home building materials

Air pollution and its consequences. The main pollutants of atmospheric air

Environmental effects of atmospheric pollution

The most important environmental consequences of global air pollution include:

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

2) violation of the ozone layer;

3) acid rain.

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

Greenhouse effect

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

Table 9

Anthropogenic pollutants of the atmosphere and related changes (V. A. Vronsky, 1996)

Note. (+) - increased effect; (-) - decrease in effect

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

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

A consequence of the increase in the concentrations of these gases, which create a "greenhouse effect", is an increase in the average global air temperature near the earth's surface. Over the past 100 years, the warmest years were 1980, 1981, 1983, 1987 and 1988. In 1988, the average annual temperature was 0.4 degrees higher than in 1950-1980. Calculations by some scientists show that in 2005 it will be 1.3 °C higher than in 1950-1980. The report, prepared under the auspices of the United Nations by the international group on climate change, states that by 2100 the temperature on Earth will increase by 2-4 degrees. The scale of warming in this relatively short period will be comparable to the warming that occurred on Earth after the Ice Age, which means that the environmental consequences can be catastrophic. First of all, this is due to the expected rise in the level of the World Ocean, due to the melting of polar ice, the reduction in the areas of mountain glaciation, etc. Modeling the environmental consequences of an increase in ocean level by only 0.5-2.0 m by the end of the 21st century, scientists have found that this will inevitably lead to a violation of the climatic balance, flooding of coastal plains in more than 30 countries, degradation of permafrost, swamping of vast territories and other adverse consequences.

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

There is also no unanimity of opinion on the issue of the degree of influence of greenhouse gases on global climate warming. Thus, the report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (1992) notes that the 0.3–0.6 °С climate warming observed in the last century could be due mainly to the natural variability of a number of climatic factors.

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

Ozone depletion

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

It has also been established that under the influence of strong ultraviolet radiation, plants gradually lose their ability to photosynthesis, and disruption of the vital activity of plankton leads to a break in the trophic chains of the biota of aquatic ecosystems, etc.

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

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

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

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

acid rain

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

The total global anthropogenic emissions of the two main air pollutants - the culprits of atmospheric moisture acidification - SO 2 and NO, are annually - more than 255 million tons.

According to Roshydromet, annually at least 4.22 million tons of sulfur falls on the territory of Russia, 4.0 million tons. nitrogen (nitrate and ammonium) in the form of acidic compounds contained in precipitation. As can be seen from Figure 10, the highest sulfur loads are observed in the densely populated and industrial regions of the country.

Figure 10. Average annual sulfate precipitation kg S/sq. km (2006)

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

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

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

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

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

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

A striking example of the negative impact of acid precipitation on natural ecosystems is the acidification of lakes. In our country, the area of significant acidification from acid precipitation reaches several tens of million hectares. Particular cases of acidification of lakes have also been noted (Karelia, etc.). Increased acidity of precipitation is observed along the western border (transboundary transport of sulfur and other pollutants) and on the territory of a number of large industrial regions, as well as fragmentarily on the coast of Taimyr and Yakutia.

Air pollution monitoring

Observations of the level of air pollution in the cities of the Russian Federation are carried out by the territorial bodies of the Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Monitoring environment(Roshydromet). Roshydromet ensures the functioning and development of the unified State Environmental Monitoring Service. Roshydromet is a federal executive body that organizes and conducts observations, assessments and forecasts of the state of atmospheric pollution, simultaneously ensuring control over the receipt of similar observation results by various organizations in cities. The functions of Roshydromet in the field are performed by the Department for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring (UGMS) and its subdivisions.

According to 2006 data, the air pollution monitoring network in Russia includes 251 cities with 674 stations. Regular observations on the Roshydromet network are carried out in 228 cities at 619 stations (see Fig. 11).

Figure 11. Air pollution monitoring network - main stations (2006).

