A large number of carbon dioxide, entering the atmosphere, and the lack of vegetation to fully absorb it today lead to the formation and global warming of the climate.

Damming rivers to build hydroelectric dams entails changes in established local ecosystems. Animals and birds are forced to move to other areas, which leads to the extinction of many species.

In addition to carbon dioxide, quite a lot of harmful substances enter the atmosphere, which cause acid rain, thereby polluting the soil and water bodies. As you can see, the problem is already beyond the scope of energy and moves into the next category.

Ecologists regularly compile various maps where you can clearly see the environmental problems of Russian cities. For example, the most comfortable places to live in terms of ecology are the Pskov and Novgorod regions, Chukotka, Altai, and Buryatia.

Pollution

The problem of pollution today is one of the most pressing. Let us consider in more detail the main types of pollution.

Pollution of water and reservoirs

This problem is most acute in industrial and densely populated areas of the country. Experts say that most diseases among residents of large settlements are associated precisely with the problem of contaminated water. In regions with high levels of water pollution, there is an increased incidence of various types oncological diseases, as well as pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract.

Every year, thousands of tons of waste from the chemical and oil refining industries from various enterprises fall into lakes throughout Russia; in water bodies they destroy many species of flora and fauna. In addition, they make water unsuitable even for technical use.

Human waste products also significantly affect the pollution of water bodies, since water that is used in cities for the needs of the population often flows from the sewerage system directly into open water bodies, bypassing the system of treatment facilities, the quality of which, by the way, leaves much to be desired: most of them are already practically cannot cope with their functions due to outdated and deteriorating equipment.

Thanks to satellite research, environmental problems in the seas of Russia were identified and the most dangerous of all the waters of our country turned out to be the Gulf of Finland, where the largest amount of dangerous oil products spilled from oil tankers is located.

At this rate of pollution, there may soon be a shortage of drinking water, as chemical waste enters the soil, thereby poisoning groundwater. In many springs throughout Russia, water has already become undrinkable due to soil contamination with chemical waste.

The decline of heavy industry in the 1990s went a long way toward correcting Russia's air pollution problem, which was already becoming dangerously widespread, with air pollution levels among the highest in the world during Soviet times. The Soviet government did not anticipate that heavy industrial waste released into the atmosphere and deforestation, which reduces the absorption of carbon dioxide from the air, could pose any problem.

To increase production capacity, no natural resources were spared, and the thick smoke above the chimneys of factories was considered proof of unprecedented technocratic and industrial achievements. And it evoked a feeling of pride instead of the logical concern for the environment and one’s health in this case.

When automobile fuel burns, in addition to carbon dioxide, fine dust and microscopic soot particles are released into the atmosphere. Inhaled by humans, they become the cause of various oncological diseases, since they are quite strong carcinogens.

Even substances that are harmless to humans, such as freon, when entering the upper layers of the atmosphere, contribute to the destruction of the ozone layer. Consequently, more and more ozone holes appear, which allow the harsh ultraviolet spectrum of solar radiation to pass through. This affects not only the Earth’s climate, but also all people, since such radiation is one of the main causes of skin cancer, and rising temperatures lead to an increase in cardiovascular diseases.

Climate change due to air pollution and global warming significantly affects human life and has much more serious consequences than we can imagine. For example, it leads to a reduction in land suitable for cultivation, thereby reducing the area of ​​agricultural land. Which, in turn, threatens to reduce the possible amount of food and the onset of general hunger.

Nuclear pollution

The problem of radioactive contamination began to be discussed in earnest only after the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Before this, the question of the possible threat of such contamination, as well as the problem of disposal, was practically not raised. radioactive waste, which lead to radioactive contamination of the environment.

Many of the nuclear power plants in Russia have already reached their end of life and require more advanced equipment. Failure to replace it in a timely manner may lead to serious severe environmental disasters due to accidents at nuclear power plants, as happened in Chernobyl.

The main danger of radioactive radiation lies in the fact that radioactive isotopes cause death or mutation of the cells into which they penetrate.

Radioactive substances can enter the human body along with inhaled air, water and food, as well as settling on unprotected areas of the skin. Many of them are deposited in the thyroid gland and bone tissue, exhibiting their pathogenic properties not immediately, but after some time, depending on the radiation dose received by the person. In this regard, the problem of radioactive waste disposal is extremely relevant today.

The problem of household waste in Russia Along with the above, no less pressing in Russia is the problem of recycling household waste and polluting the environment. Currently, it is one of the most serious environmental problems in the country: about 400 kg of household solid waste is generated per year per resident of Russia. A effective ways

recycling of inorganics has not yet been invented. effective methods How to deal with some household waste (in particular, paper and glass containers) is the recycling of raw materials. In cities with an established mechanism for collecting waste paper and glass containers, the problem of household waste is less acute than in others.
What measures need to be taken?

In order to solve the environmental problems of Russian forests and reduce their deforestation, it will be necessary:

• establish less favorable conditions for the export of timber, especially valuable species;
• improve working conditions for foresters;
• strengthen control over tree felling directly in forests.

To purify water you need:

• reorganization of treatment facilities, most of which cannot cope with their functions due to outdated and largely faulty equipment;
• revision of technologies for processing and disposal of industrial waste;
• improvement of processes for recycling household inorganic waste.

To clean the air you need the following:

• the use of more modern and environmentally friendly types of fuel, which would make it possible to significantly reduce the emission of harmful substances into the atmosphere; improvement of filters in heavy industry.
  To reduce the amount of household waste:
• in addition to improving methods of recycling household waste, it will also be necessary to resolve the issue of using more environmentally friendly materials in the manufacture of, for example, food packaging;
• To reduce the pollution of forest plantations and other recreational areas, it is necessary to organize work with the population on environmental issues, as well as the introduction of strict penalties for throwing inorganic waste in the wrong place.

Solving environmental problems in Russia

It is in the interests of our country to preserve and improve the health of our environment. Currently, government supervision over its use has been significantly weakened. Of course, relevant laws and conceptual documents are adopted, but often we see that locally, in the regions, they do not work effectively enough. But despite this, there are still changes. Comprehensive measures are being carried out aimed at stabilizing and mitigating the environmental situation in the industrial regions of Siberia and the Urals, which often use innovative technologies. Energy saving programs are being introduced throughout the country. Supervision of hydraulic structures is being strengthened. Below is a map of Russia's environmental problems, with cities and regions of comfortable living indicated. Even though the map was made in 2000, it is still relevant today.

Very good article! I totally agree with you! Why is it sometimes difficult for people to take a few extra steps to throw their trash in a trash bin instead of on the ground? If every person realized this, there would be no pollution. Although many understand this, they do not want to save the planet. It's very sad that modern world this is how it all works out. It’s so good that there are now societies for the protection of nature! Thank you very much for this information!

The situation in our country has always been difficult. I was in France not long ago, where, for example, garbage is not thrown into one bin, but is thrown into several bins, then sorted and processed at the factory, we are not close to this yet. It’s true that the beginnings of this already exist; plants are being created to recycle waste household appliances, household and chemical waste.

The right to a favorable environment is enshrined in the Constitution of the Russian Federation. A number of bodies monitor compliance with this standard:

• Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia;
• Rosprirodnadzor and its territorial departments;
• environmental prosecutor's office;
• organs executive power subjects of the Russian Federation in the field of ecology;
• a number of other departments.

But it would be more logical to consolidate everyone’s responsibility to conserve natural resources, minimize consumer waste, and take care of nature. A person has many rights. What does nature have? Nothing. Only the duty to satisfy the ever-growing needs of man. And this consumer attitude leads to environmental problems. Let's figure out what it is and how to improve the current state of affairs.

Concept and types of environmental problems

Environmental problems are interpreted in different ways. But the essence of the concept comes down to one thing: this is the result of thoughtless, soulless anthropogenic impact on the environment, which leads to changes in the properties of landscapes, depletion or loss of natural resources (minerals, animals and flora). And it boomerangs on human life and health.

Environmental problems affect the entire natural system. Based on this, there are several types of this problem:

• Atmospheric. In the atmospheric air, most often in urban areas, there is an increased concentration of pollutants, including particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and oxide, and carbon monoxide. Sources – automobile transport and stationary facilities (industrial enterprises). Although, according to the State Report “On the state and protection of the environment of the Russian Federation in 2014,” the total volume of emissions decreased from 35 million tons/year in 2007 to 31 million tons/year in 2014, the air is not getting cleaner. The dirtiest Russian cities according to this indicator are Birobidzhan, Blagoveshchensk, Bratsk, Dzerzhinsk, Yekaterinburg, and the cleanest are Salekhard, Volgograd, Orenburg, Krasnodar, Bryansk, Belgorod, Kyzyl, Murmansk, Yaroslavl, Kazan.
• Aquatic. There is depletion and pollution of not only surface but also groundwater. Let's take, for example, the “great Russian” river Volga. The waters in it are characterized as “dirty”. The norm for the content of copper, iron, phenol, sulfates, and organic substances is exceeded. This is due to the operation of industrial facilities that discharge untreated or insufficiently treated wastewater into the river, and the urbanization of the population - a large share of household wastewater through biological treatment plants. The decrease in fish resources was influenced not only by river pollution, but also by the construction of a cascade of hydroelectric power stations. Even 30 years ago, even near the city of Cheboksary it was possible to catch a Caspian beluga, but now you won’t catch anything larger than a catfish. It is possible that the annual campaigns of hydroelectric power engineers to launch fry of valuable fish species, such as sterlet, will someday bring tangible results.
• Biological. Resources such as forests and pastures are degrading. We mentioned fish resources. As for forests, we have the right to call our country the largest forest power: a quarter of the area of ​​​​all forests in the world grows in our country, half of the country’s territory is occupied by woody vegetation. We need to learn to treat this wealth more carefully in order to preserve it from fires, and promptly identify and punish “black” lumberjacks.

