occurs according to certain laws of nature. It should be noted that pollution of this type took place long before mankind appeared, so the environment copes with such "garbage" perfectly.

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

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, the gas accumulates and all animals and birds that enter the area die. Scientists involved in the study of Death Valley, not only study this phenomenon, but also clear the territory of corpses. This is necessary due to the fact that scavengers do not come to the valley, which can harm not only living animals, but also spread the infection from the dead. 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 resembling blood. This happens due to the reproduction of a certain type of algae, which are very toxic in nature. Poisonous substances enter the food chain into the inhabitants of the sea, causing the latter to die.

There are cases when the crews of ships passing in such areas received severe poisoning by eating fish or shellfish caught in "poisonous" places. Scientists attribute the appearance of toxic algae to a large amount of chemical releases into the ocean waters.

Anthropogenic sources

The saturation of nature with harmful substances by man deserves special attention, since it is not limited to decomposition or fires through the fault of people. The classification of types of environmental pollution in this case may be as follows:

Fallout;

Inorganic water pollution;

organic;

Thermal views;

Soil pollution;

Saturation with pesticides;

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

All of these methods are types of anthropogenic pollution of the environment, that is, the result of human activity.

Aerosol emissions

In the atmosphere, in connection with the functioning of mankind, there is a mass of impurities that can be called technogenic 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 technogenic dust are metallurgical plants, oil refineries, soot and other similar plants 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.

During the formation of artificial embankments (dumps) from overburden during mining, a huge amount of processing results is emitted into the atmosphere. Harmful particles are released into the environment and during blasting.

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

Aerosol can also be called types of environmental pollution by transport. As a result of the combustion of a substance (gasoline or diesel fuel), gases are released: carbon oxides, hydrocarbons and nitrogen. The duration of these mixtures 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. The result is a photochemical reaction of nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons and other harmful substances.

Fog, thus, represents such a category of saturation with harmful substances, which is contained in the types of chemical pollution of the environment.

The chain reaction of converting nitrogen dioxide into nitrogen oxide and atomic oxygen should result in ozone (a combination of molecular and atomic oxygen). The reaction of nitrogen oxidation with this compound should give molecular oxygen and, as a result, nitrogen dioxide. However, ozone, when it occurs, 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 the inhabitants, as a result of which a person can die.

Fallout

This type of pollution is the most dangerous for mankind and for all living things in the world. Precipitation, which contains radioactive particles, is atmospheric moisture and dust.

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

Due to the radionucleotides contained in the air, they 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, destroying it gradually from the inside.

Inorganic types

Types of environmental pollution are also represented by inorganic "methods".

In connection with the development of industry, wastes that are generated during the activities of factories and enterprises for the harvesting and processing of timber, during the performance of work in mines, in mines, as well as as a result of the use of transport, enter the water.

For example, wastewater that then enters water bodies contains a large number of residues of synthetic detergents. These elements, getting into the water treatment system, are not removed and returned to the water supply.

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

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

Chemical pollution tends to change the pH of water to such a state that the inhabitants of the aquatic environment cannot live and multiply in such water.

However, many invertebrate organisms that inhabit the water element are able to accumulate radioactive elements and poisons in themselves. That is why they serve as an indicator of what the main types of environmental pollution caused the pollution of the reservoir.

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

Organic "garbage"

Types of pollution of the environment surrounding a person include their organic nature. These include oil, consisting mainly of saturated hydrocarbons.

In the presence of 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 with a thin black-brown film, and therefore the natural streamlining of the plumage surface of birds (or fish scales) is disturbed.

Long before people learned how to extract this natural resource, oil also hit the surface of the water. However, in the seas and oceans, there are microscopic bacteria that can process "black gold", 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 stains is the huge amount of oil that spills out during the collapse of tankers or accidents on platforms. Bacteria do not have time to process it, and a combustible substance can get into other water bodies over the course, spreading through the oceans.

thermal type

Emissions of thermally 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 small 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 the temperature of the liquid in reservoirs leads to an artificial limitation of water exchange between the surface and the bottom.