Stations are located in residential areas, near highways and large industrial enterprises. In Russian cities, concentrations of more than 20 different substances are measured. In addition to direct data on the concentration of impurities, the system is supplemented by information on meteorological conditions, the location of industrial enterprises and their emissions, measurement methods, etc. On the basis of these data, their analysis and processing, Yearbooks of the state of atmospheric pollution on the territory of the relevant Department for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring are prepared. Further generalization of information is carried out at the Main Geophysical Observatory. A. I. Voeikov in St. Petersburg. Here it is collected and constantly replenished; on its basis, yearbooks of the state of air pollution in Russia are created and published. They contain the results of the analysis and processing of extensive information on air pollution by many harmful substances in Russia as a whole and in some of the most polluted cities, information on climatic conditions and emissions of harmful substances from numerous enterprises, on the location of the main sources of emissions and on the air pollution monitoring network.

Data on air pollution are important both for assessing the level of pollution and for assessing the risk of morbidity and mortality in the population. In order to assess the state of air pollution in cities, pollution levels are compared with the maximum allowable concentrations (MPC) of substances in the air of populated areas or with the values recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Measures for the protection of atmospheric air

I. Legislative. The most important thing in ensuring a normal process for the protection of atmospheric air is the adoption of an appropriate legislative framework that would stimulate and help in this difficult process. However, in Russia, however regrettable it may sound, in last years there is no significant progress in this area. The latest pollution that we are now facing, the world has already experienced 30-40 years ago and took protective measures, so we do not need to reinvent the wheel. It is necessary to use the experience of developed countries and adopt laws that limit pollution, give state subsidies to manufacturers of cleaner cars and benefits for owners of such cars.

In the US in 1998, a law to prevent further air pollution, passed by Congress four years ago, will come into force. This timeframe gives the auto industry time to adapt to the new requirements, but by 1998, be kind enough to produce at least 2 percent of electric vehicles and 20-30 percent of gas-fueled vehicles.

Even earlier, laws were passed there, prescribing the production of more economical engines. And here is the result: in 1974, the average car in the United States used 16.6 liters of gasoline per 100 kilometers, and twenty years later - only 7.7.

We are trying to follow the same path. In the State Duma there is a draft law "On the state policy in the field of the use of natural gas as a motor fuel." This law provides for the reduction of the toxicity of emissions from trucks and buses, as a result of their conversion to gas. If state support is provided, it is quite realistic to make it so that by the year 2000 we would have 700,000 gas-powered vehicles (today there are 80,000).

However, our car manufacturers are in no hurry, they prefer to create obstacles to the adoption of laws that limit their monopoly and reveal the mismanagement and technical backwardness of our production. The year before last, an analysis by Moskompriroda showed the terrible technical condition of domestic cars. 44% of Muscovites that left the AZLK assembly line did not comply with GOST in terms of toxicity! At ZIL, there were 11% of such cars, at GAZ - up to 6%. This is a shame for our automotive industry - even one percent is unacceptable.

In general, in Russia there is practically no normal legislative framework that would regulate environmental relations and stimulate environmental protection measures.

II. Architectural planning. These measures are aimed at regulating the construction of enterprises, planning urban development taking into account environmental considerations, greening cities, etc. When building enterprises, it is necessary to adhere to the rules established by law and prevent the construction of harmful industries within the city limits. It is necessary to carry out mass gardening of cities, because green spaces absorb many harmful substances from the air and help to purify the atmosphere. Unfortunately, in the modern period in Russia, green spaces are not so much increasing as they are declining. Not to mention the fact that the "dormitory areas" built at the time do not stand up to scrutiny. Since in these areas the houses of the same type are located too densely (in order to save space) and the air between them is subject to stagnation.

The problem of the rational arrangement of the road network in cities, as well as the quality of the roads themselves, is also extremely acute. It is no secret that the roads thoughtlessly built in their time are completely not designed for the modern number of cars. In Perm, this problem is extremely acute and is one of the most important. An urgent construction of a bypass road is needed to unload the city center from transit heavy vehicles. There is also a need for a major reconstruction (rather than cosmetic repairs) of the road surface, the construction of modern transport interchanges, straightening of roads, installation of sound barriers and landscaping of the roadside. Fortunately, despite the financial difficulties, recent progress has been made in this area.