Fires are most often the work of human hands. It is possible that in this way someone is trying to hide traces of the illegal use of forest resources. Perhaps it is no coincidence that the most “burning” areas of Rosleskhoz include the Transbaikal, Khabarovsk, Primorsky, Krasnoyarsk territories, the republics of Tyva, Khakassia, Buryatia, Yakutia, the Irkutsk, Amur regions, and the Jewish Autonomous Region. At the same time, huge amounts of money are spent on eliminating fires: for example, in 2015, over 1.5 billion rubles were spent. There are also good examples. Thus, the republics of Tatarstan and Chuvashia did not allow a single forest fire in 2015. There is someone to follow by example!

• Land. We are talking about the depletion of subsoil, the development of minerals. To save at least part of these resources, it is enough to recycle waste as much as possible and reuse it. In this way, we will help reduce the area of ​​landfills, and enterprises can save on quarry development by using recyclable materials in production.
• Soil - geomorphological. Active farming leads to gully formation, soil erosion, and salinization. According to the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia, as of January 1, 2014, almost 9 million hectares of farmland were subject to degradation, of which over 2 million hectares of land were degraded. If erosion occurs as a result of land use, then the soil can be helped by: terracing, creating forest belts for protection from the wind, changing the type, density and age of vegetation.
• Landscape. Deterioration of the condition of individual natural-territorial complexes.

Modern world environmental problems

Local and global environmental problems are closely interrelated. What happens in a particular region ultimately affects the overall situation throughout the world. Therefore, environmental issues must be approached comprehensively. First, let's highlight the main global environmental problems:

• . As a result, protection from ultraviolet radiation decreases, which leads to various diseases of the population, including skin cancer.
• Global warming. Over the past 100 years, the temperature of the surface layer of the atmosphere has increased by 0.3-0.8°C. The snow area in the north has decreased by 8%. There was a rise in the level of the world's oceans to 20 cm. Over 10 years, the rate of increase in the average annual temperature in Russia was 0.42°C. This is twice the rate of increase in Earth's global temperature.
• . Every day we inhale about 20 thousand liters of air, saturated not only with oxygen, but also containing harmful suspended particles and gases. So, if we consider that there are 600 million cars in the world, each of which daily emits up to 4 kg of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, soot and zinc into the atmosphere, then through simple mathematical calculations we come to the conclusion that the vehicle fleet emits 2.4 billion kg of harmful substances. We must not forget about emissions from stationary sources. Therefore, it is not surprising that every year over 12.5 million people (and this is the population of the entire Moscow!) die from diseases associated with poor ecology.

• . This problem leads to pollution of water bodies and soils with nitric and sulfuric acid, cobalt and aluminum compounds. As a result, productivity falls and forests die. Toxic metals end up in drinking water and poison us.
• . Humanity needs to store 85 billion tons of waste a year somewhere. As a result, the soil under authorized and unauthorized landfills becomes contaminated with solid and liquid industrial waste, pesticides, and household waste.
• . The main pollutants are oil and petroleum products, heavy metals and complex organic compounds. In Russia, the ecosystems of rivers, lakes, and reservoirs are maintained at a stable level. The taxonomic composition and structure of communities do not undergo significant changes.

Ways to improve the environment

No matter how deeply modern environmental problems penetrate, their solution depends on each of us. So what can we do to help nature?

• Use of an alternative fuel or alternative means of transport. To reduce harmful emissions into the air, it is enough to switch your car to gas or switch to an electric car. A very environmentally friendly way to travel by bicycle.
• Separate collection. It is enough to install two garbage containers at home to effectively implement separate collection. The first is for waste that cannot be recycled, and the second is for subsequent transfer to recycling. Price plastic bottles, waste paper, glass is becoming more and more expensive, so separate collection is not only environmentally friendly, but also economical. By the way, so far in Russia the volume of waste generation is twice as high as the volume of waste use. As a result, the volume of waste in landfills triples over five years.
• Moderation. In everything and everywhere. An effective solution to environmental problems requires abandoning the consumer society model. A person does not need 10 boots, 5 coats, 3 cars, etc. to live. It’s easy to switch from plastic bags to eco-bags: they are stronger, have a much longer service life, and cost about 20 rubles. Many hypermarkets offer eco-bags under their own brand: Magnit, Auchan, Lenta, Karusel, etc. Everyone can independently evaluate what they can easily refuse.
• Environmental education of the population. Take part in environmental events: plant a tree in your yard, go to restore forests damaged by fires. Take part in a cleanup event. And nature will thank you with the rustling of leaves, a light breeze... Foster in children a love for all living things and teach them proper behavior while walking in the forest or on the street.
• Join the ranks of environmental organizations. Don't know how to help nature and preserve a favorable environment? Join the ranks of environmental organizations! These could be the global environmental movements Greenpeace, Wildlife Fund, Green Cross; Russian: All-Russian Society for Nature Conservation, Russian Geographical Society, ECA, Separate COLLECTION, Green Patrol, RosEco, Non-Governmental Environmental Foundation named after V.I. Vernadsky, Movement of Nature Conservation Teams, etc. A creative approach to preserving a favorable environment and a new circle of communication await you!

Nature is one, there will never be another. Already today, by starting to jointly solve environmental problems, by combining the efforts of citizens, the state, public organizations and commercial enterprises, we can improve the world around us. Issues of environmental protection concern many, because how we treat them today determines the conditions in which our children will live tomorrow.

Humanity is too slow to understand the scale of the danger created by a careless attitude towards the environment. Meanwhile, the solution (if it is still possible) of such formidable global problems as environmental ones requires urgent, energetic joint efforts of international organizations, states, regions, and the public.
During its existence and especially in the 20th century, humanity managed to destroy about 70 percent of all natural ecological (biological) systems on the planet that are capable of processing human waste, and continues their “successful” destruction. The amount of permissible impact on the biosphere as a whole has now been exceeded several times. Moreover, humans release thousands of tons of substances into the environment that were never contained in it and which often cannot be or are poorly recyclable. All this leads to the fact that biological microorganisms, which act as an environmental regulator, are no longer able to perform this function.
According to experts, in 30 - 50 years an irreversible process will begin, which at the turn of the 21st - 22nd centuries will lead to a global environmental disaster. A particularly alarming situation has developed on the European continent. Western Europe has largely exhausted its environmental resources and, accordingly, is using others’.
There are almost no intact biological systems left in European countries. The exception is the territory of Norway, Finland, to some extent Sweden and, of course, Eurasian Russia.
On the territory of Russia (17 million sq. km) there are 9 million sq. km. km of untouched, and therefore working, ecological systems. A significant part of this territory is tundra, which is biologically unproductive. But the Russian forest-tundra, taiga, sphagnum (peat) bogs are ecosystems without which it is impossible to imagine a normally functioning biota of the entire globe.
Russia, for example, ranks first in the world in absorbing (thanks to its vast forests and swamps) carbon dioxide - about 40 percent.
It remains to be stated: there is, perhaps, nothing in the world more valuable for humanity and its future than the preserved and still working natural ecological system of Russia, despite all the complexity of the environmental situation.
In Russia, the difficult environmental situation is aggravated by the protracted general crisis. The government leadership is doing little to correct it. The legal tools for environmental protection - environmental law - are slowly developing. In the 90s, however, several environmental laws were adopted, the main one of which was the Russian Federation Law “On Environmental Protection”, in force since March 1992. However, law enforcement practice has revealed serious gaps, both in the law itself and in the mechanism for its implementation.

Atmospheric 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 activity and located outside residential, industrial and other premises, which is why more attention is paid to this problem in this abstract. The results of environmental studies, both in Russia and abroad, clearly indicate that ground-level atmospheric pollution is the most powerful, constantly acting factor affecting humans, the food chain and the environment. Atmospheric air has unlimited capacity and plays the role of the most mobile, chemically aggressive and pervasive interaction agent near the surface of the components of the biosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere.

In recent years, data have been obtained on the significant role of preserving the biosphere of the ozone layer of the atmosphere, which absorbs ultraviolet radiation from the Sun, which is harmful to living organisms, and forms a thermal barrier at altitudes of about 40 km, preventing the cooling of the earth's surface. The air in homes and work areas is of great importance due to the fact that people spend a significant part of their time here.

The atmosphere has an intense impact not only on humans and biota, 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.

The polluted ground atmosphere causes cancer of the lungs, throat and skin, disorders of the central nervous system, allergic and respiratory diseases, defects in newborns and many other diseases, the list of which is determined by the pollutants present in the air and their combined effects on the human body. The results of special studies carried out in Russia and abroad have shown that there is a close positive relationship between the health of the population and the quality of atmospheric air.

The main agents of atmospheric influence on the hydrosphere are precipitation in the form of rain and snow, and, to a lesser extent, smog and fog. Surface and underground waters of land are mainly fed by the atmosphere and, as a result, their chemical composition depends mainly on the state of the atmosphere. According to ecological-geochemical mapping data of different scales, melt (snow) water of the Russian Plain, in comparison with surface and groundwater in many areas, is noticeably (several times) enriched in nitrite and ammonium ions, antimony, cadmium, mercury, molybdenum, zinc, lead, tungsten, beryllium, chromium, nickel, manganese. This is especially clearly manifested in relation to groundwater. Siberian ecologists-geochemists have identified the enrichment of mercury in snow waters compared to surface waters in the Katun River basin. Kuraisko-Sarasinskaya mercury-ore zone of the Altai Mountains).

