Global environmental problems (Air pollution) Full name of the author: Bedinov Timofey OU name: GBPOU VO "Vladimir Industrial College" Department: adjuster of machine tools in mechanical processing, 2nd year, group N-141 Supervisor: Spitsa N.P. teacher of history and social studies
́ Air is the natural mixture of gases, mainly nitrogen and oxygen, that makes up the earth's atmosphere. In accordance with the Federal Law "On the Protection of Atmospheric Air", atmospheric air means "a vital component environment, which is a natural mixture of atmospheric gases located outside residential, industrial and other premises. "
Air pollution - any undesirable change in the composition of the earth's atmosphere as a result of entering it various gases, water vapor and solid particles (under the influence of natural processes or as a result of human activities). Approximately 10% of pollutants enter the atmosphere due to natural processes such as volcanic eruptions, which are accompanied by the release of ash, atomized acids, including sulfuric acid, and a variety of toxic gases into the atmosphere. The remaining 90% of pollutants are of anthropogenic origin.
Major sources of air pollution
Pollutants Directly into the atmosphere Photochemical oxidants and acids in the atmosphere Secondary pollutants Primary pollutants
Smog Photochemical fog (smog) is a multicomponent mixture of gases and aerosol particles of primary and secondary origin. The main components of smog include ozone, nitrogen and sulfur oxides, numerous organic compounds of a peroxide nature, collectively called photooxidants. Photochemical smog occurs as a result of photochemical reactions during certain conditions: the presence in the atmosphere of a high concentration of nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons and other pollutants, intense solar radiation and calm or very weak air exchange in the surface layer with a powerful and for at least a day increased inversion. Stable calm weather, usually accompanied by inversions, is necessary to create a high concentration of reactants.
Global problems anomalously high values of the sun's ultraviolet radiation coming to the earth's surface, caused by a decrease in the ozone content in the stratosphere; climate change (global warming) caused by the entry into the atmosphere of a large number of so-called. greenhouse gases.
Global warming is the process of a gradual increase in the average annual temperature of the Earth's atmosphere and the World Ocean. The scientific opinion expressed by the UN Interstate Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and directly supported by the G8 national academies of sciences is that average temperature the Earth has risen by 0.7 ° C since the beginning of the industrial revolution (from the second half of the 18th century), and that "most of the warming observed in the last 50 years is caused by human activities", primarily the release of gases that cause the greenhouse effect, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4). The greenhouse effect (greenhouse effect) of the atmosphere, the property of the atmosphere to transmit solar radiation, but to delay the earth's radiation and thereby contribute to the accumulation of heat by the Earth
The ozone hole The ozone hole is a local drop in ozone concentration in the ozone layer of the Earth. According to the theory generally accepted in the scientific community, in the second half of the 20th century, the increasing impact of the anthropogenic factor in the form of the release of chlorine and bromine-containing freons led to a significant thinning of the ozone layer.
Dangerous effects Air pollution has a harmful effect on living organisms in several ways: by delivering aerosol particles and poisonous gases to the respiratory system of humans and animals and to plant leaves; increasing the acidity of atmospheric precipitation, which, in turn, affects the change in the chemical composition of soil and water; stimulating such chemical reactions in the atmosphere that lead to an increase in the duration of exposure of living organisms to harmful sunlight; changing the composition and temperature of the atmosphere on a global scale and thus creating conditions unfavorable for the survival of organisms.
Resources used Enc-dic.com Lifesweet .ru> poznavatelnoe istochniki> vozduha.html Biofile.ru
THANK YOU FOR THE ATTENTION!
Air pollution, sources, consequences, solutions ecological crisis is very actively studied by modern scientists. At the domestic and intergovernmental levels, various regulations aimed at improving the situation in the world. Consider further what impact it has on the planet air pollution. Sources, consequences, solutions to problems will also be described in the article.
The economic activity of people over the past century has caused serious pollution of the atmosphere. There are various ways of solving today. In the air basin, water, soil in many areas there are toxic substances, the content of which significantly exceeds the MPC ( allowable rate). This, in turn, negatively affects the health of the population, the state of ecosystems.
