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What is the danger of fuel pollution of the environment. Causes of environmental pollution. How to prevent the problem

Atmospheric pollution is caused by the emission of harmful substances. There are more and more cars on the roads every year, and the exhaust gases produced by cars every day pollute the air. Strong Negative influence Industry also has an effect on the atmosphere. Huge amounts of harmful emissions enter the atmosphere every day from plants and factories. The cement, coal, and steel industries pollute the atmosphere the most, which leads to the destruction of the ozone layer, which protects the planet from aggressive ultraviolet rays.

Contamination with radioactive elements

This kind of pollution environment does the most damage. Accidents that occur at nuclear power plants, nuclear waste stored in the earth for decades, the development of nuclear weapons and work in uranium mines affect both human health and pollution of the entire planet.

Soil pollution

Pesticides and harmful additives that are commonly used in agriculture heavily pollute the soil. Waste from agricultural enterprises, which are dumped into the sewers, also has an extremely negative impact on its condition. deforestation and mining also damage the soil.

Water pollution

Reservoirs are exposed to severe toxic effects due to garbage discharges into rivers. Tons of human waste enter the water every day. In addition, they are very harmful to nature. plastic bottles and plastic products, which pose a great danger to the inhabitants of the fauna. Rivers and other bodies of water in large cities with developed industry are especially affected.

Noise pollution

This type of pollution is specific. Unpleasant, loud, harsh sounds that factories, cars, trains make every day cause noise pollution. Natural phenomena such as volcanic eruptions and hurricanes also cause noise pollution. Because of these processes, people develop headaches and other health problems.

In terms of scale, pollution can be global, regional and local. However, any of them leads humanity to health problems, as well as a reduction in life by about 8-12 years. Unfortunately, every year environmental pollution progresses, and only humanity itself can cope with this problem.

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

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

History of biosphere pollution

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

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

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

Classification of nature pollution

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

So, the following types of environmental pollution are distinguished:

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

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

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

The composition of the atmosphere has changed throughout the historical development of the planet. The current situation is such that part of the volume of the gas envelope is determined by human economic activity. The composition of air is heterogeneous and differs depending on geographical location- in industrial areas and large cities, a high level of harmful impurities.

main sources chemical pollution atmosphere:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Irrational human economic activity has caused the degradation of the fertile layer of the earth. Its natural chemical composition changes, mechanical pollution occurs. The intensive development of agriculture leads to significant losses of land. Frequent plowing makes them vulnerable to flooding, salinization and winds, which cause soil erosion.

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

Power plants, radioactive fallout from nuclear explosions, research centers for the study 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 dissipated as a result of human production activity. Then they concentrate in the topsoil. In ancient times, man used 18 elements from the earth's crust, and today - all known.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pollution control

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

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

Other pollution control methods include:

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

Environmental pollution is a major global problem that can only be solved by active participation everyone who calls the planet Earth their home, otherwise an ecological catastrophe will be inevitable.

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

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

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

To physical pollution include thermal, light, noise, vibration, electromagnetic, radioactive.

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

light pollution- Violation of natural light environment. It leads to a violation of the rhythms of the activity of living organisms. An increase in water turbidity in water bodies reduces the penetration of sunlight to the depth and the photosynthesis of aquatic vegetation.

Noise pollution– an increase in the intensity and frequency of noise above the natural level. Noise refers to serious environmental pollutants, adaptation to which organisms are practically impossible. Sources of noise pollution are automobile, rail, air transport, industrial enterprises, household appliances.

Noise pollution has a negative impact on the hearing organs, the nervous system (up to mental disorders), the cardiovascular system and other organs.

Vibration pollution - arises as a result of the operation of different types of transport, vibration equipment, can lead to soil subsidence, deformation of buildings and structures.

Electromagnetic pollution– change in the electromagnetic properties of the environment. Sources of electromagnetic pollution are power lines, radio and television centers, radars. This type of pollution has a significant impact on living organisms: on metabolism, blood composition, and the cardiovascular system.

Nuclear pollution - excess of the natural radioactive level of the environment. Sources of radioactive contamination of the environment are nuclear explosions, radioactive waste disposal, accidents at nuclear power plants, etc.

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

biological pollution divided into bacterial and organic. Bacterial contamination - the introduction into the environment of pathogens that contribute to the spread of diseases, such as hepatitis, cholera, dysentery and other diseases.