Calculation of the balance of the amount of heavy metals in the snow cover showed that most of them are dissolved in snow water, i.e. are in a migratory and mobile form, capable of quickly penetrating surface and underground waters, the food chain and the human body. In the conditions of the Moscow region, zinc, strontium, and nickel are almost completely dissolved in snow water.

The negative impact of a polluted atmosphere on soil and vegetation cover is associated both with the loss of acidic precipitation, which washes out calcium, humus and microelements from the soil, and with disruption of photosynthesis processes, leading to a slowdown in the growth of plant death. The high sensitivity of trees (especially birch and oak) to air pollution has been identified for a long time. Joint action Their factors lead to a noticeable decrease in soil fertility and the disappearance of forests. Acid precipitation is now considered as a powerful factor not only in the weathering of rocks and the deterioration of the quality of load-bearing soils, but also in the chemical destruction of man-made objects, including cultural monuments and ground communication lines. Many economically developed countries are currently implementing programs to address the problem of acid precipitation. As part of the National Program for Assessing the Impact of Acid Precipitation, approved in 1980. Many US federal agencies have begun to fund research into the atmospheric processes that cause acid rain, with the aim of assessing the impact of the latter on ecosystems and developing appropriate environmental measures. It turned out that acid rain has multifaceted effects on the environment and is the result

volume of self-cleaning (washing) of the atmosphere. The main acidic agents are dilute sulfuric and nitric acids formed during the oxidation reactions of sulfur and nitrogen oxides with the participation of hydrogen peroxide.

Research in the central part of European Russia has established that snow waters here, as a rule, have a near-neutral or slightly alkaline reaction. Against this background, areas of both acidic and alkaline precipitation stand out. Snow waters with a neutral reaction are characterized by low buffering capacity (acid-neutralizing ability) and therefore even a slight increase in the concentrations of sulfur and nitrogen oxides in the surface atmosphere can lead to acidic precipitation over large areas. First of all, this concerns large swampy lowlands, in which the accumulation of atmospheric pollutants occurs due to the manifestation of the lowland effect of emergency precipitation.

The processes and sources of pollution of the surface atmosphere are numerous and varied. Based on their origin, they are divided into anthropogenic and natural. Among the anthropogenic processes, the most dangerous processes include the combustion of fuel and waste, nuclear reactions in the production of atomic energy, nuclear weapons testing, metallurgy and hot metal working, various chemical production, including oil and gas and coal processing.

During fuel combustion processes, the most intense pollution of the surface layer of the atmosphere occurs in megalopolises and large cities, industrial centers due to the widespread use of vehicles, thermal power plants, boiler houses and other power plants operating on coal, fuel oil, diesel fuel, natural gas and gasoline. The contribution of motor transport to total air pollution here reaches 40-50%. A powerful and extremely dangerous factor in air pollution are disasters at nuclear power plants (Chernobyl accident) and testing of nuclear weapons in the atmosphere. This is due both to the rapid spread of radionuclides over long distances and to the long-term nature of contamination of the territory.

The high danger of chemical and biochemical production lies in the potential for emergency releases into the atmosphere of extremely toxic substances, as well as microbes and viruses that can cause epidemics among the population and animals.

The main natural process of pollution of the surface atmosphere is the volcanic and fluid activity of the Earth. Special studies have established that the entry of pollutants with deep fluids into the surface layer of the atmosphere occurs not only in areas of modern volcanic and gas-thermal activity, but also in such stable geological structures as the Russian Platform. Large volcanic eruptions lead to global and long-term atmospheric pollution, as evidenced by chronicles and modern observational data (the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines in 1991). This is due to the fact that they are “instantly” emitted into the high layers of the atmosphere. huge quantities gases that are picked up at high altitudes by high-speed air currents and quickly spread throughout the globe. The duration of the polluted state of the atmosphere after large volcanic eruptions reaches several years. In a number of cases, due to the presence in the air of a large mass of dispersed fine solid aerosols, buildings, trees and other objects on the surface of the Earth did not provide shade. It should be noted that in snowfalls in many regions of European Russia, ecological and geochemical mapping revealed abnormally high concentrations of fluorine, lithium, antimony, arsenic, mercury, cadmium and other heavy metals, which are confined to junctions of active deep faults and are probably of natural origin . In the case of antimony, fluorine, and cadmium, such anomalies are significant.

These data indicate the need to take into account modern fluid activity and other natural processes in the pollution of the surface atmosphere of the Russian Plain. There is reason to believe that the air basins of Moscow and St. Petersburg also contain chemical elements (fluorine, lithium, mercury, etc.) coming from the depths along zones of active deep faults. This is facilitated by deep depression craters, which caused a decrease in hydrostatic pressure and the inflow of gas-bearing waters from below, as well as a high degree of disturbance in the underground space of megacities.

A little-studied but ecologically important natural process on a global scale is photochemical reactions in the atmosphere and on the Earth’s surface. This is especially true for the heavily polluted surface atmosphere of megalopolises, large cities and industrial centers, where smog is often observed.

The impact on the atmosphere of cosmic bodies in the form of comets, meteorites, fireballs and asteroids should be taken into account. The 1908 Tunguska event shows that it can be intense and global in scope.

Natural pollutants of the surface atmosphere are represented mainly by oxides of nitrogen, sulfur, carbon, methane and other hydrocarbons, radon, radioactive elements and heavy metals in gaseous and aerosol forms. Solid aerosols are emitted into the atmosphere not only by ordinary volcanoes, but also by mud volcanoes.

Special studies have established that the intensity of aerosol flows of mud volcanoes on the Kerch Peninsula is not inferior to that of the “dormant” volcanoes of Kamchatka. The result of modern fluid activity of the Earth can be complex compounds such as saturated and unsaturated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, carbonyl sulfide, formaldehyde, phenols, cyanides, and ammonia. Methane and its homologues were recorded in the snow cover over hydrocarbon deposits in Western Siberia, the Urals, and Ukraine. In the Athabasca uranium province (Canada), high concentrations of uranium in the needles of Canadian black spruce revealed the Wollastone biochemical anomaly with a size of 3,000 km2, associated with the entry of uranium-containing gas emanations into the surface layer of the atmosphere along deep faults.

Photochemical reactions produce ozone, sulfuric and nitric acids, various photooxidants, complex organic compounds and equimolar mixtures of dry acids and bases, and atomic chlorine. Photochemical pollution of the atmosphere increases noticeably during the daytime and during periods of solar activity.

Currently, there are many tens of thousands of pollutants of anthropogenic origin in the surface atmosphere. Due to the continued growth of industrial and agricultural production, new chemical compounds are emerging, including highly toxic ones. The main anthropogenic pollutants of atmospheric air, in addition to large-scale oxides of sulfur, nitrogen, carbon, dust and soot, are complex organic, organochlorine and nitro compounds, man-made radionuclides, viruses and microbes. The most dangerous are dioxin, benzo(a)pyrene, phenols, formaldehyde, and carbon disulfide, which are widespread in the Russian air basin. Heavy metals are found in the surface atmosphere of the Moscow region mainly in a gaseous state and therefore cannot be captured by filters. Solid suspended particles are represented mainly by soot, calcite, quartz, kaolinite, feldspar, and less often by sulfates and chlorides. Oxides, sulfates and sulfites, sulfides of heavy metals, as well as alloys and metals in native form were discovered in snow dust using specially developed methods.

In Western Europe, priority is given to 28 particularly dangerous chemical elements, compounds and their groups. The group of organic substances includes acrylic, nitrile, benzene, formaldehyde, styrene, toluene, vinyl chloride, and inorganic substances - heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Pb, Mn, Hg, Ni, V), gases (carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, oxides nitrogen and sulfur, radon, ozone), asbestos. Mostly toxic effect lead, cadmium. Intensive bad smell have carbon disulfide, hydrogen sulfide, styrene, tetrachloroethane, toluene. The halo of exposure to sulfur and nitrogen oxides extends over long distances. The above 28 air pollutants are included in the International Register of Potentially Toxic Chemicals.

The main air pollutants in residential premises are dust and tobacco smoke, carbon monoxide and carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, radon and heavy metals, insecticides, deodorants, synthetic detergents, drug aerosols, microbes and bacteria. Japanese researchers have shown that bronchial asthma may be associated with the presence of domestic mites in the air.

According to a study of gas bubbles in the ice of Antarctica, the content of methane in the atmosphere has increased over the past 200 years. Measurements in the early 1980s of carbon monoxide content in the air basin of Oregon (USA) over a period of 3.5 years showed that it increased by an average of 6% per year. There are reports of an increasing trend in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere and the associated threat of the greenhouse effect and climate warming. Both modern and ancient carcinogens (PAHs, benzo(a)pyrene, etc.) were found in the glaciers of the volcanic region of Kamchatka. In the latter case, they are apparently of volcanic origin. Patterns of changes over time in atmospheric oxygen, which has the most important to ensure life activity, have been poorly studied.

An increase in nitrogen and sulfur oxides in the atmosphere in winter was discovered due to an increase in the volume of fuel combustion and the more frequent formation of smog during this period.

The results of routine sampling of snowfall in the Moscow region indicate both synchronous regional changes in their composition over time and local features of the dynamics of the chemical state of the surface atmosphere associated with the functioning of local sources of dust and gas emissions. During frosty winters, the content of sulfates, nitrates and, accordingly, the acidity of snow water increased in the snow cover. Snow water in the initial period of winter was characterized by an increased content of sulfate, chlorine and ammonium ions. As snow falls towards the middle winter period it noticeably (2-3 times) decreased, and then again and sharply (up to 4-5 times for chlorine ion) increased. Such features of changes in the chemical composition of snowfall over time are explained by increased pollution of the surface atmosphere during the first snowfalls. As its “washing” increases, the contamination of the snow cover decreases, increasing again during periods when there is little snowfall.