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

Soil pollution

The soil of the Earth is the most important component of the biosphere. This shell accumulates not only organic matter, 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 a special kind of substances (pesticides) require special attention from scientists.

Pesticide pollution

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

Although this group of chemicals is important element in agriculture for 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 have entered and, like radioactive elements, destroy human health from the inside, and also lead to the death of many microorganisms. Violation 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 imbalance and, as a result, natural selection. Along the food chain, chemicals penetrate the human body and are found not only in the internal organs of adults, but also in newborns. This means that pesticides accumulated in the course of life can be transmitted vertically from mother to child.

To date, such chemicals are being developed and tested, which, after application, having had the necessary effect, independently decompose into safe elements. At the same time, it is important to observe the order of the chemical reaction, excluding the presence of such catalysts that could disrupt the natural course of decomposition of harmful substances into elemental ones.

acid rain

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

When burning combustible materials intended for domestic and industrial needs, 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.

With the 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. Being exposed to acid rain, a person can not only lose part of his hair or ruin his hat, but also get burned on his face or entire body.

Acid, falling out, harms not only people, but also the soil, that is, it causes environmental pollution. Types of pollution that are associated with the characteristics of the circulation of water in nature cause a glut of the earth with these compounds. The soil in the future is not able to retain useful natural properties. In the event that vegetation appears on such soil, which is then taken as food, it can be detrimental to human health.

In addition, acid rainwater, penetrating deep into the soil, enters the groundwater. It is they who spread chemical compounds over long distances, which in the future can harm even those areas that are far enough away from the area where acid rain fell.

Noise pollution

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

In connection with these features of human essence, it is possible to single out the environment, which cannot be seen.

The noise produced by numerous factories, machinery, 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 natural functioning 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 all of them are associated with 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, the system often weakens, important food and other chains break, 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) withstand the destructive action of the most powerful substances.

But do not forget that our Earth is not adapted to absorb the "conveniences" of civilization, therefore, today, not new chemically hazardous substances are being developed, but their neutralizers.

The latest preparations or cultures of microorganisms are designed not only not to cause harm, but also to contribute to the fastest decomposition into safe elements of those substances that are planned to be used.

Sakhalin buckwheat

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

According to the results of numerous experiments, such plants can “pick up” 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 ranges where chemical weapons were tested showed that 2 years after the buckwheat was planted in the ground, the soil was completely clean.

Pollution of the natural environment is a physical and chemical change in the composition of a natural substance (air, water, soil), which threatens the state of health and life of a person, his natural environment. Pollution can be cosmic - natural, which the earth receives in significant quantities from space, from volcanic eruptions, and anthropogenic, committed as a result of human economic activity. Consider the second type of pollution committed by the will of man.

Anthropogenic pollution of the environment is divided into several types. These are dust, gas, chemical (including soil pollution with chemicals), aromatic, thermal (changes in water temperature), which adversely affects the life of aquatic animals. The source of environmental pollution is human economic activity (industry, agriculture, transport). Depending on the region, the share of one or another source of pollution can vary significantly. Thus, in cities the largest specific gravity from pollution gives transport. Its share in environmental pollution is 70-80%. Among industrial enterprises, metallurgical enterprises are considered the most "dirty". They pollute the environment by 34%. They are followed by energy companies, primarily thermal power plants, which pollute the environment by 27%. The remaining percentages fall on enterprises of the chemical (9%), oil (12%) and gas (7%) industries.

In recent years, agriculture has taken the lead in pollution. This is due to two circumstances. The first is an increase in the construction of large livestock complexes in the absence of any treatment of the resulting waste and their disposal, and the second is an increase in the use of mineral fertilizers and pesticides, which, together with rain flows and groundwater, enter rivers and lakes, causing serious damage to large river basins, their fish stocks and vegetation.

Every year, more than 20 tons of waste falls on one inhabitant of the Earth. The main objects of pollution are atmospheric air, water bodies, including the World Ocean, soils. Every day, thousands and thousands of tons of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur and other harmful substances are emitted into the atmosphere. And only 10% of this amount is absorbed by plants. Sulfur oxide (sulphurous gas) is the main pollutant, the source of which is thermal power plants, boiler houses, and metallurgical plants.