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

Organic pollution - pollution, for example, of the aquatic environment with substances capable of fermentation, decay: waste from food, pulp and paper industries, untreated sewage.

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

geological pollution - stimulation under the influence of human activities of such geological processes as flooding, drainage of territories, the formation of landslides, collapses, subsidence of the earth's surface, etc.

Such violations occur as a result of mining, construction, leakage of water and sewage from communications, as a result of the vibrational impact of transport and other influences. The given impacts must be taken into account when designing in construction (choosing the design characteristics of soils, in calculating the stability of buildings and structures).

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

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

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

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

Bioaccumulation is exacerbated in the food chain, i.e. plant organisms assimilate pollutants from the external environment and accumulate them in their organs, herbivorous animals, eating vegetation, receive large doses, predatory animals receive even larger doses. As a result, in living organisms at the end of the food chain, the concentration of pollutants can be hundreds of thousands of times greater than in the external environment. This accumulation of a substance as it passes through the food chain is called bioconcentration.

The danger of bioaccumulation and bioconcentration became known in the 1960s, when a decline in the populations of many birds of prey animals at the end of the food chain.

Thermal radiation resulting from .

chemical pollution- an increase in the amount of chemicals in a certain component of the natural environment, as well as the introduction of chemicals into it in concentrations that exceed the norm or are not characteristic of it.

Chemical pollution is one of the most frequently realized types of pollution produced as a result of a variety of human activities. Chemical pollutants include a wide range of chemical compounds. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are about 500,000 such compounds, of which about 40,000 are harmful substances and about 12,000 are toxic.

In table. 1 lists the most dangerous chemical pollutants of the biosphere that have the greatest impact on it.

The continuing increase in the number and variety of new industrial enterprises, chemical production, various vehicles, chemicalization of agriculture lead to increasing environmental pollution with all kinds of chemicals (xenobiotics) that enter it with gaseous, liquid and solid emissions and waste.

Table 1. Main chemical pollutants of the biosphere (according to UNESCO data)

Chemical substances

General characteristics of the impact on the biosphere

Carbon dioxide

Formed during the combustion of all types of fuel. An increase in its content in the atmosphere leads to an increase in its temperature, which is fraught with detrimental geochemical and environmental consequences.

carbon monoxide

Formed during incomplete combustion of fuel. Can upset the heat balance of the upper atmosphere

Sulphur dioxide

Contained in the smoke of industrial enterprises. Causes exacerbation of respiratory diseases, harms plants. Attacks limestone and other rocks

nitrogen oxides

They create smog, cause respiratory diseases and bronchitis in newborns. Contribute to the overgrowth of aquatic vegetation

One of the dangerous food contaminants, especially of marine origin. Accumulates in the body and affects the nervous system

It is an additive in the ethylation of gasoline. Acts on enzyme systems and metabolism in living cells

Oil and oil products

Lead to detrimental environmental consequences, cause the death of planktonic organisms, fish, seabirds and mammals

DDT and other pesticides

Very toxic to crustaceans. They kill fish and organisms that serve as food for fish. Many are carcinogenic

A characteristic feature of chemical pollution of the natural environment is that they appear on any spatial scale, including the global one.

The environmental situation in Russia has all the main features and manifestations of the global environmental crisis. Recently, first of all, it has taken place, the levels of which exceed the permissible ones.

The current environmental situation is also dangerous. Currently, the annual emissions of industrial enterprises and transport in Russia amount to about 25 million tons. Currently, there are more than 24 thousand enterprises that pollute the environment in the country. According to official data, more than 65 million people living in 187 cities are exposed to pollutants whose average annual concentrations exceed the maximum allowable limits. Every tenth city in Russia has a high level of environmental pollution.

Significant air pollution in them is caused by stationary sources. Most of the pollutants are gaseous and liquid substances, and a much smaller part - solid impurities. The total emission of harmful gaseous substances into the atmosphere is significantly increased vehicles. The share of road transport in total emissions is on average Russian Federation 35-40%, and in large cities it reaches 80-90%. Exhaust gases emitted by vehicles contain more than 200 harmful substances and compounds. The most well-known air pollutants are carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide and dioxide, aldehydes, hydrocarbons, lead, etc. Some air pollutants have carcinogenic properties (benzpyrene).