The atmosphere is characterized by extremely high dynamism, due to both the rapid movement of air masses in the lateral and vertical directions, and high speeds and the variety of physical and chemical reactions occurring in it. Atmosphere diss maturation is now like a huge “chemical cauldron”, which is under the influence of numerous and changeable anthropogenic and natural factors. Gases and aerosols emitted into the atmosphere are characterized by high reactivity. Dust and soot arising from fuel combustion forest fires, absorb heavy metals and radionuclides and, when deposited on the surface, can pollute large areas and penetrate the human body through the respiratory system. Aerosols are divided into primary (emitted from sources of pollution), secondary (formed in the atmosphere), volatile (transported over long distances) and non-volatile (deposited on the surface near zones of dust and gas emissions). Persistent and volatile fine aerosols (cadmium, mercury, antimony, iodine-131, etc.) tend to accumulate in lowlands, bays and other relief depressions, and to a lesser extent on watersheds.

Aerodynamic barriers are large forests, as well as active deep faults of considerable length (Baikal Rift). The reason for this is that such faults control the physical fields, ion flows of the Earth and serve as a kind of barrier to the movement of air masses.

A tendency for the joint accumulation of lead and tin in solid suspended particles of the surface atmosphere of European Russia has been revealed;

chromium, cobalt and nickel; strontium, phosphorus, scandium, rare earths and calcium; beryllium, tin, niobium, tungsten and molybdenum; lithium, beryllium and gallium; barium, zinc, manganese and honey. Lithium, arsenic, and bismuth are often not accompanied by elevated levels of other trace elements. High concentrations of heavy metals in snow dust are due to both the presence of their mineral phases formed during the combustion of coal, fuel oil and other types of fuel, and the sorption of gaseous compounds such as tin halides by soot and clay particles. The identified features of the spatiotemporal distribution of pollutants should be taken into account when interpreting observational data on air pollution.

The "lifetime" of gases and aerosols in the atmosphere varies over a very wide range (from 1 - 3 minutes to several months) and depends mainly on their chemical stability, size (for aerosols) and the presence of reactive components (ozone, hydrogen peroxide, etc. ). Therefore, transboundary transfers of pollutants involve mainly chemical elements and compounds in the form of gases that are not capable of chemical reactions and are thermodynamically stable under atmospheric conditions. As a result, the fight against transboundary transport, which is one of the most current problems protecting air quality is very difficult.

Assessing and, even more so, forecasting the state of the surface atmosphere is a very difficult problem. Currently, its condition is assessed mainly using a normative approach. The maximum concentration limits for toxic chemicals and other standard air quality indicators are given in many reference books and manuals. Such guidelines for Europe, in addition to the toxicity of pollutants (carcinogenic, mutagenic, allergenic and other effects), take into account their prevalence and ability to accumulate in the human body and the food chain. The disadvantages of the normative approach are the unreliability of the accepted values ​​of maximum permissible concentrations and other indicators due to the poor development of their empirical observational base, the lack of taking into account the joint impact of pollutants and sudden changes in the state of the surface layer of the atmosphere in time and space. There are few stationary air monitoring posts and they do not allow us to adequately assess its condition in large industrial and urban centers. Needles, lichens, and mosses can be used as indicators of the chemical composition of the surface atmosphere. At the initial stage of identifying sources of radioactive contamination associated with the Chernobyl accident, pine needles, which have the ability to accumulate radionuclides in the air, were studied. The reddening of coniferous tree needles during periods of smog in cities is widely known.

The most sensitive and reliable indicator of the state of the surface atmosphere is snow cover, which deposits pollutants over a relatively long period of time and makes it possible to determine the location of sources of dust and gas emissions using a set of indicators. Snowfalls contain pollutants that are not captured by direct measurements or calculated data on dust and gas emissions. Snow chemical survey makes it possible to estimate the reserves of pollutants in the snow cover, as well as “wet” and “dry” loads on the environment, which are expressed in determining the amount (mass) of pollutant fallout per unit time per unit area. The widespread use of photography is facilitated by the fact that the main industrial centers of Russia are located in a zone of stable snow cover.

Promising directions for assessing the state of the surface atmosphere of large industrial and urban areas include multichannel remote sensing. The advantage of this method is the ability to characterize large areas quickly, repeatedly, and in one key. To date, methods have been developed to assess the content of aerosols in the atmosphere. The development of scientific and technological progress allows us to hope for the development of such methods in relation to other pollutants.

The forecast of the state of the surface atmosphere is carried out using complex data. These primarily include the results of monitoring observations, patterns of migration and transformation of pollutants in the atmosphere, features of anthropogenic and natural processes of air pollution in the study area, the influence of meteorological parameters, topography and other factors on the distribution of pollutants in the environment. For this purpose, heuristic models of changes in the surface atmosphere in time and space are developed for a specific region. The greatest success in solving this complex problem has been achieved in areas where nuclear power plants are located.

The end result of the application of such models is a quantitative assessment of the risk of air pollution and an assessment of its acceptability from a socio-economic point of view.

Experience in conducting snow chemical surveys indicates that monitoring the state of the air basin is most effective in the zone of stable accumulation of pollutants (lowlands and floodplains of rivers, areas and areas controlled by aerodynamic barriers).

The assessment and forecast of the chemical state of the surface atmosphere associated with natural processes of its pollution differ significantly from the assessment and forecast of the quality of this natural environment caused by anthropogenic processes. The volcanic and fluid activity of the Earth and other natural phenomena cannot be controlled. We can only talk about minimizing the consequences of negative impacts, which is possible only in the case of a deep understanding of the functioning of natural systems of different hierarchical levels and, above all, the Earth as a planet. It is necessary to take into account the interaction of numerous factors that vary in time and space.

The main factors include not only the internal activity of the Earth, but also its connections with the Sun and Space. Therefore, thinking in “simple images” when assessing and forecasting the state of the surface atmosphere is unacceptable and dangerous.

Anthropogenic processes of air pollution in most cases can be controlled. However, the fight against transboundary transfers of pollutants in the atmosphere can be successfully carried out only under the condition of close international cooperation, which presents certain difficulties for various reasons. It is very difficult to assess and predict the state of atmospheric air,

when it is affected by both natural and anthropogenic processes. The features of such interaction are still poorly studied.

Environmental practice in Russia and abroad has shown that its failures are associated with incomplete consideration of negative impacts, the inability to select and evaluate the main factors and consequences, the low efficiency of using the results of field and theoretical environmental studies in decision-making, and the insufficient development of methods for quantitative assessment of the consequences of ground-level atmospheric pollution and other life-supporting natural environments.

All developed countries have adopted laws on the protection of atmospheric air. They are periodically revised to take into account new air quality requirements and new data on the toxicity and behavior of pollutants in the air. The fourth version of the Clean Air Act is currently being discussed in the United States. The battle is between environmentalists and companies with no economic interest in improving air quality. The Government of the Russian Federation has developed a draft law on the protection of atmospheric air, which is currently being discussed. Improving air quality in Russia is of great socio-economic importance

This is due to many reasons and, above all, the unfavorable state of the air basin of megalopolises, large cities and industrial centers, where the bulk of the qualified and able-bodied population lives.

Water is one of the most important life-supporting natural environments formed as a result of the evolution of the Earth. It is an integral part of the biosphere and has a number of anomalous properties that affect the physical, chemical and biological processes occurring in ecosystems.

Such properties include very high and maximum heat capacity of liquids, heat of fusion and heat of evaporation, surface tension, solvent power and dielectric constant, transparency. In addition, water is characterized by an increased migration ability, which is important for its interaction with adjacent natural environments.

The above properties of water determine the potential for the accumulation of very high quantities of a wide variety of pollutants, including pathogenic microorganisms.

Due to the continuously increasing pollution of surface waters, groundwater is becoming practically the only source of household and drinking water supply for the population. Therefore, their protection from pollution and depletion, rational use are of strategic importance

The situation is aggravated by the fact that potable groundwater lies in the uppermost, most susceptible to pollution part of artesian basins and other hydrogeological structures, and rivers and lakes make up only 0.019% of the total water volume. Good quality water is required not only for drinking and cultural needs, but also for many industries.

The danger of groundwater pollution lies in the fact that the underground hydrosphere (especially artesian basins) is the ultimate reservoir for the accumulation of pollutants of both surface and deep origin. Pollution of drainless water bodies on land is long-term, and in many cases irreversible.

Of particular danger is contamination of drinking water by microorganisms that are classified as pathogenic and can cause outbreaks of various epidemic diseases among the population and animals.

Practice has shown that the main cause of most epidemics was the use of water contaminated with viruses and microbes for drinking and other needs. Human exposure to water with high concentrations of heavy metals and radionuclides is shown in the sections devoted to these environmental pollutants.

The most important anthropogenic processes of water pollution are runoff from industrial-urbanized and agricultural areas, precipitation of products of anthropogenic activity. This process pollutes not only surface waters (drainless reservoirs and inland seas, watercourses), but also the underground hydrosphere (artesian basins, hydrogeological massifs), and the World Ocean (especially water areas and shelves). On the continents, the greatest impact is on the upper aquifers (ground and pressure), which are used for domestic drinking water supply.

Accidents of oil tankers and oil pipelines can be a significant factor in the sharp deterioration of the environmental situation on sea coasts and water areas, in inland water systems. There has been a tendency for these accidents to increase in the last decade.