The concentration of sulfur dioxide in nitrogen oxides generates acid rain, which destroys crops, vegetation, and adversely affects the state of fish stocks. Along with sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, which is formed as a result of combustion, has a negative impact on the state of the atmosphere. Its sources are thermal power plants, metallurgical plants, transport. For all previous years, the share carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increased by 20% and continues to increase by 0.2% per year. If such growth rates are maintained, by the year 2000 the proportion of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will increase by 30-40%.

Such a physicochemical change in the atmosphere can lead to the phenomenon of the greenhouse effect. Its essence is that the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the upper layers of the atmosphere will interfere with the normal process of heat exchange between the Earth and Space, will restrain the heat accumulated by the Earth as a result of economic activity and due to certain natural causes, for example, volcanic eruptions.

The greenhouse effect is expressed in temperature increase, weather and climate change. We are already seeing similar phenomena. With modern anthropogenic loads, the temperature will rise by 0.5° every 10 years. The consequences of such a change in temperature are expressed in the rise in the level of the World Ocean and the flooding of part of the land, settlements. I must say that in 100 years the level of the World Ocean has risen by 10-12 cm, but with the greenhouse effect, such a rise can be accelerated by 10 times.

Another consequence of the greenhouse effect may be an increase in land desertification. Already, 6 million hectares of land annually turn into desert.

The state of the Earth's ozone layer is associated with atmospheric pollution, the main function of which is to protect humans and the Earth's natural environment from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation from space. Under the influence of ozone-depleting substances - fleron, freon, chlorine, carbon emitted by refrigeration units, cars, etc., this layer is gradually destroyed, in particular, in some places over densely populated areas, its thickness has decreased by 3%. It is known that the reduction of the ozone layer by 1% leads to an increase in the incidence of skin cancer by 6%.

Other equally important objects of pollution are reservoirs, rivers, lakes, and the World Ocean. Billions of tons of liquid and solid waste are dumped into the oceans every year. Among these wastes, oil that enters the ocean from ships, as a result of oil production in the marine environment, and also as a result of numerous tanker accidents, excels. An oil spill leads to the formation of an oil film in the ocean, the death of the living resources of the sea, including algae, plangton, which produce oxygen.

Oxygen in the atmosphere is replenished from two sources - vegetation (about 40%) and the oceans (60%). In the oceans, oxygen is produced by the smallest organisms - plangton. The death of plangton under the oil film reduces the ability of the ocean to replenish the Earth's atmosphere with oxygen reserves. As a result of oil and other pollution of the World Ocean, such negative phenomena are observed as the reproduction of unicellular golden algae, which, in the process of its development, absorbs oxygen and releases carbon dioxide. She is very prolific and develops at lightning speed. Usually its belt is up to 10 km wide and 35 m thick; speed of 25 km per day. In the process of movement, this mass of algae destroys all living life in the ocean - both plant and animal. Such phenomena are observed in the North Sea, in the south of Scandinavia.

In addition, pollution of the oceans leads not only to a reduction in food resources, fish stocks, but also to their contamination with substances harmful to humans. It was found that, for example, Baltic cod has up to 80 milligrams of mercury per 1 kg of weight, i.e. 5-8 times more than in a medical thermometer.

Chemicals used in agriculture have become a massive source of environmental pollution: mineral fertilizers, pesticides, growth stimulants. Over 5 million various kinds of chemicals and compounds are now distributed on the planet. The toxicity of their action is little studied (about 40 thousand substances).

These and other consequences of environmental pollution ultimately have a negative impact on the physical health of a person, on his nervous, mental state, and on the health of future generations. Some data: 20% of the population is constantly exposed to allergies as a result of the harmful effects of environmental pollution; 25,000 people die every day around the globe due to bad water, i.e. water, which contains concentrations of harmful substances in large doses; 35% of the population of industrial cities systematically suffer from various kinds of diseases caused by environmental pollution.

Depletion and destruction of the natural environment.

As a result of economic activity, there is a gradual depletion of the natural environment, i.e. the loss of those natural resources that serve as a source of human economic activity. We have already spoken about deforestation. The loss of forests is not only the loss of oxygen, but also of the most important economic resources necessary for a person for further activities.