The main ways of penetration of chemical pollution into the environment are carried out in the process of emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere, discharges into surface and ground waters, and disposal of solid waste.

Chemical pollution of the atmosphere

Atmospheric air is one of the most important components of the environment. The main sources of air pollution are thermal power plants and heating plants burning fossil fuels; motor transport; ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy; mechanical engineering; chemical production; extraction and processing of mineral raw materials; open sources (extraction of agricultural production, construction).

In modern conditions, more than 400 million tons of particles of ash, soot, dust and various kinds of waste and building materials enter the atmosphere. In addition to the above substances, other, more toxic substances are also emitted into the atmosphere: vapors of mineral acids (sulfuric, chromic, etc.), organic solvents, etc. At present, there are more than 500 harmful substances polluting the atmosphere.

Sources of emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere
impurities main sources Average concentration in the air mg / m 3
Natural Angropogenic
Dust Volcanic eruptions, dust storms, forest fires Combustion of fuel in industrial and domestic conditions in cities 0.04 - 0.4
sulphur dioxide Volcanic eruptions, oxidation of sulfur and sulfates dispersed into the sea Combustion of fuel in industrial and domestic installations in cities up to 1.0
nitrogen oxides Forest fires Industry, transport, thermal power plants In areas with developed industry up to 0.2
Oxides of carbon
Volatile hydrocarbons Forest fires, natural methane Motor transport, evaporation of oil products In areas with developed industry up to 0.3
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons - Motor transport, chemical and oil refineries In areas with developed industry up to 0.01

Many branches of energy and industry generate not only the maximum amount of harmful emissions, but also create environmentally unfavorable living conditions for residents of both large and medium-sized cities. Emissions of toxic substances lead, as a rule, to an increase in the current concentrations of substances above maximum allowable concentrations(MPC).

MPC of harmful substances in the atmospheric air of populated areas- these are the maximum concentrations related to a certain averaging period (30 minutes, 24 hours, 1 month, 1 year) and not having, with a regulated probability of their occurrence, either direct or indirect harmful effects on the human body, including long-term consequences for the present and subsequent generations that do not reduce the working capacity of a person and do not worsen his well-being.

Chemical pollution of the hydrosphere

Water, like air, is a vital source for all known organisms. Russia is one of the countries most provided with water. However, the state of its reservoirs cannot be called satisfactory. Anthropogenic activity leads to pollution of both surface and underground water sources.

The main sources of pollution of the hydrosphere are discharged wastewater generated during the operation of energy, industrial, chemical, medical, defense, housing and communal and other enterprises and facilities; disposal of radioactive waste in containers and tanks that lose their tightness after a certain period of time; accidents and catastrophes occurring on land and in water spaces; atmospheric air polluted by various substances and others.

Surface sources of drinking water are annually and increasingly polluted by xenobiotics of various nature, so the supply of drinking water to the population from surface sources is an increasing danger. About 50% of Russians are forced to drink water that does not meet sanitary and hygienic requirements for a number of indicators. The water quality of 75% of water bodies in Russia does not meet regulatory requirements.

More than 600 billion tons of energy, industrial, household and other waste waters are annually discharged into the hydrosphere. More than 20-30 million tons of oil and products of its processing, phenols, easily oxidizable organic substances, copper and zinc compounds enter the water spaces. Unsustainable agriculture also contributes to the pollution of water sources. Residues of fertilizers and pesticides washed out of the soil enter water bodies and pollute them. Many pollutants of the hydrosphere are able to enter into chemical reactions and form more harmful complexes.

Water pollution leads to the suppression of ecosystem functions, slows down the natural processes of biological purification of fresh water, and also contributes to a change in the chemical composition of food and the human body.

Hygienic and technical requirements for water supply sources and the rules for their selection in the interests of public health are regulated by GOST 2761-84 “Sources of centralized domestic and drinking water supply. Hygienic, technical requirements and selection rules”; SanPiN 2.1.4.544-96 “Requirements for water quality of non-centralized water supply. Sanitary protection of springs”; GN 2.1.5.689-98 “Maximum Permissible Concentrations (MPC) of Chemical Substances in the Water of Water Bodies of Domestic Drinking and Cultural Water Supply”, etc.