This concept has become very common in the past few decades. An environmental crisis can be local or global. The first is expressed in an increase in the level of electromagnetic, thermal, noise, chemical pollution due to the functioning of one or several sources located close to each other. A local crisis can be overcome relatively easily through the adoption of economic or administrative measures. For example, a decision is made on the need to improve the technological process, re-profile an enterprise or close it. The global crisis poses a great danger. This phenomenon is a consequence of the aggregate activity of all mankind. The global crisis is manifested by a change in characteristics natural environment all over the planet. Accordingly, it is dangerous for the entire population. It is much more difficult to deal with a global crisis than a local one. The problem can be considered solved by minimizing pollution to a level that the natural environment will be able to cope with on its own. For this, international summits are held. The latter, in particular, took place in 2016 in Paris.
Considering air pollution, causes and ways solutions to the ecological crisis, scientists analyze various objects, types of human activities. The analysis allows you to identify the most dangerous of them and develop methods that reduce or exclude them. negative impact on nature. All pollution sources fall into two broad categories. The first includes natural objects and phenomena:
More detrimental effects on the environment are exerted by:
As a result of rash economic activities, a colossal amount of toxic compounds, soot and heat is thrown into the upper layers of the air envelope. This leads to the depletion of the ozone layer and the appearance of holes in it. Radiation actively passes through them. The temperature on the planet is constantly rising. This leads to the melting of glaciers, an increase in the volume of water in the World Ocean. Due to the increase in temperature, the habitats of many animals begin to disappear.
Recently, it has been especially actively carried out industrial and urban air pollution. Solutions ecological crisis of a local nature must be actively sought within the framework of interdepartmental interaction. Delay in this matter is unacceptable, since we are talking about the state of health of people and their environment. According to statistics, on average, a person inhales up to 20 thousand liters of air per day. At the same time, together with oxygen, particles of ash and soot, as well as poisonous vapors, enter the body. All this settles in the lungs, gradually poisoning the person. Prolonged exposure to smog worsens health, leads to headaches, nausea, and irritation of the mucous membranes. People have cardiovascular diseases, pathologies of other internal organs. In the absence of adequate measures, the active action of toxic substances can be fatal. Depletion of the ozone layer creates conditions for the irradiation of the planet. Ultraviolet light begins to act more strongly on humans and animals. Negative radiation exposure reduces immunity, provokes the development of serious diseases, including cancer of the mucous membranes and skin, cataracts, etc.
It is a consequence of deforestation and ozone depletion. Holes present in the upper air layers begin to transmit more radiation, the lower layers of the atmosphere warm up, and then the Earth's surface. The heat emanating from the planet does not rise up. The reason it doesn't come back is because it builds up in the lower layers, making them too dense. The greenhouse effect is causing another serious problem - warming. Due to the delay in radiation, the temperature on the Earth's surface begins to rise. This, as mentioned above, provokes the melting of glaciers and other problems. Scientists are already observing the flooding of a number of coastal zones. If the greenhouse effect is not stopped, many animals, plants and people can die.
This phenomenon is a consequence of harmful compounds in large quantities. Acid in the air is formed by oxides of hydrogen chloride, sulfur, nitrogen, interacting with water vapor. Precipitation containing it leads to severe negative consequences... In particular, brick and concrete structures, pipes, exterior decoration facades, roofs. For several decades, many cultural and historical monuments have been damaged. Such precipitation destroys metal, glass, rubber. Vehicles exposed to acid rain tend to become unusable. The soil cover suffers significantly. The acidity of the soil increases, the fertility decreases. Acid rain is devastating green areas, causing huge losses to the agricultural sector. The selected crop dies, the trees begin to rot. Poisoned grass gets into animal feed, as a result of which they develop serious diseases, often leading to death. Acid rain is killing ecosystems.
It is usually referred to as severe air pollution in large metropolitan areas. In calm weather, the upper layers get hotter. Because of this, gases rising from the ground cannot escape into the upper layers and settle, forming a corrosive veil. Under the influence of light, unstable, but very toxic compounds begin to form in smog.