It is also necessary to ensure operational monitoring of the state of the atmosphere through a network of permanent and mobile monitoring stations. It is also necessary to ensure at least minimal control over the cleanliness of vehicle emissions through special checks. It is also impossible to allow combustion processes in various landfills, since in this case, a large number of harmful substances.

III. Technological and sanitary technical. The following measures can be singled out: rationalization of fuel combustion processes; improved sealing of factory equipment; installation of high pipes; mass use of treatment facilities, etc. It should be noted that the level of treatment facilities in Russia is at a primitive level, many enterprises do not have them at all, and this despite the harmfulness of emissions from these enterprises.

Many industries require immediate reconstruction and re-equipment. An important task is also to convert various boiler houses and thermal power plants to gas fuel. With such a transition, emissions of soot and hydrocarbons into the atmosphere are many times reduced, not to mention the economic benefits.

An equally important task is to educate Russians in ecological consciousness. The absence of treatment facilities, of course, can be explained by the lack of money (and there is a lot of truth in this), but even if the money is there, they prefer to spend it on anything but the environment. The absence of elementary ecological thinking is especially noticeable at the present time. If in the West there are programs through which the foundations of ecological thinking are laid in children from childhood, then in Russia there has not yet been significant progress in this area. Until a generation with a fully formed environmental consciousness appears in Russia, there will be no significant progress in understanding and preventing the environmental consequences of human activity.

The main task of mankind in the modern period is the full awareness of the importance of environmental problems, and their cardinal solution in a short time. It is necessary to develop new methods of obtaining energy, based not on the destructurization of substances, but on other processes. Humanity as a whole must take up the solution of these problems, because if nothing is done, the Earth will soon cease to exist as a planet suitable for living organisms.

Removal, processing and disposal of waste from 1 to 5 hazard class

We work with all regions of Russia. Valid license. Full set of closing documents. Individual approach to the client and flexible pricing policy.

Using this form, you can leave a request for the provision of services, request a commercial offer or get a free consultation from our specialists.

If we consider environmental problems, one of the most pressing is air pollution. Ecologists sound the alarm and call on humanity to reconsider their attitude to life and consumption natural resources, because only protection from air pollution will improve the situation and prevent serious consequences. Find out how to solve such an acute issue, influence the ecological situation and save the atmosphere.

Natural sources of clogging

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

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

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

The first source is volcanoes. Erupting, they throw out huge amounts of tiny particles of various rocks, ash, poisonous gases, sulfur oxides and other no less harmful substances. And although eruptions occur quite rarely, according to statistics, as a result of volcanic activity, the level of air pollution increases significantly, because up to 40 million tons of dangerous compounds are released into the atmosphere every year.
If we consider the natural causes of air pollution, then it is worth noting such as peat or forest fires. Most often, fires occur due to unintentional arson by a person who is negligent about the rules of safety and behavior in the forest. Even a small spark from an incompletely extinguished fire can cause a fire to spread. Less commonly, fires are caused by very high solar activity, which is why the peak of danger falls on the hot summer time.
Considering the main types of natural pollutants, one cannot fail to mention dust storms that occur due to strong gusts of wind and mixing of air flows. During a hurricane or other natural event, tons of dust rise, which provoke air pollution.

artificial sources

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

We list the main artificial sources that cause air pollution:

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

What are the most common air pollutants?

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

Carbon monoxide, also called carbon monoxide. It is colorless and odorless and is formed during incomplete combustion of fuel at low oxygen volumes and low temperatures. This compound is dangerous and causes death due to lack of oxygen.
Carbon dioxide is found in the atmosphere and has a slightly sour smell.
Sulfur dioxide is released during the combustion of some sulfur-containing fuels. This compound provokes acid rain and depresses human breathing.
Dioxides and oxides of nitrogen characterize air pollution by industrial enterprises, since they are most often formed during their activities, especially in the production of certain fertilizers, dyes and acids. Also, these substances can be released as a result of fuel combustion or during operation of the machine, especially if it malfunctions.
Hydrocarbons are one of the most common substances and can be found in solvents, detergents, and petroleum products.
Lead is also harmful and is used to make batteries and accumulators, cartridges and ammunition.
Ozone is extremely toxic and is formed during photochemical processes or during the operation of vehicles and factories.