Hygienic requirements for the quality of drinking water of centralized drinking water supply systems are specified in sanitary rules and regulations. The norms are established for the following water parameters of reservoirs: the content of impurities and suspended particles, taste, color, turbidity and water temperature, pH, composition and concentration of mineral impurities and oxygen dissolved in water, MPCs of chemicals and pathogenic bacteria. MPCv is the maximum allowable pollution of water in reservoirs, at which safety for human health and normal conditions for water use are maintained. For example, for benzene MPCv is 0.5 mg/l.

Soil chemical contamination

The soil- numerous lower animals and microorganisms, including bacteria, mold fungi, viruses, etc. The soil is a source of infection with anthrax, gas gangrene, tetanus, botulism.

Along with the natural uneven distribution of certain chemical elements in modern conditions, their artificial redistribution takes place on a huge scale. Emissions from industrial enterprises and agricultural facilities, dispersing over considerable distances and getting into the soil, create new combinations of chemical elements. From the soil, these substances, as a result of various migration processes, can enter the human body (soil - plants - man, soil - atmospheric air - man, soil - water - man, etc.). All kinds of metals (iron, copper, aluminum, lead, zinc) and other chemical pollutants enter the soil with industrial solid waste.

The soil has the ability to accumulate radioactive substances that enter it with radioactive waste and atmospheric radioactive fallout after nuclear tests. Radioactive substances are included in food chains and affect living organisms.

Among the chemical compounds that pollute the soil are carcinogenic substances - carcinogens, which play a significant role in the occurrence of tumor diseases. The main sources of soil pollution with carcinogenic substances are vehicle exhaust gases, emissions from industrial enterprises, thermal power plants, etc. Carcinogens enter the soil from the atmosphere together with coarse and medium-dispersed dust particles, when oil or its products leak, etc. The main danger of pollution soil is linked to global air pollution.

Rationing of chemical contamination of soils is carried out according to the maximum allowable concentrations of MPC in accordance with GN 6229-91 “List of maximum allowable concentrations (MPC) and approximate allowable amounts of chemicals in the soil”.

Impact of chemical pollution of the environment on human health

In recent decades, the problem of preventing the adverse effects of environmental factors on human health has moved to one of the first places among other global problems.

This is due to the rapid increase in the number of factors different in nature (physical, chemical, biological, social), the complex spectrum and mode of their impact, the possibility of simultaneous action (combined, complex), as well as the diversity pathological conditions caused by these factors.

Among the complex of anthropogenic (technogenic) impacts on the environment and human health, a special place is occupied by numerous chemical compounds widely used in industry, agriculture, energy and other areas of production. Currently, more than 11 million chemicals are known, and in economically developed countries over 100 thousand chemical compounds are produced and used, many of which actually affect humans and the environment.

The impact of chemical compounds can cause almost all pathological processes and conditions known in general pathology. Moreover, as knowledge about the mechanisms of toxic effects deepens and expands, new types of adverse effects (carcinogenic, mutagenic, immunotoxic and other types of actions) are revealed.

There are several principal approaches to prevent the adverse effects of chemicals:

  • a complete ban on production and use;
  • prohibition of entry into the environment and any impact on humans;
  • replacing a toxic substance with a less toxic and dangerous one;
  • restriction (regulation) of the content in environmental objects and the levels of exposure to workers and the population as a whole.

Due to the fact that modern chemistry has become a determining factor in the development of key areas in the entire system of productive forces, the choice of a prevention strategy is a complex, multi-criteria task, the solution of which requires analysis as a risk of developing immediate and long-term adverse effects of a substance on the human body, its offspring, environment, and possible social, economic, biomedical consequences of the ban on the production and use of a chemical compound.

The determining criterion for choosing a prevention strategy is the prevention (prevention) of a harmful action. In our country and abroad, the production and use of some dangerous industrial carcinogens and pesticides is prohibited.

Every year there are fewer and fewer places on our planet that claim to be “environmentally friendly”. Active human activity leads to the fact that the ecosystem is constantly exposed to pollution, and this continues throughout the existence of mankind. However, in recent decades, scientists from different countries have become interested in the problem of physical pollution. Numerous initiative groups are struggling to find out the causes of a sharp change in the climate on the planet and the consequences for all living things that it brings. Unfortunately, completely stop the physical pollution of a person on this stage cannot develop itself. But if in the near future its degree does not decrease, it will be possible to speak of a global catastrophe, which will first of all affect all people. Today we will talk in great detail about the physical type of environmental pollution that causes great harm to nature and all living organisms on our Earth.