At the current rate of consumption, the proven reserves of coal, oil, natural gas and other minerals are being used up at a faster rate than before, and the amount of these reserves is declining catastrophically. True, society has the prospect of using other, new types of energy, in particular, atomic energy, hydrogen energy, the reserves of which are inexhaustible. But use atomic energy for peaceful purposes, on a large scale, is hampered by the unresolved problem of the disposal of waste from the nuclear industry. The development of hydrogen as an energy source is theoretically permissible and possible, but practically, more precisely, technologically, this problem has not yet been solved at the level of industrial production.

The rate of consumption of fresh water is increasing, which leads to the depletion of non-renewable water resources. For example, we can cite the following data: for all needs per day, one person spends an average of 150-200 liters of water; metropolitan resident 200-300 l; a resident of Moscow consumes 500-600 liters per day. Some countries are completely deprived of fresh water and use imported water. An attempt to solve the problem of providing fresh water by transporting icebergs from northern countries to southern countries, in particular Africa, was unsuccessful. Processing of sea water is underway in the city of Shevchenko in the Caspian Sea, but so far this problem of industrial desalination of sea water has not been widely developed not only in our country, but throughout the world. There are some difficulties here: for consumption, desalinated water needs to be diluted with ordinary water, and only in such a mixture can it be used for its intended purpose.

Depletion and pollution of the natural environment lead to the destruction of ecological ties, the formation of regions and regions with a completely or partially degraded natural environment that is not capable of exchanging substances and energy. The most striking example of such degradation is the Aral, which is slowly dying due to the lack of the necessary water flow from two powerful Central Asian rivers. The steppes of Kalmykia have been degraded as a result of the irrational use of land, overloading with grazing, which completely deprived the soil of vegetation that held the soil cover.

Pollution of the Earth's atmosphere- bringing new uncharacteristic physical, chemical and biological substances into the atmospheric air or changing their natural concentration.

Types of pollution

According to the sources of pollution, there are two types of air pollution

natural

anthropogenic

According to the nature of the pollutant, air pollution can be of three types:

physical - mechanical (dust, solid particles), radioactive (radioactive radiation and isotopes), electromagnetic (various types of electromagnetic waves, including radio waves), noise (various loud sounds and low-frequency vibrations) and thermal pollution (for example, emissions of warm air and etc.)

chemical - pollution by gaseous substances and aerosols. To date, the main chemical air pollutants are: carbon monoxide (IV), nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, hydrocarbons, aldehydes, heavy metals (Pb, Cu, Zn, Cd, Cr), ammonia, dust and radioactive isotopes

biological - mainly microbial contamination. For example, air pollution by vegetative forms and spores of bacteria and fungi, viruses, as well as their toxins and waste products.

Stopping pollution is essential to save our planet and to ensure the health and well-being of people. The air and water are poisoned with dangerous chemicals, and if nothing is done, the Earth will lose its beauty and diversity. In this article, we'll walk you through some of the ways you can do your part to stop pollution.

Steps

Vehicle selection

If possible, walk or ride a bike. Ditching your car for short trips is a great way to improve ecological situation. If you don't have much distance to go and the weather is nice, go for a walk or bike. So you will not only help stop environmental pollution, but also get useful physical activity.

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

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

Pass regularly Maintenance your vehicle to ensure the correct operation of the engine and components. If a technical condition your car will be excellent, it will reduce carbon emissions and also help prevent other problems with the car.

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

1. Drive carefully because dangerous driving style contributes to environmental pollution. Driving safely will also save you money by reducing your fuel consumption.

   • Accelerate gradually, lightly pressing on the gas pedal.
   • Do not exceed the permitted speed.
   • Maintain a constant speed (try using cruise control if you have one).
   • Get ready to slow down.

2. Buy a hybrid car or an electric car. Electric vehicles run entirely 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 vehicles help reduce pollution. Although a hybrid car uses gasoline, such cars save fuel and produce fewer emissions (compared to conventional cars).

   • Keep in mind that electric and hybrid vehicles are more expensive than most conventional vehicles.