It is presented in the form of a multicomponent mixture of primary and secondary aerosol particles and gases. The composition of the photochemical fog contains nitrogen and sulfur oxides, various organic substances of a peroxide nature. In the complex, they are called photooxidants. This fog appears as a result of chemical reactions under a number of conditions. The determining factors are a high concentration of hydrocarbon, nitrogen oxide, and other substances in the air, intense radiation, calmness or weak air exchange within the surface layer with a powerful inversion during the day.
As can be seen from the above, the environmental crisis requires immediate action. At the same time, it must be said that each person should be included in the implementation of measures to reduce the harmful effects of human activities. Search is the business of absolutely all people. Scientists certainly play a special role. Analyzing the situation, they find the most rational and effective options reducing the negative impact of emissions. At present, the following main ones have been developed. ways to solve the problem of air pollution:
Paths air pollution solutions, in short speaking, - measures aimed at reducing hazardous emissions. When developing certain measures, it is necessary to take into account the economic component. Pollution control methods should be as effective as possible and as cost effective as possible.
Currently, scientists are proposing to combine. For example, many enterprises operate filtration plants different types... In some, filters are installed, in others, special lead-free additives, catalytic converters are used. As a result, the gases go through several stages of purification. Considering the main ways of solving atmospheric pollution, one cannot but mention new developments in the field of the automotive industry. As you know, transport is considered one of the main suppliers of toxic substances in the air. New models are being produced today equipped with exhaust filtration systems. In a number of countries, public transport runs exclusively on electricity and biofuels.
Recently, at the government level, a question has been raised regarding the arrangement of large metropolitan areas. Measures are being discussed aimed at separating airports, highways, enterprises, factories from residential buildings. The forest belt will act as the border between these zones. It will become a natural filter, and while producing, scientists and officials pay attention to the waste treatment system. The majority are in favor of the need to reform it. Options are being discussed under which the area of landfills could be reduced. This requires a production that carries out secondary processing of raw materials.
When proposing, scientists recommend to abandon the use of chemicals in agricultural activities. They poison not only the soil itself, but also the air. One of the key tasks of modern mankind is forest conservation. In this regard, at the government level, laws have been adopted that regulate felling and the use of natural landscapes by the population. These are the main ones for today.
Environmental pollution is a global problem of our time, which is regularly discussed in the news and academia. Many international organizations have been created to combat the deterioration natural conditions... Scientists have long been sounding the alarm about the inevitability of an environmental catastrophe in the very near future.
At the moment, a lot is known about environmental pollution - a large number has been written scientific works and books, numerous studies have been carried out. But in solving the problem, humanity has made very little progress. Pollution of nature is still an important and urgent issue, the postponement of which can turn out to be tragic.
In connection with the intensive industrialization of society, environmental pollution has become especially aggravated in recent decades... However, despite this fact, natural pollution is one of the most ancient problems in human history. Even in the primitive era, people began to barbarously destroy forests, exterminate animals and change the landscape of the earth to expand the territory of residence and obtain valuable resources.
Even then, this led to climate change and other environmental problems. The growth of the planet's population and the progress of civilizations were accompanied by increased mining, drainage of water bodies, as well as chemical pollution of the biosphere. The Industrial Revolution marked more than just new era in the social order, but also a new wave of pollution.
With the development of science and technology, scientists received the tools with which it became possible to accurately and detailed analysis ecological state of the planet. Weather reports, control of the chemical composition of air, water and soil, satellite data, and ubiquitous smokestacks and oil spills on the water indicate that the problem is rapidly aggravating with the expansion of the technosphere. It is not for nothing that the appearance of man is called the main ecological catastrophe.
There are several classifications of environmental pollution based on their source, direction, and other factors.
So, the following types of environmental pollution are distinguished:
In fact, one type of pollution can be accompanied by another or several at once.
The gaseous shell of the planet is an integral participant in natural processes, determines the thermal background and climate of the Earth, protects against destructive cosmic radiation, and affects relief formation.
The composition of the atmosphere changed throughout historical development planets. The current situation is such that part of the volume of the gas envelope is determined by human economic activity. The composition of the air is not uniform and differs depending on geographic location- in industrial areas and large cities high level harmful impurities.