The range of substances that pollute water is very wide, and the forms of their occurrence are varied. The main pollutants associated with natural and anthropogenic processes of pollution of the aquatic environment are largely similar. The difference is that as a result of anthropogenic activities, significant quantities of extremely dangerous substances such as pesticides and artificial radionuclides can enter the water. In addition, many pathogenic and disease-causing viruses, fungi, and bacteria are of artificial origin.

On the territory of the Russian Federation, the problem of pollution of surface and groundwater with nitrogen compounds is becoming increasingly urgent. Ecological and geochemical mapping of the central regions of European Russia has shown that the surface and ground waters of this territory are in many cases characterized by high concentrations of nitrates and nitrites. Regular observations indicate an increase in these concentrations over time.

A similar situation arises with the pollution of groundwater by organic substances. This is due to the fact that the underground hydrosphere is not capable of oxidizing the large mass of organic matter entering it. The consequence of this is that the contamination of hydrogeochemical systems gradually becomes irreversible.

However, the increasing amount of non-oxidized organic substances in water shifts the denitrification process to the right (towards the formation of nitrogen), which helps to reduce the concentrations of nitrates and nitrites.

In agricultural areas with high agricultural load, a noticeable increase in phosphorus compounds in surface waters was revealed, which is a favorable factor for the eutrophication of drainless reservoirs. There has also been an increase in persistent pesticides in surface and groundwater.

Assessment of the state of the aquatic environment according to the normative approach is carried out by comparing the pollutants present in it with their maximum permissible concentrations and other normative indicators adopted for objects of household, drinking, cultural and domestic water use.

Such indicators are beginning to be developed not only to identify excess amounts of pollutants, but also to determine deficits in drinking water vital (essential) chemical elements. In particular, such an indicator for selenium is available for the EEC countries.

Everyone's efforts should be directed primarily at minimizing negative consequences.

It is especially difficult to assess and predict the state of a water body when it is influenced by both natural and anthropogenic processes.

As studies in the Moscow artesian basin have shown, such cases are not uncommon.

Radioactive contamination poses a particular danger to humans and their environment. This is due to the fact that ionizing radiation has intense and constant harmful effects on living organisms, and the sources of this radiation are widespread in the environment. Radioactivity is the spontaneous decay of atomic nuclei, leading to a change in their atomic number or mass number and accompanied by alpha, beta and gamma radiation. Alpha radiation is a stream of heavy particles consisting of protons and neutrons. It is retained by a sheet of paper and is unable to penetrate human skin. However, it becomes extremely dangerous if it enters the body. Beta radiation has a higher penetrating ability and penetrates human tissue by 1 - 2 cm. Gamma radiation can only be blocked by a thick lead or concrete slab.

Levels of terrestrial radiation vary from region to region and depend on the concentration of radionuclides near the surface. Anomalous radiation fields of natural origin are formed when certain types of granites and other igneous formations with an increased emanation coefficient are enriched with uranium, thorium, at deposits of radioactive elements in various rocks, with the modern introduction of uranium, radium, radon into underground and surface waters, and the geological environment. Coals, phosphorites, oil shale, some clays and sands, including beach sands, are often characterized by high radioactivity. Zones of increased radioactivity are distributed unevenly throughout Russia. They are known both in the European part and in the Trans-Urals, the Polar Urals, Western Siberia, the Baikal region, the Far East, Kamchatka, and the Northeast. In most geochemically specialized rock complexes for radioactive elements, a significant part of the uranium is in a mobile state, is easily extracted and enters surface and underground waters, then into the food chain. It is natural sources of ionizing radiation in zones of anomalous radioactivity that make the main contribution (up to 70%) to the total radiation dose to the population, equal to 420 mrem/year. Moreover, these sources can create high levels radiation that affects human life for a long time and causes various diseases, including genetic changes in the body. While sanitary and hygienic inspections are carried out at uranium mines and appropriate measures are taken to protect the health of employees, the impact of natural radiation due to radionuclides in rocks and natural waters has been studied extremely poorly. In the Athabasca uranium province (Canada), the Wollastone biogeochemical anomaly with an area of ​​about 3,000 km2 was identified, expressed by high concentrations of uranium in the needles of Canadian black spruce and associated with its supply

aerosols along active deep faults. On Russian territory

such anomalies are known in Transbaikalia.

Among natural radionuclides, radon and its daughter decay products (radium, etc.) have the greatest radiation-genetic significance. Their contribution to the total radiation dose per capita is more than 50%. The radon problem is currently considered a priority in developed countries and is receiving increased attention from the ICRP and ICDAR at the UN. The danger of radon (half-life 3.823 days) lies in its wide distribution, high penetrating ability and migration mobility, decay with the formation of radium and other highly radioactive products. Radon is colorless, odorless and is considered an “invisible enemy”, a threat to millions of residents of Western Europe and North America.

In Russia, they began to pay attention to the radon problem only in recent years. The territory of our country is poorly studied in relation to radon. Information obtained in previous decades allows us to assert that in the Russian Federation radon is widespread both in the surface layer of the atmosphere, subsoil air, and in groundwater, including sources of drinking water supply.

According to the St. Petersburg Research Institute of Radiation Hygiene, the highest concentration of radon and its daughter decay products in the air of residential premises recorded in our country corresponds to a dose of exposure to human lungs of 3-4 thousand rem per year, which exceeds the maximum permissible concentration by 2 - 3 orders. It is assumed that due to poor knowledge of the radon problem in Russia, it is possible to identify high concentrations of radon in residential and industrial premises in a number of regions.

These primarily include the radon “spot” that covers Lake Onega, the Ladoga and Gulf of Finland, a wide zone traced from the Middle Urals to the west, the southern part of the Western Urals, the Polar Urals, the Yenisei Ridge, the Western Baikal region, the Amur region, the northern part of the Khabarovsk region, Chukotka Peninsula.

The radon problem is especially relevant for megalopolises and large cities, in which there is data on the entry of radon into groundwater and the geological environment along active deep faults (St. Petersburg, Moscow).

Every inhabitant of the Earth in the last 50 years has been exposed to radiation from radioactive fallout caused by nuclear explosions in the atmosphere in connection with nuclear weapons testing. Maximum amount These tests took place in 1954 - 1958. and in 1961 - 1962

A significant part of the radionuclides was released into the atmosphere, quickly spread over long distances and slowly fell to the Earth’s surface for many months.

During the fission processes of atomic nuclei, more than 20 radionuclides are formed with half-lives from fractions of a second to several billion years.

The second anthropogenic source of ionizing radiation to the population is the products of the functioning of nuclear energy facilities.

Although during normal operation of nuclear power plants the releases of radionuclides into the environment are insignificant, the Chernobyl accident of 1986 showed the extremely high potential danger of nuclear energy.

The global effect of radioactive contamination at Chernobyl is due to the fact that during the accident, radionuclides were released into the stratosphere and within a few days were recorded in Western Europe, then in Japan, the USA and other countries.

During the first uncontrolled explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, highly radioactive “hot particles”, which were finely dispersed fragments of graphite rods and other structures of the nuclear reactor, were released into the environment, which were very dangerous if they entered the human body.

The resulting radioactive cloud covered a vast area. The total area of ​​contamination as a result of the Chernobyl accident with cesium-137 with a density of 1 -5 Ci/km2 in Russia alone in 1995 was about 50,000 km2.

Of the products of nuclear power plant activity, tritium is of particular danger, accumulating in the circulating water of the station and then entering the cooling pond and hydrographic network, drainage reservoirs, groundwater, and the surface atmosphere.

Currently, the radiation situation in Russia is determined by the global radioactive background, the presence of contaminated areas due to the Chernobyl (1986) and Kyshtym (1957) accidents, the exploitation of uranium deposits, the nuclear fuel cycle, shipboard nuclear power plants, regional radioactive waste storage facilities, as well as anomalous zones of ionizing radiation associated with terrestrial (natural) sources of radionuclides.

Waste is divided into household, industrial, mining-related and radioactive waste. According to their phase state, they can be solid, liquid or a mixture of solid, liquid and gas phases.

During storage, all waste undergoes changes due to both internal physical and chemical processes and the influence of external conditions.

As a result, new environmentally hazardous substances may be formed at waste storage and disposal sites, which, when penetrating into the biosphere, will pose a serious threat to the human environment.

Therefore, the storage and disposal of hazardous waste should be considered as “storage of physical and chemical processes”.

Municipal solid waste (MSW) is extremely heterogeneous in composition: food scraps, paper, scrap metal, rubber, glass, wood, fabric, synthetic and other substances. Food leftovers attract birds, rodents, and large animals, whose corpses are a source of bacteria and viruses. Precipitation, solar radiation and heat generation in connection with surface, underground fires, fires, contribute to the occurrence of unpredictable physicochemical and biochemical processes at solid waste landfills, the products of which are numerous toxic chemical compounds in liquid, solid and gaseous states. The biogenic impact of solid waste is expressed in the fact that the waste is favorable for the reproduction of insects, birds, rodents, other mammals, and microorganisms. At the same time, birds and insects are carriers of pathogenic bacteria and viruses over long distances.

Sewage and fecal drainage from residential areas are no less dangerous. Despite the construction of treatment facilities and other measures, reducing the negative impact of such wastewater on the environment is an important problem in all urbanized areas. A particular danger in this case is associated with bacterial contamination of the habitat and the possibility of outbreaks of various epidemic diseases.

Hazardous waste from agricultural production - manure storage facilities, residues of pesticides, chemical fertilizers, pesticides left on the fields, as well as undeveloped cemeteries of animals that died during epidemics. Although this waste is of a "spot" nature, it is a large number of and high concentrations of toxic substances in them can have a noticeable negative impact on the environment.