   Choice of food

   1. Buy local produce whenever possible. Transporting food around the country and around the world consumes a significant amount of fuel, which leads to air pollution. Therefore, buy products made locally and grown on nearby farms, and not food that is brought in from other regions. If a farmer or gardener sells their own produce, ask how they grow it to learn about their efforts to prevent pollution.

      • Go to the farmers' market to interact with the direct food producers.
      • Find products made or grown locally at a nearby store.
      • In large grocery stores, look for products made in your area.

   2. Limit or eliminate the consumption of animal products made in large factories. This refers to meat, milk, cheese and eggs. Such enterprises greatly pollute the environment - the waste of some of them is comparable to the waste of a small city. To do your part in protecting the environment, do not buy or eat food from animal sources produced by large enterprises.

      • If you cannot give up animal products, reduce your consumption of them, for example, to 1-2 times a week.
      • If you would like to provide more great help in the fight for a cleaner environment, consider becoming a vegetarian or vegan.

   3. Eat organically grown fruits and vegetables. Such products are grown by farmers using production methods that do not harm the environment. For example, such farmers do not use chemical pesticides that pollute groundwater. By buying organically grown fruits and vegetables, you are contributing to the development of sustainable farming practices.

      • Look for fruits, vegetables, and other products labeled Organic.

   4. Grow your own fruits and vegetables. Set up a garden or garden on your own plot, and you will contribute to the protection of the environment. Plants and trees convert carbon into oxygen, which reduces the amount of polluted air. Moreover, the fruits and vegetables you grow will replace the products from the store, which require a lot of fuel to transport.

      • If you are unfamiliar with gardening, start small. Start by planting some tomatoes, lettuce, and cucumbers in your yard. With the acquisition of experience and skills, gradually expand the area of ​​\u200b\u200byour garden.

   Choice of energy source

   1. When leaving the room, turn off the lights and electrical appliances. To save more energy, you can unplug electrical appliances from the outlet. 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 result in significant energy savings. It is recommended to do the following:

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

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

      Think about alternative energy sources. If you live in your own home or are planning to build one, consider installing solar panels or a wind turbine.

      Consider switching to a different energy source. This means switching from a non-renewable source (such as gas) to a renewable source (electricity). Let's say if you're 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 a stove with an electric one, 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 that pollute the environment, as well as save money. You can find used item ads online or in local newspapers.

   Buy reusable items. The use of disposable cups, plates, food containers leads to severe environmental pollution (due to the multiple increase in waste). So buy reusable items.

   Buy items with minimal packaging. The production of food packaging uses a lot of raw materials and electricity. Buy products in minimal or no packaging (i.e. by weight).

   • Do not buy items packaged in Styrofoam. 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 emitted into the atmosphere.

   1. Recycle everything that can be recycled. If possible, do not buy products that do not have a triangle with arrows on their packaging, which indicates that these products can be recycled. Also avoid products made from multiple different materials(Such products are difficult to dispose of).

      • 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 donate, for example, waste paper or plastic bottles.

   2. Buy products made from recycled materials. In this way, you will help reduce the demand for new materials that pollute the environment.

      • Look for products labeled "Made from recycled materials."
      • Products made from recycled materials often carry percentages indicating the amount of recycled material from the total raw material. Look for items with high percentages.

   Preventing chemicals from entering the water supply

   1. Use fewer chemicals. The chemicals we use in cleaning, hygienic care, and car washing are washed down the drain, but often end up in the water supply. Such chemicals are harmful not only to 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 a bathroom, you can make a solution of vinegar and water or baking soda, salt and water. These natural ingredients are great cleaners, but they don't contaminate the water when flushed down the drain.
      • Try making your own laundry detergent and dishwashing detergent. If you don't have time, buy a cleanser made from natural ingredients.
      • If you can't find a natural alternative, use chemicals as little as possible.

   2. Do not use pesticides and herbicides. These chemicals are sprayed above the ground and enter the groundwater when it rains. Pesticides and herbicides protect crops from pests, but they harm the environment by seeping into the groundwater that people and animals need to survive.