The main sources of chemical pollution of the atmosphere:
These pollutants cause heavy metals such as lead, mercury, chromium and copper in the atmosphere. They are permanent air components in industrial areas.
Modern power plants emit hundreds of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every day, as well as soot, dust and ash.
The increase in the number of cars in settlements has led to an increase in the concentration of a number of harmful gases in the air, which are part of the engine exhaust. Large quantities of lead are released due to the anti-knock additives added to transport fuels. Cars generate dust and ash that pollute not only the air but also the soil, settling on the ground.
The atmosphere is also polluted by highly toxic gases emitted by chemical industries. Waste from chemical plants, for example, nitrogen and sulfur oxides, cause acid rain and can react with components of the biosphere to form other hazardous derivatives.
As a result of human activity, forest fires regularly occur, during which colossal amounts of carbon dioxide are released.
Soil is a thin layer of the lithosphere, formed as a result of natural factors, in which flows most of exchange processes between living and nonliving systems.
Due to the extraction of natural resources, mining operations, the construction of buildings, roads and airfields, large-scale areas of soil are being destroyed.
Irrational human economic activity has caused the degradation of the fertile layer of the earth. His natural changes chemical composition, mechanical pollution occurs. Intensive development Agriculture leads to significant land loss. Frequent plowing makes them vulnerable to flooding, salinization and winds that cause soil erosion.
The abundant use of fertilizers, insecticides and chemical poisons to destroy pests and remove weeds leads to the ingress of toxic compounds unnatural for it into the soil. As a result of anthropogenic activity, the land is chemically contaminated with heavy metals and their derivatives. The main harmful element is lead, as well as its compounds. When processing lead ores, about 30 kilograms of metal are emitted from each ton. Car exhaust, which contains large amounts of this metal, settles in the soil, poisoning the organisms that live in it. Liquid waste from mines contaminates the earth with zinc, copper and other metals.
Power plants, radioactive fallout from nuclear explosions, research centers for the study of atomic energy cause radioactive isotopes to enter the soil, which then enter the human body with food.
The reserves of metals concentrated in the bowels of the earth are scattered as a result of human production activity. Then they concentrate in the upper soil layer. In ancient times, man used 18 elements from those found in the earth's crust, and today all are known.
Today, the earth's water envelope is much more polluted than one might imagine. Oil spills and bottles floating on the surface are just what you can see. A significant part of the pollutants is in a dissolved state.
Water deterioration can occur naturally. As a result of mudflows and floods, magnesium is washed out of the mainland soil, which enters water bodies and harms fish. As a result of chemical transformations, aluminum penetrates into fresh water. But natural pollution is negligible compared to anthropogenic pollution. Through the fault of a person, the following fall into the water:
Sources of these pollutants are farms, fisheries, oil platforms, power plants, chemical plants, and sewage.
Acid rain, which is also a result of human activity, dissolves the soil, washing out heavy metals.
In addition to chemical pollution of water, there is a physical, namely, thermal. Most of all water is used in the production of electricity. Thermal stations use it to cool turbines, and the heated waste liquid is discharged into reservoirs.
Mechanical deterioration of water quality by household waste in settlements leads to a reduction in the habitats of living beings. Some species die.
Contaminated water is the main cause of most diseases. As a result of liquid poisoning, many living creatures die, the ocean ecosystem suffers, and the normal course of natural processes is disrupted. The pollutants eventually enter the human body.
To avoid environmental disaster, combating physical pollution must be a top priority. The problem must be resolved at the international level, because nature has no state borders. To prevent pollution, it is necessary to impose sanctions on enterprises that dispose of waste into the environment, to impose large fines for placing garbage in the wrong place. Financial incentives can also be used to incentivize compliance with environmental safety standards. This approach has proven to be effective in some countries.
A promising direction in the fight against pollution is the use of alternative energy sources. Usage solar panels, hydrogen fuel and other energy-saving technologies will reduce the release of toxic compounds into the atmosphere.
Other pollution control methods include:
Environmental pollution is a large-scale global problem, which can only be solved with the active participation of everyone who calls the planet Earth their home, otherwise an ecological catastrophe will be inevitable.