The results of studies conducted on the territory of Russia indicate that one of the most significant natural factors that negatively affect the safety of storage and disposal conditions for solid and hazardous waste is the junction of active deep faults. In these nodes, not only creep and pulse tectonic dislocations are observed, but also intense vertical water-gas exchange, intensive spread of pollutants in the lateral direction, which introduced chemically aggressive compounds (sulfates, chlorides, fluorides, hydrogen sulfide) into the underground hydrosphere, aeration zone, surface runoff and surface atmosphere and other gases). The most effective, fast and economical method for identifying active deep faults is water-helium survey, developed in Russia (VIMS) and based on the study of the distribution of helium in groundwater as the most reliable and sensitive indicator of the modern fluid activity of the Earth. This is especially true for closed and industrial-urbanized areas with a thick cover of water-logged sedimentary deposits.

Due to the fact that the scale and intensity of the impact of solid and hazardous waste on the environment turned out to be more significant than previously thought, and its nature and influencing natural factors are poorly understood, regulatory requirements SNiP and a number of departmental instructions regarding the choice

sites, design of landfills and designation of sanitary protection zones should be considered insufficiently substantiated. Nor can a situation be considered satisfactory when the sanitary protection zone of a landfill and the equipment used are chosen essentially arbitrarily, without taking into account the real processes of pollution and the response of the biosphere to the functioning of solid and hazardous waste dumps. A comprehensive and, if possible, exhaustive assessment of all parameters of the impact of waste on all life-supporting natural environments is necessary, allowing us to elucidate the ways and mechanisms of penetration of pollutants into the food chain and the human body.

When vibrations are excited in air or any other gas, they speak of air sound(air acoustics), in water - underwater sound (hydroacoustics), and during vibrations in solid bodies - sound vibration. In a narrow sense, an acoustic signal means sound, i.e. elastic vibrations and waves in gases, liquids and solids audible to the human ear. Therefore, the acoustic field and acoustic signals are primarily considered as a means communicative communication

However, acoustic signals can also cause additional reactions. It can be both positive and negative, leading in some cases to irreversible negative consequences in the human body and psyche. For example, with monotonous work, with the help of a person, it is possible to achieve increased productivity.

It is currently believed that the levels of sound harmful to the body in the frequency range 60 - 20,000 Hz are set relatively correctly. A standard has been introduced for sanitary standards of permissible noise in premises and residential areas in this range (GOST 12.1.003-83, GOST 12.1.036-81, GOST 2228-76, GOST 12.1.001-83, GOST 19358-74).

Infrasound can have a very significant impact on a person, in particular, on his psyche. The literature has repeatedly noted, for example, cases of suicide under the influence of a powerful source of infrasound. Natural sources of infrasound are earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, thunderclaps, storms, and winds. Atmospheric turbulence plays a significant role in their occurrence.

Until now, the problem of measuring and regulating levels by Gosstandart has not been resolved. There is significant variation in the assessment of acceptable standards for infrasound levels. There are a number of sanitary standards, for example, sanitary standards for permissible levels of infrasound and low-frequency noise in residential areas (SanPiN 42-128-4948-89), workplaces (3223-85), GOST 23337-78 (noise measurement methods...) , etc. GOST 12.1.003-76, prohibits even short-term stay in areas with sound pressure levels above 135 dB in any octave band.

Ultrasound

The active effect of ultrasound (US) on a substance, leading to irreversible changes in it, is caused in most cases by nonlinear effects. In liquids, the main role in the influence of ultrasound on substances and processes is played by cavitation (the formation in the liquid of pulsating bubbles, cavities, cavities filled with steam or gas, which collapse sharply after moving to an area of ​​​​high pressure, causing destruction of the surfaces of solid bodies bordering the cavitating liquid) .

The impact of ultrasound on biological objects varies depending on the intensity of ultrasound and the duration of irradiation.

Methods and means of protection against the effects of acoustic noise and vibration. The following should be considered as methods of protection against acoustic influence:

Identification of noise sources of anthropogenic origin and reduction of noise emission levels from industrial facilities, vehicles and various types of devices.

Proper planning of the development of territories intended for locating enterprises and residential buildings. Widespread use of protective landscaping (trees, grass, etc.).

The use of special sound absorbers and sound-absorbing structures in the design of buildings and individual rooms in them.

Damping of sound vibrations.

Use of personal hearing protection when working in noisy environments (plugs, earplugs, I, helmets, etc.).

Electromagnetic fields(EMF) are one of the elements of the environment for humans and all living beings. The intensification of industrial activity has led to a sharp increase in the intensity of EMFs and to a wide variety (in form, frequency, duration of exposure, etc.) of their types.

The number of people who, in the course of their work activities, are (or may be) exposed to intense electromagnetic fields has increased. In this regard, many researchers consider the factor of EMF exposure to humans to be as significant as, for example, air pollution. /

It should be said, for example, that the fields created by high-voltage power lines spread their influence over large areas. Suffice it to say that the area of ​​a 50 m wide strip under lines with a voltage of 300 kV and higher for Russia and the USA taken together is about 8,000 square kilometers, which is almost eight times the territory of Moscow.

It should also be noted that the following problems are of no small importance:

*Forest management problem

uncontrolled deforestation

*Agroeconomic problem

soil deformation, chemical pollution, drainage, etc.

*Mining problem.

*Road transport problem

SOLUTIONS
PROCESSING OF HOUSEHOLD SOLID WASTE.

The problem of municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal and pollution of urban areas is especially acute in large cities (metropolises) with a population of 1 million inhabitants or more. 1

For example, in Moscow, 2.5 million tons are generated annually. waste (MSW), and the average rate of “production” of solid waste per person per year reaches approximately 1 m3 in volume and 200 kg in weight. By the way, for large cities the recommended standard is 1.07 m3/person per year.

Solid waste consists mainly of:

1. paper, cardboard (37%) 7. bones (1.1%)

2. kitchen waste (30.6%) 8. metals (3.8%)

3. wood (1.9%) 9. glass (3.7%)

4. leather, rubber (0.5%) 10. stones, ceramics (0.8%)

5. textiles (5.4%) 11. other fractions (9.7%)

6. artificial materials, mainly polyethylene (5.2%)

Let's look at how things are going in Russia with the processing of household waste using the example of the largest city in the country - Moscow. As already indicated, 2.5 million tons of solid waste are generated annually in Moscow. The bulk of them (up to 90%) are disposed of at special landfills Timokhovo and Khmetyevo. Since 1990 the number of landfills has been reduced from 5 to 2. The landfills have been operating since the late 70s and their service life is ending in the near future. The landfills do not have the minimum necessary environmental protection structures, such as water protection screens, anti-landslide structures, systems for drainage and neutralization of leachate and surface water, fencing of the landfill boundaries, equipment for washing cars, etc. There is no layer-by-layer stacking of waste with daily backfilling, watering, etc. .To. there is no necessary specialized equipment. All this is very far from the sanitary landfill using the described technology in developed countries. The cost of waste disposal ranges from 4.5 to 65 thousand rubles, depending on the location of the landfill. Toxic industrial waste (IWW), the amount of which is about 1.5 million tons per year, is also stored in the territories of landfills. The last circumstance is completely

unacceptable because the requirements for disposal are completely different and their joint storage is not allowed for reasons of environmental safety.

In addition, there are up to 90 waste dumps in the city with a total area of ​​285.7 hectares. Of these, 63 are not functioning. There are currently two operating in Moscow incineration plant No. 2 and No. 3 equipped with equipment from Germany and Denmark. The existing equipment and technology for burning waste at these plants does not provide the required level of environmental protection.

Recently, thanks to the efforts of the mayor of the city, Luzhkov Yu.M., who considers the environmental problems of Moscow to be paramount, a number of measures have been taken for the sanitary cleaning of the city and the industrial processing of solid waste. A program for the construction of waste transfer stations (MTS) is being implemented. Three metro stations have been created in different administrative districts of the city. Compaction of solid waste after sorting will be introduced during the creation of the Ministry of Railways in the North-Eastern District of Moscow. The program for the construction of the Ministry of Railways and solving the issues of creating modern sanitary landfills in the Moscow region will make it possible in the near future to solve problems with the processing of solid waste in Moscow.

In conclusion, it should be noted that the waste market is not regulated by the government. There is no developed regulatory and legal framework for environmental incentives for waste recycling, federal investment in the development of new environmental domestic technologies for waste recycling, and technical policy in this direction is completely insufficient.

PROCESSING OF INDUSTRIAL WASTE.

Today, on average, for each inhabitant of the planet, about 20 tons of raw materials are mined per year, which, using 800 tons of water and 2.5 kW of energy, are processed into consumer products and approximately 90 - 98% go to waste (The work gives a figure of 45 tons. raw materials per person). At the same time, the share of household waste per person does not exceed 0.3-0.6 tons per year. The rest is industrial waste. In terms of the scale of extracted and processed raw materials - 100 Gt/year, human economic activity has approached the activity of biota - 1000 Gt/year and has surpassed the volcanic activity of the planet - 10 Gt/year. At the same time, the wastefulness of the use of raw materials and energy in human economic activity exceeds all reasonable limits. And if in developed countries agricultural waste is recycled by 90%, car bodies by 98%, used oils by 90%, then a significant part of industrial and construction waste, waste from mining and metallurgical industries is almost completely not recycled. Humanity has succeeded in creating production tools and technologies for destroying its own kind and has practically no

was engaged in the creation of an industry for processing waste from its activities. As a result, in addition to the annual increase in the volume of processed industrial waste, including toxic, there are also old burial sites (landfills) all over the world, the number of which in industrialized countries amounts to tens and hundreds of thousands, and the waste volumes reach hundreds of billions of tons. Thus, if we talk about environmental rehabilitation, meaning the systematic processing of waste (primarily especially hazardous), it will require costs of tens and hundreds of billions of dollars per year for decades. On the territory of the Russian Federation, at the beginning of 1996, 1,405 million tons of waste were accumulated in storage facilities, warehouses, burial grounds, landfills, landfills (reporting in Form No. 2 TP "toxic waste"). 89.9 million tons of industrial toxic waste were generated, including class I. danger -0.16 million tons, II class. - 2.2 million tons, III class. - 8.7 million tons, IV class. - 78.8 million tons. Of these, 34 million tons were used in our own production and 6.5 million tons were completely neutralized. In addition, 12.2 million tons were transferred to other enterprises for use. These are the data of the State report “On the state of the natural environment in the Russian Federation” in 1995.