Question terminology

We can say that the entire history of human existence is associated with environmental pollution. It so happened that even at the dawn of civilization, people began to introduce certain elements into nature that pollute it.

Ecologists are looking into this issue more deeply. They argue that any introduction of elements alien to the environment does not just remain in it, but begins to interact with the established ecosystem. And this leads to major changes. Their consequences may be the extinction of some animal species, a change in their habitats, mutations, and so on. It is enough to look into the Red Book to understand how much the environment has changed over several centuries.

However, it cannot be said that all these changes were caused only by physical types of pollution. In science, there is a division into natural and physical pollutants. The first group can safely include any cataclysms and natural disasters. For example, a volcanic eruption causes tons of ash and gas, which immediately affects the environment. Such pollution includes floods, tsunamis and other natural phenomena. Despite their destructive actions, over time, the ecosystem comes into balance, as it has the ability to self-regulate. What can not be said about human intervention in the environment.

According to the accepted terminology, physical pollution includes human side effects caused by technological progress. Of course, no one will argue that in recent years technology has stepped far forward, making our life more comfortable. But who knows the true price of this progress? Perhaps only ecologists trying to find out the degree of physical pollution of water or, for example, air. Moreover, despite numerous studies, scientists still do not have exact data on the scale of the disaster.

Very often, the physical type of pollution is also called "anthropogenic". In our article, we will use both terms equally. Therefore, the reader should understand that anthropogenic pollution is the same changes made to the environment by man in the course of his economic activity.

Types of anthropogenic pollution

In order to understand how much a person influences nature, it is necessary to have an idea not only about the physical type of environmental pollution, but also about its classification. Scientists approach this issue very seriously and at the moment they distinguish several rather voluminous groups that reveal all the changes made to the ecosystem by man.

So what should be understood by the term "physical pollution"? Chemical and biological many people call first. However, this is not the whole list included in our term. Unfortunately, it is much wider and more varied. Physical pollution includes the following types:

  • thermal;
  • light;
  • noise;
  • electromagnet;
  • radioactive (radiation);
  • vibration;
  • mechanical;
  • biological;
  • geological;
  • chemical.

An impressive list, isn't it? At the same time, types of physical pollution of the environment are periodically replenished with new positions. After all, science also does not stand still, and with each new discovery about our planet comes the realization of the harm that people regularly cause to nature.

thermal pollution

Thermal is the most common and large-scale physical pollution caused by the economic activity of mankind. It was not considered seriously for a very long time, and only after scientists started talking about the greenhouse effect and the steady increase in temperature on the planet, the world community began to think about this problem.

However, it has already managed to affect almost every person living in the metropolis or near it. And this, as practice shows, is the majority of people on our Earth. The factors of physical pollution of this type, which caused changes in the environment, were primarily urban communications, underground construction and the activities of industrial enterprises that emit tons of gas, smoke and harmful substances into the atmosphere.

As a result, the average air temperature in the cities increased significantly. For people, this threatens with serious consequences, which almost every city dweller feels in one way or another. The fact is that an increase in temperature causes a change in humidity and wind direction. In turn, these changes make cold days in the metropolis even colder, and the heat is simply unbearable. In addition to banal discomfort, this causes a violation of heat transfer in people, which in chronic stage causes circulatory and respiratory problems. It also becomes an involuntary reason for diagnosing arthrosis and arthritis in fairly young people. Previously, these diseases were considered the lot of the elderly, but now the disease is noticeably younger.

light pollution

The physical pollution of the environment caused by the violation of lighting seems to many people to be insignificant and not causing much harm. But this opinion is erroneous and can cost a lot, first of all, to the person himself.

Sources of physical pollution of this type are:

  • illuminations in megacities at night;
  • directional powerful light sources;
  • lighting directed to the sky;
  • group illuminations, concentrated in one place and often changing the intensity of the glow.

Every resident of the city is familiar with such problems, because they are an integral part of technological progress. However, they completely change the natural biorhythms of all living things that fall within the range of pollution.