      Do not flush medicines down the drain. Disinfection systems cannot completely remove the residues of medical products from the water, which negatively affects every person who drinks such water. Each medicine has specific disposal instructions. If you need to throw away medicines, figure out how to do it right (don't flush medicines down the drain!).

      • Some medicines are recommended to be rinsed off 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.

   3. Dispose of toxic waste properly. Some substances should not be disposed of in the trash as they seep into the ground and pollute groundwater. If you are unsure how to dispose of the toxic chemicals you have, contact the appropriate service provider for instructions on how to dispose of them.

   4. Save water. Remember that water is the most valuable resource, and its overuse negatively affects the environment. AT Everyday life you can easily reduce your water consumption and improve your region's ecosystem. Here's what to do:

      • Fix water leaks promptly.
      • Install water-saving nozzles on faucets.
      • Turn off the water when washing dishes.
      • Replace your old toilet with a new one that uses less water.
      • Don't water your lawn too much.

   Involving other people in the fight for a clean environment

   1. Find out which businesses in your area pollute the environment the most. Search the Internet for the necessary information or talk to people who will tell you about it. Gather as much data as possible to get a better idea of ​​the current situation.

      • While individuals can fight pollution to the best of their ability, the main source of it is businesses. Therefore, be sure to find out who or what causes the main harm to the environment.

There are natural pollution resulting from powerful natural processes (volcanic eruption, forest fires, weathering, erosion, etc.) without any human intervention, and anthropogenic pollution, which is the result of economic activity. Pollution is divided into three main types: physical, biological and chemical. The most dangerous for natural ecosystems and humans is precisely chemical pollution, since as a result of it various toxicants enter the environment: polychlorinated dioxins, organochlorine pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, nitrosamines, radionuclides, heavy metals, etc. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) , out of more than 6 million known chemical compounds, only about 500 thousand are used in practice; of these, about 40 thousand have properties harmful to humans, and 12 thousand are toxic. Many chemicals have carcinogenic and mutagenic properties, among which 200 items are especially dangerous: benzene, asbestos, benzapyrene, pesticides, heavy metals (especially mercury, lead, cadmium), various dyes and nutritional supplements. The danger of toxic substances for humans is largely determined by the ability of the latter to cumulate (Cumulation is the accumulation of a biologically active substance or the effects it causes during repeated exposure to medicinal substances and poisons on the body). Accumulating in the human body, toxicants can lead to various disease states long after their exposure. In addition, toxic substances can lead to various malformations, deformities and hereditary diseases.

Industry

Any human production activity has a negative impact on the natural environment, its resources and processes. Industrial enterprises are divided into mining and processing. The latter are divided into heavy and light industry.

Mining enterprises, ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, chemical and oil refining industries, pulp and paper mills, all types of power plants are characterized by a high level of anthropogenic impact on the environment.

Problems of all industrial enterprises - the formation of a large amount of waste:

1) emissions into the atmospheric air;
2) sewage and solid waste production.

The reduction in the areas of forests, savannahs, steppes in connection with the rapid construction of cities, large industrial enterprises and highways entails a decrease in the supply of oxygen to the atmosphere. Millions of tons of sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, nitrogen dioxide, hydrocarbons, ozone, ammonia, carbon monoxide and dust enter the atmosphere every year.

Mining and processing enterprises use large amounts of water for industrial purposes. This circumstance entails the formation of wastewater contaminated with a variety of substances, the entry of which into water bodies is fraught with disastrous consequences for their inhabitants. Oil products, compounds of copper, iron, zinc, surfactants, phosphorus, phenol, ammonium and nitrite nitrogen are discharged into surface waters. Very often, these and other harmful substances are in the composition groundwater, where they seep from the places of burial of industrial and agricultural waste.

Development of large mineral deposits, as well as mining building materials destroy natural landscapes, destroy the soil cover, disturb the hydrological balance of groundwater.

Industrial enterprises pollute the natural environment with radioactive substances. A special type of pollution is noise and vibration generated by industrial installations and transport.

Transport

Transport, being a very important link in the world economy, has a sharply negative impact on the quality of the environment. It manifests itself in the chemical pollution of the environment by the exhaust gases of internal combustion engines; noise pollution; land acquisition for road construction. Each mode of transport has a specific impact on the environment.