Air pollution is an environmental problem. This phrase does not reflect in the slightest the consequences of the disruption of the natural composition and balance in the mixture of gases called air.
There is no difficulty in illustrating such a statement. The World Health Organization has provided data on this topic for 2014. Air pollution has killed about 3.7 million people worldwide. Almost 7 million people died from exposure to polluted air. And this is in one year.
Air contains 98–99% nitrogen and oxygen, the rest: argon, carbon dioxide, water and hydrogen. The atmosphere of the Earth consists of it. The main component, as we can see, is oxygen. It is necessary for the existence of all living things. Cells "breathe" it, that is, when it enters the cell of the body, a chemical oxidation reaction occurs, as a result of which the energy necessary for growth, development, reproduction, exchange with other organisms and the like, that is, for life, is released.
Air pollution is interpreted as the introduction into the atmospheric air of chemical, biological and physical substances that are not inherent in it, that is, a change in their natural concentration. But more important is not the change in concentration, which, no doubt, occurs, but a decrease in the composition of the air of the component most useful for life - oxygen. After all, the volume of the mixture does not increase. Harmful and polluting substances are not added by simple addition of volumes, but destroy and take its place. In fact, a shortage of food for cells arises and continues to accumulate, that is, the basic nutrition of a living being.
About 24,000 people die from hunger per day, that is, about 8 million per year, which is comparable to the death rate from air pollution.
The air has been contaminated at all times. Volcanic eruptions, forest and peat fires, dust and pollen of plants and other substances entering the atmosphere usually not inherent in its natural composition, but occurring as a result of natural causes - this is the first type of air pollution origin - natural. The second is as a result of human activity, that is, artificial or anthropogenic.
Anthropogenic pollution, in turn, can be divided into subspecies: transport or arising from work different types transport, production, that is, associated with emissions into the atmosphere of substances formed in the production process and household or emerging as a result of direct human activity.
Air pollution itself can be physical, chemical and biological.
The first is mechanical dust. Appears in technological processes crushing of substances and materials.
The second is sublimates. They are formed during the condensation of refrigerated gas vapors and passed through technological equipment.
The third is fly ash. It is contained in the flue gas in suspension and is the unburned mineral impurities of the fuel.
The fourth is industrial soot or solid highly dispersed carbon. It is formed by incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons or their thermal decomposition.
Basically, today the sources of such pollution are thermal power plants operating on solid fuels and coal.
The main consequences of air pollution are: greenhouse effect, ozone holes, acid rain and smog.
The greenhouse effect is built on the ability of the Earth's atmosphere to transmit short waves and retain long ones. Short waves- this is solar radiation, and long ones are thermal radiation coming from the Earth. That is, a layer is formed in which heat accumulation or a greenhouse occurs. Gases capable of this effect are called, respectively, greenhouse gases. These gases heat up themselves and heat up the entire atmosphere. This process is natural and natural. It happened and is happening at the present time. Without it, life on the planet would not have been possible. Its beginning is not associated with human activity. But if earlier nature itself regulated this process, now man has intensively intervened in it.
Carbon dioxide is the main greenhouse gas. Its share in the greenhouse effect is over 60%. The rest - chlorofluorocarbon, methane, nitrogen oxides, ozone and so on - account for no more than 40%. It is thanks to such a large share of carbon dioxide that natural self-regulation was possible. How much carbon dioxide was released during breathing by living organisms, so much was consumed by plants, producing oxygen. Its volume and concentration remained in the atmosphere. Industrial and other human activities, and, above all, deforestation and burning of fossil fuels, have led to an increase in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases due to a decrease in the volume and concentration of oxygen. The result was a greater heating of the atmosphere - an increase in air temperature. Forecasts are that an increase in temperature will lead to excessive melting of ice and glaciers and an increase in the level of the World Ocean. This is on the one hand, and on the other, it will increase due to more high temperature, evaporation of water from the surface of the earth. This means an increase in desert lands.