Since man is a part of nature, his life is subject to certain biorhythms. Bright light at night, accompanying the city dweller everywhere, knocks down his internal clock and the body ceases to understand when it is necessary to sleep and stay awake. This leads to constant insomnia, depression, irritability, chronic fatigue syndrome and other disorders of the nervous system. Some of them further develop into psychological problems that cause an increase in suicides. Unfortunately, this is a typical picture for modern cities.

Light pollution affects all living organisms, but especially the inhabitants of water bodies. Usually, under the influence of a constant light source, the water begins to become cloudy. This reduces the penetration of sunlight in the daytime, as a result, plant photosynthesis and the biological rhythms of other inhabitants of ponds and lakes are disturbed. Often this even leads to the death of the reservoir.

Noise pollution

Physical pollution caused by noise is considered by physicians to be the most dangerous for humans. Almost everything that surrounds us in the city becomes its source: transport, public places, household appliances, intrusive advertising, and so on.

Permissible noise measures that are safe for humans and other living organisms have long been derived:

  • in residential premises during the day there should be no more than forty decibels, at night - no more than thirty;
  • in industrial premises and in other workplaces, the allowable range is between fifty-six and eighty decibels.

Noise of 90 dB is considered extremely annoying for a person. This effect has an unpleasant property to accumulate in the body, imperceptibly causing hearing impairment, mental disorders, diseases of the cardiovascular and nervous systems. And this is not the whole list of problems that noise pollution brings with it in cities.

It is noteworthy that noise with sharp changes in volume causes more harm to the body. However, it is with him that residents of megacities most often face. Indeed, in apartment buildings, doors are constantly slamming, there are quarrels between neighbors and dogs are barking. And all this is perfectly audible through thin walls with poor sound insulation.

Today, scientists are seriously talking about noise disease, which leads to a complete imbalance of the body, accompanied by numerous symptoms. The most common include:

  • increased sweating;
  • cold extremities;
  • dull headache;
  • loss of appetite;
  • increasing irritability and aggressiveness;
  • problems with concentration;
  • sleep disorders.

Doctors believe that noise disease is a side effect of most of the inhabitants of large cities. With complete sound isolation, a person experiences anxiety, panic, confusion, weakness and oppression of intellectual activity.

Electromagnetic pollution

We are all surrounded by various electrical devices and structures that generate electromagnetic fields. We think many people know that refrigerators, microwaves, televisions and other household appliances create additional electromagnetic fields in our home that affect the health of all family members.

However, they are by no means the main examples of physical pollution in this category, because first of all we should talk about high-voltage lines, television and radar stations, electric vehicles, and so on. All industrial facilities, without which we cannot imagine our lives, create electromagnetic fields that are dangerous for any biological species.

Depending on the intensity of the radiation, this effect may be physically imperceptible, or it may cause a feeling of warmth in an indefinite location and even a burning sensation. This effect leads to a malfunction of the central nervous system of any biological species, as well as endocrine system. In turn, these problems reduce potency and reduce the possibility of conceiving and producing healthy offspring to almost zero.

The world scientific community tends to attribute the exacerbation of a number of diseases to electromagnetic pollution, which were previously diagnosed much less frequently:

  • mental disorders;
  • sudden death syndrome in infants;
  • Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases.

Whether this is so, scientists have yet to find out, but the fact that in recent years the health of urban residents has noticeably deteriorated can be confirmed by completely different sources.

Radioactive and radiation contamination

Radioactive sources also belong to the physical type of pollution. The development of nuclear energy has led to a technological breakthrough, but at the same time it has become the cause of powerful pollution, the area of ​​which only increases over time. different countries peace.

Scientists claim that radiation background planet is steadily rising, and it is the person who is trying to put the atom at his service that is to blame. For example, in the process of testing nuclear weapons, radiation aerosols are released. In the future, they settle on the surface of the earth, forming an additional source of hazardous radiation for biological species.

People actively use the atom in energy, which leads to the formation a large number which are not always properly disposed of. At the same time, warehouses for nuclear power plant equipment that have served their time and nuclear fuel disposal facilities are being formed. And, of course, accidents at nuclear power plants pose the greatest danger to the ecosystem.