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

Sad consequences

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

Firstly, due to polluted air, a greenhouse effect has developed, which gradually, but globally, changes the climate, leads to warming and melting of glaciers, and provokes natural disasters. It can be said that it leads to irreversible consequences in the state of the environment.
Secondly, acid rains are becoming more and more frequent, having a negative impact on all life on Earth. Through their fault, entire populations of fish are dying, unable to live in such an acidic environment. A negative impact is observed when examining historical monuments and architectural monuments.
Thirdly, fauna and flora suffer, as dangerous vapors are inhaled by animals, they also enter plants and gradually destroy them.

Polluted atmosphere has a very negative impact on human health. Emissions enter the lungs and cause malfunctions of the respiratory system, severe allergic reactions. Together with the blood, dangerous compounds are carried throughout the body and wear it out greatly. And some elements are capable of provoking mutation and degeneration of cells.

How to solve the problem and save the environment

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

Consider several effective measures to prevent air pollution:

In order to combat air pollution in individual enterprises, it is necessary to without fail install treatment and filtering facilities and systems. And at especially large industrial plants, it is necessary to begin the introduction of stationary monitoring posts for atmospheric air pollution.
Switching to alternative and less harmful energy sources, such as solar panels or electricity, should be used to avoid air pollution from vehicles.
The replacement of combustible fuels with more affordable and less dangerous ones, such as water, wind, sunlight and others that do not require combustion, will help protect the atmospheric air from pollution.
The protection of atmospheric air from pollution should be supported at the state level, and there are already laws aimed at protecting it. But it is also necessary to act and exercise control in individual subjects of the Russian Federation.
One of the effective ways, which should include the protection of air from pollution, is to establish a system for the disposal of all waste or their processing.
Plants should be used to solve the problem of air pollution. Widespread landscaping will improve the atmosphere and increase the amount of oxygen in it.

How to protect atmospheric air from pollution? If all of humanity is struggling with it, then there are chances for an improvement in the environment. Knowing the essence of the problem of air pollution, its relevance and the main solutions, we need to work together and comprehensively to combat pollution.

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

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

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

Pollutant- an admixture in the atmospheric air that, at certain concentrations, has an adverse effect on human health, plants and animals, other components of the natural environment or damages material objects.

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

Natural air pollution caused by natural processes. These include volcanic activity, wind erosion, mass flowering of plants, smoke from forest and steppe fires.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The consequences of exposure to the human body of harmful substances contained in the exhaust gases of cars are very serious and have the widest range of action: from coughing to death. Severe consequences in the body of living beings are caused by a toxic mixture of smoke, fog and dust - smog.

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

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

The global environmental problems associated with atmospheric pollution are the "greenhouse effect", the formation of "ozone holes" and the fallout of "acid rain".

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

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

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

"Ozone holes"- these are significant spaces in the ozone layer of the atmosphere at an altitude of 20-25 km with a noticeably reduced (up to 50% or more) ozone content. The depletion of the ozone layer is recognized by all as a serious threat to global environmental security. It weakens the ability of the atmosphere to protect all life from harsh ultraviolet radiation, the energy of a single photon of which is enough to destroy most organic molecules. Therefore, in areas with a low ozone content, sunburn is numerous, and the number of skin cancer cases is increasing.

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

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

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

Atmospheric air protection is a key problem in the improvement of the natural environment.

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

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

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

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

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

production area, designed to accommodate industrial enterprises, pilot plants of research institutes, etc.;

residential area, intended for housing stock, public buildings and buildings, settlements.

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

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

Maximum allowable concentration of a harmful substance- this is the maximum single concentration, which should not cause reflex reactions in the human body (smell, change in light sensitivity of the eyes, etc.) in the air of populated areas when inhaling air for 20-30 minutes.