Ozone holes or ozone depletion. Ozone is one of the forms of oxygen and is formed naturally in the atmosphere. This happens when the sun's ultraviolet radiation hits an oxygen molecule. Therefore, the highest concentration of ozone is in the upper atmosphere at an altitude of about 22 km. from the surface of the Earth. In height, it extends over about 5 km. this layer is considered to be protective, since it traps this very radiation. Without such protection, all life on Earth perished. A decrease in the concentration of ozone in the protective layer is now observed. Why this is happening has not yet been reliably established. This depletion was first discovered in 1985 over Antarctica. Since then, the phenomenon has been called the "ozone hole". At the same time, the Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer was signed in Vienna.
Industrial emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide into the atmosphere combine with atmospheric moisture to form sulfuric and nitric acid and cause acid rain. Any precipitation, the acidity of which is higher than natural, that is, ph<5,6. Это явление присуще всем промышленным регионам в мире. Главное их отрицательное воздействие приходится на листья растений. Кислотность нарушает их восковой защитный слой, и они становятся уязвимы для вредителей, болезней, засух и загрязнений.
Falling out on the soil, the acids contained in their water react with toxic metals in the ground. Such as: lead, cadmium, aluminum and others. Dissolve and thus contribute to their penetration into living organisms and groundwater.
In addition, acid rain promotes corrosion and thus affects the strength of buildings, structures and other building structures made of metal.
Smog is a common sight in large industrial cities. It occurs where a large amount of anthropogenic pollutants and substances obtained as a result of their interaction with solar energy accumulate in the lower layers of the troposphere. Smog is formed and lives in cities for a long time, thanks to the calm weather. There is: wet, icy and photochemical smog.
With the first explosions of nuclear bombs in the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, mankind discovered another, perhaps the most dangerous, type of atmospheric air pollution - radioactive.
Nature has the ability to cleanse itself, but human activity clearly interferes with this.
Continuous technological progress, the continuing enslavement of nature by man, industrialization, which has changed the surface of the Earth beyond recognition, have become the causes of the global ecological crisis. At present, the world's population is particularly acutely faced with such environmental problems as air pollution, ozone layer depletion, acid rain, greenhouse effect, soil pollution, ocean pollution and overpopulation.
Every day, the average person inhales about 20,000 liters of air, which contains, in addition to vital oxygen, a whole list of harmful suspended particles and gases. Air pollutants are conventionally divided into 2 types: natural and anthropogenic. The latter prevail.
The chemical industry is not doing well. Factories emit harmful substances such as dust, oil ash, various chemical compounds, nitrogen oxides and much more. Air measurements showed the catastrophic position of the atmospheric layer, polluted air is the cause of many chronic diseases.
Air pollution is an environmental problem that is familiar to residents of absolutely all corners of the earth. It is especially acutely felt by representatives of cities in which enterprises of ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, energy, chemical, petrochemical, construction and pulp and paper industries operate. In some cities, the atmosphere is also severely poisoned by vehicles and boiler houses. These are all examples of anthropogenic air pollution.
As for the natural sources of chemical elements that pollute the atmosphere, they include forest fires, volcanic eruptions, wind erosion (dispersal of soil and rock particles), the spread of pollen, evaporation of organic compounds and natural radiation.
Consequences of air pollution
Atmospheric air pollution adversely affects human health, contributing to the development of heart and lung diseases (in particular, bronchitis). In addition, atmospheric pollutants such as ozone, nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide destroy natural ecosystems, destroying plants and causing the death of living things (in particular, river fish).
The global environmental problem of air pollution, according to scientists and government officials, can be solved in the following ways:
The ozone layer is a thin strip of the stratosphere that protects all life on Earth from the harmful ultraviolet rays of the Sun.
Causes of the environmental problem
Back in the 1970s. ecologists have discovered that the ozone layer is destroyed by the action of chlorofluorocarbons. These chemicals are found in coolants in refrigerators and air conditioners, as well as solvents, aerosols / sprays, and fire extinguishers. To a lesser extent, the thinning of the ozone layer is also facilitated by other anthropogenic influences: the launch of space rockets, flights of jet aircraft in the high layers of the atmosphere, testing of nuclear weapons, and the reduction of the planet's forest lands. There is also a theory that global warming contributes to the depletion of the ozone layer.