Road transport is one of the most significant sources of air pollution. This effect is especially noticeable within large cities. Air transport has a similar impact on the environment.

Excess air from car exhaust caused a European flood: a flood in Germany, Czechoslovakia, France, Italy, in the Krasnodar Territory, Adygea. Drought and smog in the central regions of the European part of Russia, in the Moscow region. The flood can be explained by the fact that, in addition to atmospheric currents and fluctuations in air flows, powerful streams of hot air from automobile CO2 exhaust and H2O exhaust gases from Central and Eastern Europe were added, where the growth in the number of cars exceeded all allowable norms. The number of cars on highways and cities has increased 5 times, as a result of this, the thermal heating of air and its volume from automobile exhaust vapors have sharply increased. If the heating of the atmosphere by car was significantly less than the heating of the Earth's surface from the sun, the number of moving cars has increased so many times that the heating of the atmosphere from cars becomes commensurate with the heating from the sun and sharply disrupts the climate of the atmosphere.

True, the aircraft fleet is much smaller than the automobile fleet, but the influence of only one airliner on the atmosphere is equivalent to the influence of almost 8 thousand cars. In addition, air transport is characterized by the highest degree of noise impact, which is especially noticeable during takeoff and landing, when the aircraft is near the ground.

Water modes of transport mainly affect the hydrosphere of the planet. Oil pollution of the oceans and inland waters, which has already been mentioned above, is associated, in particular, with the operation of this type of transport.

Modern rail transport has almost no direct impact on the environment. But it is associated with a significant withdrawal of land for the construction of roads, as well as clogging of areas adjacent to the railways.

Agriculture

Of all types of economic activity, agriculture has the greatest impact on the environment. The main reason is that agricultural activities require the development of vast territories. There are not many undeveloped areas in the world suitable for agricultural activities. There are many factors hindering the cultivation of new plots of land. These include poor soil quality, arid climate, lack of infrastructure, and environmental restrictions. Modern agriculture has caused significant damage to the environment, primarily due to deforestation for crop areas. In many regions, further clearing of forests for arable land could lead to ecological disaster.

In the process of agricultural use in soils, the content of individual nutrients that plants need for full growth decreases, so mineral fertilizers play an extremely important role in agriculture. The application of mineral fertilizers is necessary not only for countries such as China, where the amount of land resources is constantly decreasing due to the growth of urbanization, but also for such countries as Brazil, where there is an increase in sown areas due to the development of new territories. Since the amount of organic fertilizers is very limited, the improvement of the fertile qualities of the soil is possible only through the application of mineral fertilizers derived from phosphorites, potassium chloride and natural gas.

The use of fertilizers must be balanced, taking into account their interaction with environmental objects. Violation of the requirements for the use of fertilizers, primarily nitrogen and non-litter manure, not only negatively affects water bodies, water sources, vegetation, but often leads to an increased content of compounds harmful to humans and animals in crop products.

Excessive application of fertilizers (primarily nitrogenous), especially with improper, untimely application, can lead to pollution of water bodies, groundwater, an increase in the content of nitrates, sulfates, chlorides and other compounds in them above the permissible level. This is especially true for regions with high rainfall.

An increase in the concentration of nutrients in water bodies causes their eutrophication. Eutrophication is the process of water enrichment with nutrients, primarily nitrogen and phosphorus, by anthropogenic or natural means. The most undesirable consequence of eutrophication is the overdevelopment of algae in water bodies, which causes them to bloom. There is also an overgrowth of coastal flora, which gradually leads to a reduction in area and swamping of water bodies.

Military activities

War is always chaos and death. War harms not only humanity, but also the environment - it destroys the soil, harms animals, birds, fish. Man lives in constant fear, hunger, lack of water. In wartime, human rights and freedoms are violated, especially the most important thing - the right to life. However, during the war, the country is choked in a wave of patriotism. A kind of upsurge of culture begins. Science and military technology are developing. True, not every military invention of mankind is remarkable. For example, nuclear weapons were a mistake, because if someone ever uses them, it will lead to the destruction or mutation of all life on earth, and there may be a complete destruction of a person as a current one. The world has already once been on the verge of such an event in 1962, when the Third World War was a matter of seconds.