The most devastating is the Chernobyl accident, its consequences still make themselves felt in villages, diseases and mutations. But what the destruction of the Fukushima reactor will turn out to mankind has yet to be clarified by future generations.

vibration pollution

Vibrational physical pollution of the environment is found everywhere. It is caused by vibrations of different frequencies, acting not only on living organisms, but also on metal and other structures.

The reason for such pollution are objects created by man to facilitate certain actions. These can be pumping and cooling stations, turbines or vibration platforms. A few kilometers from these structures, vibrational pollution is characterized by a very high background. Therefore, most buildings are subject to destruction. Vibration propagates through metal structures, which leads to uneven shrinkage of the structure. Often the balance of all engineering systems, and in the future there is a danger of a sudden collapse. In this case, people can be inside the object.

Vibration also affects human body. It interferes with normal life. People cannot work and rest as usual, which leads to various diseases. First to suffer nervous system, and in the future the body reaches the stage of complete exhaustion.

Vibration pollution also affects animals. Environmentalists claim that they usually try to leave the danger zone. And this sometimes leads to a decrease in the population and the death of entire species of living organisms.

Mechanical pollution

Scientists have been sounding the alarm about the physical pollution of the environment in this category for many years. It is considered extremely insidious, and its consequences are still difficult to predict in full.

At first glance, it is difficult to see a great danger in the emission of dust into the atmosphere, landfill, swamping or drainage of some areas. However, on a global scale, these actions look very different. They lead to a wide range environmental issues that affect every person and every species that lives on Earth.

For example, many scientists believe that mechanical pollution of the environment is the cause of frequent dust storms and the disappearance of water bodies in China. Today, almost every country is struggling with a number of problems caused by this type of human intervention in the ecosystem. However, environmentalists' forecasts are disappointing - in the coming years, humanity will face even larger environmental disasters caused by thoughtless economic activities of people.

biological pollution

Such physical types of pollution as biological ones can, under unfortunate circumstances, cause an epidemic and a massive pestilence of people and animals. Scientists divide this category into two types, each of which is dangerous to humans:

  • bacterial contamination. It is provoked by microorganisms introduced into the ecosystem from outside. The source is poorly treated sewage, industrial discharges into water bodies and their banal pollution. All this can cause an outbreak of cholera, hepatitis and other infections. In addition, the forced relocation of some animal species to a new habitat falls under the category of bacterial pollution. With absence natural enemies this kind of action can cause unforeseen consequences.
  • organic pollution. This category is identical to the previous one, but pollution occurs with substances that provoke decay. As a result, the reservoir can be completely ruined, and the fermentation process can cause the development of pathogenic bacteria.

With biological pollution, the entire ecosystem that has fallen into the zone of infection suffers. Moreover, it has the ability to expand to the scale of a real catastrophe.

geological pollution

Man actively and confidently manages the earth. Its bowels are of interest to people as a treasury with minerals, and their development is carried out on a colossal scale. In parallel, humanity is constantly occupying new lands for construction, cutting down forests, draining water bodies, disrupting the ecosystem with all its actions.

As a result, the terrain begins to change and landslides, sinkholes, and floods form in places where it was difficult to expect. Such situations are almost impossible to predict, and in fact geological pollution can lead to the death of entire cities. They, for example, can completely go underground, which is no longer a rarity in the modern world.

chemical pollution

This category refers to those that have the most rapid impact on the ecosystem. Chemical elements released into the atmosphere by industrial enterprises, transport or entering the soil as a result of agricultural activities tend to accumulate in biological species and cause disturbances in their development.

The most dangerous chemical compounds are heavy metals and synthetic compounds. In small quantities, they do not have any noticeable effect on the body, but accumulating in it, they cause a number of serious illnesses. Their effect is aggravated when transferred through the food chain. Plants draw harmful compounds from the soil and air, herbivores get them from food in an already larger dose, and predators at the end of this chain may already die from the maximum concentration of chemical compounds. Scientists are aware of cases when animals died en masse precisely because of the accumulated hazardous substances.

An ecosystem is a very fragile organism in which all parts of the whole are interconnected by invisible threads. Environmental pollution in one part of the world disrupts the natural balance in another. And first of all it affects the person. Therefore, it is worth seriously addressing the problem of anthropogenic pollution, or in the future our descendants will get an empty and inhospitable planet.