Effects of ozone depletion
As a result of the destruction of the ozone layer, ultraviolet radiation passes unhindered through the atmosphere and reaches the earth's surface. Exposure to direct UV rays is detrimental to human health by weakening the immune system and causing diseases such as skin cancer and cataracts.
Like the glass walls of a greenhouse, carbon dioxide, methane, nitric oxide and water vapor allow the sun to heat our planet and at the same time prevent infrared radiation reflected from the earth's surface from escaping into space. All of these gases are responsible for maintaining temperatures acceptable for life on earth. However, an increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen oxide and water vapor in the atmosphere is another global environmental problem called global warming (or the greenhouse effect).
Causes of global warming
During the 20th century, the average temperature on earth rose by 0.5 - 1 ° C. The main cause of global warming is considered to be an increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere due to an increase in the volume of fossil fuels (coal, oil and their derivatives) burned by humans. However, according to the statement Alexey Kokorin, Head of Climate Programs World Wildlife Fund(WWF) Russia, "The largest amount of greenhouse gases is generated by power plants and methane emissions during the extraction and delivery of energy resources, while road transport or the flaring of associated petroleum gas cause relatively little harm to the environment.".
Overpopulation, deforestation, ozone depletion and littering are other prerequisites for global warming. However, not all ecologists blame anthropogenic activities for the increase in average annual temperatures. Some believe that the natural increase in the abundance of oceanic plankton also contributes to global warming, leading to an increase in the concentration of the same carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Consequences of the greenhouse effect
If the temperature during the 21st century increases by another 1 ° C - 3.5 ° C, as scientists predict, the consequences will be very sad:
Solving an environmental problem
According to ecologists, the following measures will help to slow down the process of global warming:
Acid rain containing combustion products also poses a threat to the environment, human health and even the integrity of architectural monuments.
The effects of acid rain
The solutions of sulfuric and nitric acids, aluminum and cobalt compounds contained in polluted sediments and fog pollute the soil and water bodies, have a detrimental effect on vegetation, causing the dry tops of deciduous trees and oppressing conifers. Due to acid rain, crop yields are falling, people are drinking water enriched with toxic metals (mercury, cadmium, lead), marble architectural monuments turn into gypsum and erode.
Solving an environmental problem
In the name of saving nature and architecture from acid rain, it is necessary to minimize emissions of sulfur and nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere.
Every year people pollute the environment with 85 billion tons of waste. Among them are solid and liquid waste from industrial enterprises and transport, agricultural waste (including pesticides), household waste and atmospheric deposition of harmful substances.
The main role in soil pollution is played by such components of industrial waste as heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, thallium, bismuth, tin, vanadium, antimony), pesticides and oil products. From the soil, they penetrate into plants and water, even spring water. Along the chain, toxic metals enter the human body and are not always quickly and completely removed from it. Some of them tend to accumulate over the years, provoking the development of serious diseases.
Pollution of the world's oceans, groundwater and surface waters of the land is a global environmental problem, the responsibility for which lies entirely with humans.
Causes of the environmental problem
The main pollutants of the hydrosphere today are oil and oil products. These substances penetrate into the waters of the world's oceans as a result of the wreck of tankers and regular discharges of wastewater by industrial enterprises.
In addition to anthropogenic oil products, industrial and domestic facilities pollute the hydrosphere with heavy metals and complex organic compounds. Agriculture and the food industry are recognized as leaders in the poisoning of the world's oceans with minerals and biogenic elements.
The hydrosphere is also involved in such a global environmental problem as radioactive pollution. The precondition for its formation was the burial of radioactive waste in the waters of the world's oceans. Many powers with a developed nuclear industry and a nuclear fleet, from 49 to 70 years of the XX century, purposefully stored harmful radioactive substances in the seas and oceans. In places where radioactive containers are buried, the level of cesium is often off scale even today. But "underwater test sites" are not the only radioactive source of pollution of the hydrosphere. The waters of the seas and oceans are also enriched with radiation as a result of underwater and surface nuclear explosions.