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

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

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

As follows from the definition, the maximum allowable concentration of the working area is a standard that limits the impact of a harmful substance on the adult working part of the population during the period of time established by labor legislation. It is absolutely unacceptable to compare the pollution levels of the residential area with the established maximum allowable concentrations in the working area, and also to talk about the maximum allowable concentration in the air in general, without specifying which standard is being discussed.

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

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

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

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

The main values of maximum allowable emissions - maximum one-time - are set under the condition of full load of process and gas cleaning equipment and their normal operation and must not be exceeded in any 20 minute time period.

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

If the values of maximum allowable emissions for objective reasons cannot be achieved, for such enterprises, temporarily agreed emissions harmful substances and introduces a gradual reduction of emissions of harmful substances to values that ensure compliance with the maximum allowable emissions.

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

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

The movement of pollutants in the atmosphere "does not respect state borders", i.e. cross-border. Transboundary pollution is pollution transferred from the territory of one country to the area of another.

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

Ecologization of technological processes;

Purification of gas emissions from harmful impurities;

Dissipation of gaseous emissions in the atmosphere;

Arrangement of sanitary protection zones, architectural and planning solutions.

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

Under wasteless technology understand such a principle of organization of production, in which the cycle "primary raw materials - production - consumption - secondary raw materials" is built with the rational use of all components of raw materials, all types of energy and without violating the ecological balance.

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

Dispersion of gas impurities in the atmosphere- this is the reduction of their dangerous concentrations to the level of the corresponding maximum permissible concentration by dispersing dust and gas emissions using high chimneys. The higher the pipe, the greater its scattering effect. But, as A. Gore (1993) points out: “The use of tall chimneys, while helping to reduce local smoke pollution, at the same time exacerbated the regional problems of acid rain.”

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

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

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

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

Compliance with the standards for permissible emissions of substances that adversely affect the state of the ozone layer;

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

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

The main pollutants of atmospheric air, formed both in the course of human economic activity and as a result of natural processes, are sulfur dioxide SO 2 , carbon dioxide CO 2 , nitrogen oxides NO x , particulate matter - aerosols. Their share is 98% in the total emissions of harmful substances. In addition to these main pollutants, more than 70 types of harmful substances are observed in the atmosphere: formaldehyde, phenol, benzene, compounds of lead and other heavy metals, ammonia, carbon disulfide, etc.

Environmental effects of atmospheric pollution

The most important environmental consequences of global air pollution include:

possible climate warming (greenhouse effect);
violation of the ozone layer;
acid rain;
deterioration of health.

Greenhouse effect

The greenhouse effect is an increase in the temperature of the lower layers of the Earth's atmosphere compared to the effective temperature, i.e. the temperature of the planet's thermal radiation observed from space.

In December 1997, at a meeting in Kyoto (Japan) dedicated to global climate change, delegates from more than 160 countries adopted a convention obliging developed countries to reduce CO2 emissions. The Kyoto Protocol obliges 38 industrialized countries to reduce by 2008-2012. CO2 emissions by 5% of 1990 levels:

The European Union must cut CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions by 8%,
USA - by 7%,
Japan - by 6%.

The protocol provides for a system of quotas for greenhouse gas emissions. Its essence lies in the fact that each of the countries (so far this applies only to thirty-eight countries that have committed themselves to reduce emissions) receives permission to emit a certain amount of greenhouse gases. At the same time, it is assumed that some countries or companies will exceed the emission quota. In such cases, these countries or companies will be able to buy the right to additional emissions from those countries or companies whose emissions are less than the allocated quota. Thus, it is assumed that the main goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the next 15 years by 5% will be achieved.

As other causes of climate warming, scientists call the volatility of solar activity, change magnetic field Earth and atmospheric electric field.

Remedies

To protect the atmosphere from negative anthropogenic impact, the following main measures are used.

1. Greening of technological processes:

1.1. creation of closed technological cycles, low-waste technologies that exclude the release of harmful substances into the atmosphere;
1.2. reduction of pollution from thermal installations: district heating, preliminary purification of fuel from sulfur compounds, use of alternative energy sources, transition to higher quality fuel (from coal to natural gas);
1.3. reduction of pollution from vehicles: the use of electric vehicles, exhaust gas cleaning, the use of catalytic converters for afterburning fuel, the development of hydrogen transport, the transfer of traffic flows out of the city.