Thus, even official data show the continuous growth of non-recyclable industrial waste, not to mention unaccounted for landfills, old burial sites, the inventory of which has not even begun and which contains about 86 billion tons of waste (1.6 billion tons of toxic)

The State Committee for Ecology has prepared a draft Federal Law "On Production and Consumption Waste", which was submitted by the Government of the Russian Federation to the State Duma for consideration and is expected to be adopted in 1997. The introduction of this law will put the work on handling production and consumption waste on a legal basis. Thus, in the world and in Russia, the bulk of waste, including hazardous waste, is accumulated, stored or buried. A number of countries use flooding in the sea (ocean) for disposal, which, in our opinion, should be completely prohibited by international agreements, regardless of the hazard class of the waste. This is in some way moral problem: produced ~ process (store) on your territory, and do not use as a dump what belongs to everyone (seas, mountains, forests).

In fact, no more than 20% of the total volume is currently processed. Processing technologies

industrial waste can be classified as follows:

1. thermal technologies;

2. physical and chemical technologies;

3. biotechnology.

The environmental policy pursued in Russia is objectively determined by the existing level of economic, technological, social, political and spiritual development of society and, in general, is not capable of preventing the increase in environmental tension in the country. Therefore, even despite the adoption of many programs providing for the inclusion of environmental needs in the country’s economic and social development plans and the creation of institutional and legal systems of environmental regulation, one cannot count on implementing an effective environmental safety policy in the near future.

This is hampered by a number of reasons - the lack of public interest in the environmental problem, the weak technical base of production and the lack of necessary investments, the underdevelopment of market relations, the immaturity of legal and civil societies. Russia faces difficulties typical of the Third World in developing resource-efficient industrial production, the overcoming of which is complicated, in particular, by the fact that ideological opposition to the current course of reforms has strengthened, now combined with mass rejection of globalization processes associated with a threat to national security.

The scenario for the development of the environmental situation in the near future is not encouraging. And yet it does not look hopelessly catastrophic, primarily due to the internationalization of environmental problems in our society. The worsening environmental crisis in Russia threatens global environmental security, and this increases the interest of the world community in stimulating environmental actions in our country. The consequences of the globalization of Russia's environmental problems are not limited to receiving financial and technical assistance for the implementation of environmental projects. They open the way to greening economic activity through participation in international environmental agreements and attracting foreign investment. They also contribute to the greening of the public consciousness of Russians through their integration into the international environmental movement. Russia's own interest in ensuring global environmental security has now been reduced to a minimum and is mainly of a forced nature. Attempts to increase national prestige in the eyes of the world community are by no means associated, unlike many countries, with an active role in solving global environmental problems. The emergence of environmental contradictions between Russia and developing countries is also alarming.

The advantage of Russia compared to other countries is that the formation of an environmental culture in it occurs in conditions where environmental problems acquire an international priority and solid global experience in environmental activities has been accumulated, which Russia could use. But will he want to? We associate the way out of the environmental crisis and providing conditions for the greening of economic activity with economic stabilization. But world experience shows that we should not wait for economic recovery for a subsequent transition to an environmental safety policy. The level of economic development required for an active environmental policy is a very relative concept. Japan started it with a per capita income of no more than $1,600. In Taiwan, this happened “later” - at $5,500, when, according to the calculations of its government, real conditions arose for the implementation of highly costly environmental programs. Of course, the current economic and political situation is not conducive to making environmental needs a priority. But ignoring the environmental imperative of development will lead to the inevitable subsequent lag of Russia. There is still a very limited reserve left - the social movement of "greens" - which can significantly change the balance of political forces in favor of pro-environmental figures and initiate the activation of state environmental policy.

In this work, I tried to consider the main environmental problems of Russia and the most acceptable solutions to these problems at the moment.

We can conclude that the whole issue rests on financial resources, which our country does not currently have, and technical solutions to these problems have already been found and are being used in the most developed countries.

And in conclusion, I would like to say that Russia has ways out of environmental problems, we just need to see them, and if we do not do this in the very near future, then everything could turn against us in a much worse way than we can even imagine introduce.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

1. Golub A., Strukova E. . Environmental activities in a transition economy / Economic Issues, 1995. No. 1

2. State report "On the state of the natural environment of the Russian Federation in 1995" / Green World, 1996. No. 24

3. Danilov-Danilyan V.I. (ed.) Ecology, nature conservation and environmental safety./MNEPU, 1997

4. Korableva A.I. Assessment of pollution of aquatic ecosystems with heavy metals / Water resources. 1991. No. 2

5.Rogozhina N. In search of answers to the environmental challenge/ World economy and international relations., 1999 No. 9

6. Ecology: Educational encyclopedia/Translated from English by L. Yakhnina. M.: TIME-LIFE, 1994.

Now humanity is faced with a choice: either “cooperate” with nature, taking into account natural cycles, or cause harm. The future of humanity on our planet, as well as the planet itself, depends on what we choose today.

Ecological crisis

Today, human impact on the environment has led to an ecological crisis throughout the planet. This page examines the critical issues we face and outlines a number of corrective measures.

Soil erosion. Soil erosion occurs when the fertile surface layer is destroyed by rain and wind. Ways to solve the problem:

Planting forests (shrubs and trees): trees and shrubs stand in the path of winds, and their roots bind the soil.

Environmentally friendly farming: organic fertilizers retain water better, preventing the soil from drying out and weathering.

Destruction of tropical forests. Solution:

Property rights reforms in countries where they are growing to save them from destruction.

Control livestock and timber harvesting in tropical forests by reducing rich countries' demand for meat and timber.

Effective methods of using forest resources, taking into account natural cycles, etc., for example, the production of natural rubber.

Small fields: the smaller the field, the less erosion the soil on it is exposed to.

Acid rain and other pollution. Solution:

Installation of filters in power plants and transport.

Use of other non-chemical fertilizers.

Stopping environmental pollution from industrial emissions and waste.

Desert Advance. This occurs where poor, arid lands are being turned into desert due to heavy use. Solutions:

Reducing the dependence of underdeveloped countries on the production of export crops: their cultivation on better lands forces peasants to move to worse ones, which soon turn into .

Application of effective irrigation methods.

Active afforestation plantings.

Destruction of natural habitat. Solution:

Creation of new, larger nature reserves and natural parks in cities and rural areas.

Stricter international controls and measures to protect natural habitats; prohibition of hunting and trade in wild animals.

Destruction of the ozone layer. The protective ozone layer in the atmosphere is threatened with destruction. The only way out:

A complete and immediate ban on the production of chlorofluorocarbons.

Greenhouse effect. Solution:

Use of renewable energy sources.

A ban on the destruction of tropical rainforests, which act as filters that absorb carbon dioxide from the air and use it in the process of photosynthesis.

Reduced energy consumption and waste generation.

Inefficient use of natural resources. Solutions:

Recycling and disposal of waste.

Long-term use of things and clothing, repairing and repairing them instead of simply throwing them away.

Creation of programs for the transition to a more rational and economical lifestyle.

Practical measures

It is advisable to implement all the measures proposed above at the global level. This requires closer international cooperation, especially between rich and poor countries. The trouble, however, is that politicians usually care about the benefits for their countries, without thinking about the future of the whole world. Many believe that even these measures are clearly insufficient and that humanity must radically change its way of life. Environmentalists are joining forces to protect the environment. Nowadays, there are many charitable organizations in the world that successfully help the poorest people on the planet. They specifically help communities solve the problems they face without disrupting local traditions and ways of life. They use environmentally friendly mechanisms, such as wind power generators in Africa. The sunflower is one of the symbols of the “green” movement. It symbolizes the revival of nature (in countries that pay decent attention to the problems). Environmental problems are important for the whole world, but we can make our own contribution to solving them. Even small changes in the lifestyle of each of us will mean that the situation as a whole begins to improve. This book tells you where to start. If you would like to know more about this, please contact environmental organizations.

One of the most important problems facing the world community is the protection of the natural environment and the preservation of the sustainable development of human civilization. The catastrophically rapid increase in the Earth's population, the steady growth of its material and spiritual needs, the expansion of areas of use of natural resources, the introduction of new and cutting-edge technologies, the increase in production in energy, industry, agriculture, construction, and transport occur with a profound transformation of natural landscapes. Such transformations lead to the emergence of new artificial landscapes previously unknown to the biosphere. Modern scientific and technological progress and the expansion of interstate economic relations have led to a sharply increased load on the environment and increased contradictions in the interaction between the environment and human society.

The global scale of the use of natural resources and the development of labor processes, which determines the accumulation of material wealth in society, is broad-spectrum and multivariate in nature. This scale can be reduced in an ecological sense to four main areas:

formation of regional and global natural-technogenic ecosystems;

the occurrence of local, regional and global environmental disasters;

a sharp reduction and depletion of natural raw materials; the emergence of environmental immunodeficiency of the planet as a result of global anthropogenic pressure on the natural environment, inhibition and suppression of the natural mechanisms of self-regulation of the biosphere.