Conducting any military operations leads to the destruction of the environment. Since, for example, high-explosive weapons can cause great damage to both the soil and vegetation cover and the inhabitants of forests and fields. Also, chemical, incendiary, gas weapons radically harm the environment. All these impacts on the environment, which are growing as the economic power of man increases, lead to the fact that nature does not have time to compensate for the destructive consequences of human economic activity.

The use of natural objects for military purposes is the use of them to defeat the enemy. The simplest common ways are poisoning water sources and fires. The first method is the most common due to its simplicity and efficiency. Another method - fires - was also often used in war. The inhabitants of the steppes had a special passion for this method: it is understandable - in the steppe, fire quickly spreads over vast territories, and even if the enemy does not die in the fire, he will be destroyed by the lack of water, food and feed for livestock. They also burned forests, of course, but this is less effective in terms of defeating the enemy, and was usually used for other purposes.

Another reason is the huge graves that remain at the sites of major battles (for example, during the battle on the Kulikovo field, 120,000 people died). When a huge number of corpses decompose, poisons are formed, which, with rain or groundwater get into water bodies, poisoning them. The same poisons kill animals at the burial site. They are all the more dangerous because their action can begin both immediately and only after many years.

Modern armed forces have a significant and dangerous impact on the environment: pollution of territories by military vehicles, forest fires during firing, destruction of the ozone layer during rocket launches and flights of military aircraft, radioactive contamination of the environment by nuclear submarines (they pose a danger as components of spent nuclear fuel , and radiation-contaminated hulls of decommissioned nuclear submarines, the disposal of which is carried out at great expense).

Besides, in recent times cases of accidents in depots of aging ammunition have become more frequent, as a result of which fires have destroyed a significant area of ​​​​forests in the territories adjacent to the depots.

Warehouses where components of nuclear weapons (warheads, rocket fuel, and so on) are stored are a constant threat. Potential sources of radioactive contamination of the environment are sunken submarines with nuclear installations.

However, the main environmental issues that are generated by the armed forces are the consequences of nuclear weapons testing, military ecocide in Indochina and the Persian Gulf, the problems of storage and destruction of chemical weapons, as well as solid and, especially, liquid fuels of combat missiles.

Utilities

Housing and communal services (HCS) enterprises are the main sources of polluted wastewater entering surface water bodies. Emergency pollution of water sources is accompanied by the shutdown of urban and rural water intakes, violation of the water supply regime. The location of industrial enterprises and other environmentally hazardous facilities in the zones of sanitary protection of drinking water sources has led to the fact that all water taken from surface sources is subjected to special treatment. In most countries, there is a shortage of water supply facilities. As a result, people are forced to use water for household and drinking needs that does not meet sanitary and hygienic requirements.

Depreciation of water supply and sewerage systems is increasing every year, which leads to volley discharges of polluted wastewater, causing extremely high pollution of water bodies, as well as outbreaks infectious diseases. More than a third of all water networks require complete replacement; Breakthroughs, shutdowns and accidents cause not only water losses, but also a temporary interruption of water supply.

Happiness - no matter what anyone says, the goal of life of every person. But is it so difficult to achieve this goal? People strive to become happy, but they neglect simple joys, which together can give this feeling. Here are some ways to help you feel happier.

Do you want to become a healthy person? If you follow the advice given in this article, then you can say with full confidence that you will become healthier than you were before. At first glance, they seem simple, but start doing them and you will be amazed at the real changes in your health and condition.

Resentment is not an incorrigible, pathological character trait, it can and should be corrected. Resentment is a person's reaction to a discrepancy with his expectations. It can be anything: a word, an act, or a sharp glance. Frequent grievances lead to bodily illnesses, psychological problems and the inability to build harmonious relationships with others. Do you want to stop being offended and learn to understand your grievances? Then let's look at how this can be done.

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Many have seen from their own experience that the power of positive thinking is great. Positive thinking allows you to achieve success in any business, even the most hopeless. Why does not everyone have positive thinking, since it is a direct path to success?