2. Purification of technological gas emissions from harmful impurities.
3. Dispersion of gas emissions in the atmosphere. Dispersion is carried out with the help of high chimneys (over 300 m high). This is a temporary, forced measure, which is carried out due to the fact that the existing treatment facilities do not provide complete purification of emissions from harmful substances.
4. Arrangement of sanitary protection zones, architectural and planning solutions.

Sanitary protection zone (SPZ)- this is a strip separating sources of industrial pollution from residential or public buildings to protect the population from the influence of harmful production factors. The width of the SPZ is set depending on the class of production, the degree of harmfulness and the amount of substances released into the atmosphere (50–1000 m).

Architectural and planning solutions- correct mutual placement of emission sources and populated areas, taking into account the direction of the winds, construction highways bypassing settlements, etc.

Emission Treatment Equipment:

devices for cleaning gas emissions from aerosols (dust, ash, soot);
devices for cleaning emissions from gas and vapor impurities (NO, NO 2, SO 2, SO 3, etc.)

Devices for cleaning technological emissions into the atmosphere from aerosols. Dry dust collectors (cyclones)

Dry dust collectors are designed for coarse mechanical cleaning of coarse and heavy dust. The principle of operation is the settling of particles under the action of centrifugal force and gravity. Cyclones of various types are widely used: single, group, battery.

The diagram (Fig. 16) shows a simplified design of a single cyclone. The dust-gas flow is introduced into the cyclone through the inlet pipe 2, twists and performs a rotational-translational movement along the body 1. Dust particles are thrown away under the action of centrifugal forces to the wall of the body, and then, under the action of gravity, they are collected in a dust bin 4, from where they are periodically removed. The gas, freed from dust, turns 180º and exits the cyclone through pipe 3.

Wet dust collectors (scrubbers)

Wet dust collectors are characterized by high cleaning efficiency from fine dust up to 2 microns in size. They work on the principle of deposition of dust particles on the surface of drops under the action of inertial forces or Brownian motion.

The dusty gas flow is directed through pipe 1 to liquid mirror 2, on which the largest dust particles are deposited. Then the gas rises towards the flow of liquid droplets supplied through the nozzles, where it is cleaned from fine dust particles.

Filters

Designed for fine purification of gases due to the deposition of dust particles (up to 0.05 microns) on the surface of porous filtering partitions (Fig. 18). According to the type of filtering load, fabric filters (fabric, felt, sponge rubber) and granular ones are distinguished. The choice of filter material is determined by the requirements for cleaning and working conditions: degree of cleaning, temperature, gas aggressiveness, humidity, amount and size of dust, etc.

Electrostatic precipitators

Electrostatic precipitators – effective method cleaning from suspended dust particles (0.01 microns), from oil mist. The principle of operation is based on the ionization and deposition of particles in electric field. At the surface of the corona electrode, the dust-gas flow is ionized. By acquiring a negative charge, dust particles move towards the collecting electrode, which has a sign opposite to the charge of the corona electrode. As dust particles accumulate on the electrodes, they fall by gravity into the dust collector or are removed by shaking.

OUTLINE: Introduction1. The atmosphere is the outer shell of the biosphere2. Atmospheric pollution3. Environmental consequences of atmospheric pollution7

3.1 Greenhouse effect

3.2 Ozone depletion

3 Acid rain

Conclusion

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

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

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

The highest value for different ecosystems There are three gases that make up the atmosphere: oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen. These gases are involved in the main biogeochemical cycles.

Oxygen plays an important role in the life of most living organisms on our planet. It is necessary for everyone to breathe. Oxygen has not always been part of the earth's atmosphere. It appeared as a result of the vital activity of photosynthetic organisms. Under the influence of ultraviolet rays, it turns into ozone. As ozone accumulated, an ozone layer formed in the upper atmosphere. The ozone layer, like a screen, reliably protects the Earth's surface from ultraviolet radiation, which is fatal to living organisms.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Other constituents of the air do not participate in biochemical cycles, but the presence of a large amount of pollutants in the atmosphere can lead to serious violations of these cycles.

2. Air pollution.

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

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

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

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

Global air pollution affects the state of natural ecosystems, especially the green cover of our planet. One of the most obvious indicators of the state of the biosphere is forests and their well-being.

Acid rains, caused mainly by sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, cause great harm to forest biocenoses. It has been established that conifers suffer from acid rain to a greater extent than broad-leaved ones.

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

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

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

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

3. Environmental effects of atmospheric pollution

The most important environmental consequences of global air pollution include:

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

2) violation of the ozone layer;

3) acid rain.

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

3.1 Greenhouse effect

Table 9

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

Note. (+) - increased effect; (-) - decrease in effect

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

3.2 Ozone depletion

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

3.3 Acid rain

One of the most important environmental problems, which is associated with the oxidation of the natural environment, - acid rain . They are formed during industrial emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere, which, when combined with atmospheric moisture, form sulfuric and nitric acids. As a result, rain and snow are acidified (pH value below 5.6). In Bavaria (Germany) in August 1981 it rained with acidity pH=3.5. The maximum recorded acidity of precipitation in Western Europe is pH=2.3. The total global anthropogenic emissions of the two main air pollutants - the culprits of atmospheric moisture acidification - SO 2 and NO are annually - more than 255 million tons. nitrogen (nitrate and ammonium) in the form of acidic compounds contained in precipitation. As can be seen from Figure 10, the highest sulfur loads are observed in the densely populated and industrial regions of the country.

Figure 10. Average annual sulfate precipitation kg S/sq. km (2006) [according to the site http://www.sci.aha.ru]

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

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

A striking example of the negative impact of acid precipitation on natural ecosystems is the acidification of lakes. . In our country, the area of significant acidification from acid precipitation reaches several tens of million hectares. Particular cases of acidification of lakes have also been noted (Karelia, etc.). Increased acidity of precipitation is observed along the western border (transboundary transport of sulfur and other pollutants) and on the territory of a number of large industrial regions, as well as fragmentarily on the coast of Taimyr and Yakutia.

Conclusion

The protection of nature is the task of our century, a problem that has become a social one. Again and again we hear about the dangers that threaten the environment, but still many of us consider them an unpleasant, but inevitable product of civilization and believe that we will still have time to cope with all the difficulties that have come to light.

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

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

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

Bibliography

1. Akimova T. A., Khaskin V. V. Ecology. Moscow: Unity, 2000.

2. Bezuglaya E.Yu., Zavadskaya E.K. Influence of air pollution on public health. St. Petersburg: Gidrometeoizdat, 1998, pp. 171–199. 3. Galperin M. V. Ecology and basics of nature management. Moscow: Forum-Infra-m, 2003.4. Danilov-Danilyan V.I. Ecology, nature protection and ecological safety. M.: MNEPU, 1997.5. Climatic characteristics of the conditions for the propagation of impurities in the atmosphere. Reference manual / Ed. E.Yu. Bezuglaya and M.E. Berlyand. - Leningrad, Gidrometeoizdat, 1983. 6. Korobkin V. I., Peredelsky L. V. Ecology. Rostov-on-Don: Phoenix, 2003.7. Protasov V.F. Ecology, health and environmental protection in Russia. M.: Finance and statistics, 1999.8. Wark K., Warner S., Air pollution. Sources and control, trans. from English, M. 1980. 9. Ecological state of the territory of Russia: Textbook for students of higher education. ped. educational institutions/ V.P. Bondarev, L.D. Dolgushin, B.S. Zalogin and others; Ed. S.A. Ushakova, Ya.G. Katz - 2nd ed. M.: Academy, 2004.10. List and codes of substances polluting the atmospheric air. Ed. 6th. SPb., 2005, 290 p.11. Yearbook of the state of air pollution in cities in Russia. 2004.– M.: Meteo agency, 2006, 216 p.