Since the emergence of human civilization, there has been continuous interaction between man and the natural environment. With the growing population of the Earth, the environmental pressure on nature is increasing. This is caused by the manifold increase in technical equipment, the use of the enormous energy capabilities of man-made industries and entire systems, the widest range of technological factors, which in their totality affect the earth’s shells from all sides - the hydrosphere, lithosphere and biosphere. Typical features of the modern development of civilization, directly or indirectly affecting the geosphere and increasing the speed of natural processes, lead to a very significant modification of the natural environment.

The anthropogenic factor of changes in natural objects and geospheres must be taken into account when characterizing them generally. Therefore, in the geoecological characteristics of individual geospheres, great importance is attached to anthropogenic influences. The textbook reveals very complex interactions between the Earth's geospheres at different hierarchical levels - from planetary to local, on which anthropogenic pressure is steadily increasing. It is important to take into account not only these intergeosphere connections, but also the impact of modern human civilization on their individual components. Generalized results can only be obtained in an interdisciplinary direction that combines geoecology and environmental geology.

Environmental issues, taking into account the importance of environmental issues and high degree The impact of human activity on a wide range of natural processes is studied by specialists of almost all professions - from geologists, geographers, biologists, physicists, chemists to engineers, technologists, lawyers, sociologists, politicians, etc. Depending on individual geospheres, objects of research and industries distinguish separate disciplines of ecology, which are taught in technical and humanitarian higher educational institutions. In addition to ecology itself, which has a clearly defined biological orientation, and these are molecular, species and systemic ecologies, ecological soil science, geoecology, ecological geology, environmental geophysics, industrial or engineering ecology, radiation ecology, space ecology, ecology of special objects, social ecology, environmental law, etc.

Genetic Engineering

One of the most important problems facing humanity is the control of genetic engineering. Scientists working in this field of science use (or parts thereof) to modify existing life forms or create new ones. They often experiment with genes - living cells that contain the genetic code that determines the basic characteristics of an organism. By changing the information stored in an organism's genes, scientists can purposefully change the characteristics and properties of future generations of that species. Genetic experiments show that Genetic Engineering- This is both a promising direction of science and a serious threat. For example, genetic scientists have created special microorganisms that kill pest caterpillars, but some experts believe that this can seriously disrupt the natural balance. Therefore, all experiments in the field of genetics must be strictly controlled.

Antarctica - touchstone

Antarctica is a continent almost untouched by human activity. However, many highly developed countries in our time are actively interested in Antarctica, since in its depths there are huge reserves of other minerals. Less developed countries would also like to get their share of these resources. The exploration of Antarctica is a touchstone of our ability to work together for the benefit of future generations. By area Antarctica more USA and Mexico combined. Antarctica is a world reserve and is open to all scientific research; it is not threatened by environmental disaster. Any pollution will cause irreparable damage to its fragile ecosystem. Low temperatures slow down the absorption of oil into the soil.

Holism - a new view of nature

Learning to respect nature is very important. And not only because it satisfies our basic needs (food and air), but also because it has every right to exist and develop according to its own laws. When will we understand that each of us is also component world of nature, and we will not separate ourselves from it, then we will fully realize the importance of protecting everyone uniform forms life that makes up nature. Holism (from English word“hool” - whole) considers nature as a single whole, a continuous intertwined network of life, and not a mechanical connection of its disparate parts. And if we break individual threads in this network, this will sooner or later lead to the death of the entire network. In other words, by destroying plants and animals, we destroy ourselves.

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INTRODUCTION

The anthropogenic period is revolutionary in the history of the Earth.

Humanity manifests itself as the greatest geological force in terms of the scale of its activities on our planet. And if we remember the short duration of man’s existence in comparison with the life of the planet, then the significance of his activities will appear even clearer.

The scientific and technological revolution, the rapid development of productive forces and the simultaneous development of an aggressive consumer society in the twentieth century led to a radical change in the nature of the interaction between nature and society. The amount of permissible impact on the biosphere as a whole has now been exceeded several times. Modern civilization and the biosphere are no longer able to cope with the harmful waste generated as a result of human activity, and are gradually beginning to degrade. The growth of human power leads to an increase in the consequences of his activities that are negative for nature and ultimately dangerous for human existence, the significance of which is only now beginning to be realized.

A characteristic feature of our time is the intensification and globalization of human impact on the natural environment, which is accompanied by previously unprecedented scales of negative consequences of this impact. And if earlier humanity experienced local and regional environmental crises, which could lead to the death of any civilization, but did not impede the further progress of the human race as a whole, then the current environmental situation is fraught with global ecological collapse.

Humanity is too slow to understand the scale of the danger created by a careless attitude towards the environment. Meanwhile, solving such formidable global problems as environmental ones requires urgent joint efforts of international organizations, states, regions and the public. The purpose of my work is to consider the most pressing global environmental problems of our time, the main causes of their occurrence, the consequences to which they led and ways to solve these problems.

1. GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS

1.1 Depletion of the Earth's ozone layer

The environmental problem of the ozone layer is no less scientifically complex. As is known, life on Earth appeared only after the protective ozone layer of the planet was formed, covering it from harsh ultraviolet radiation. IN last decades intensive destruction of this layer was noticed.

The problem of the ozone layer arose in 1982, when a probe launched from a British station in Antarctica discovered a sharp decrease in ozone levels at an altitude of 25 - 30 kilometers. Since then, an ozone “hole” of varying shapes and sizes has been continuously recorded over Antarctica. According to the latest data for 1992, it is equal to 23 million square meters. km, that is, an area equal to the entire North America. Later, the same “hole” was discovered over the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, over Spitsbergen, and then in different places in Eurasia.

Most scientists believe that the cause of the formation of so-called ozone holes in the atmosphere is freons, or chlorofluorocarbons. Application of nitrogen fertilizers in agriculture; chlorination of drinking water, widespread use of freons in refrigeration units, for extinguishing fires, as solvents and in aerosols have led to the fact that millions of tons of chlorofluoromethanes enter the lower layer of the atmosphere in the form of a colorless neutral gas. Spreading upward, chlorofluoromethanes under the influence of ultraviolet radiation decompose into a number of compounds, of which chlorine oxide most intensively destroys ozone. It was also found that a lot of ozone is destroyed by the rocket engines of modern aircraft flying at high altitudes, as well as during launches spaceships and satellites.

Depletion of the ozone layer poses an existential threat to all life on Earth. The destruction of the planet's ozone layer and the penetration of increased doses of ultraviolet radiation can significantly affect the radiation balance of the Earth-atmosphere system and lead to unpredictable consequences for the Earth's climate, including an increase in the greenhouse effect; leads to the destruction of the existing biogenesis of the ocean due to the death of plankton in the equatorial zone, inhibition of plant growth, a sharp increase in eye and cancer diseases, as well as diseases associated with the weakening of the immune system of humans and animals; increasing the oxidizing capacity of the atmosphere, corrosion of metals, etc.

The international community, concerned about this trend, has already introduced restrictions on CFC emissions through the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer (1985).

1.2 Acid rain

One of the most pressing global problems of our time is the problem of increasing acidity of atmospheric precipitation and soil cover. Every year, about 200 million solid particles (dust, soot, etc.), 200 million tons of sulfur dioxide (SO2), 700 million. t. carbon monoxide, 150 million. tons of nitrogen oxides, which in total amounts to more than 1 billion tons of harmful substances. Acid rain (or, more correctly), acid precipitation, since the fallout of harmful substances can occur both in the form of rain and in the form of snow, hail, causes environmental, economic and aesthetic damage. As a result of acid precipitation, the balance in ecosystems is disrupted.

Acid rain occurs as a result of human economic activity, accompanied by emissions of colossal amounts of oxides of sulfur, nitrogen, and carbon. These oxides, entering the atmosphere, are transported over long distances, interact with water and turn into solutions of a mixture of sulfuric, sulfuric, nitrous, nitric and carbonic acids, which fall in the form of “acid rain” on land, interacting with plants, soils, and waters.

Areas of acidic soils do not experience droughts, but their natural fertility is reduced and unstable; they are quickly depleted and their yields are low; metal structures rust; buildings, structures, architectural monuments, etc. are destroyed. Sulfur dioxide is adsorbed on the leaves, penetrates inside and takes part in oxidative processes. This entails genetic and species changes in plants. One of the reasons for the death of forests in many regions of the world is acid rain.

Acid rain not only causes acidification of surface waters and upper soil horizons. Acidity with downward flows of water spreads across the entire soil profile and causes significant acidification of groundwater.

To solve this problem, it is necessary to increase the volume of systematic measurements of air polluting compounds.

1.3 Earth's climate change

Until the middle of the 20th century. climate fluctuations depended relatively little on man and his economic activities. Over the past decades, this situation has changed quite dramatically. The influence of anthropogenic activities on the global climate is associated with the action of several factors, of which the most important are:

An increase in the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide, as well as some other gases entering the atmosphere during economic activities;

Increase in the mass of atmospheric aerosols;

An increase in the amount of thermal energy generated in the process of economic activity and entering the atmosphere.

An increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons and other gases near the earth's surface leads to the formation of a "gas curtain" that does not allow excess infrared radiation from the earth's surface to pass back into space. As a result, a significant part of the energy remains in the ground layer, forming the so-called “greenhouse effect”. The gradual increase in the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is already having a noticeable impact on the Earth's climate, changing it towards warming. Over the past 100 years, the average temperature on Earth has increased by 0.6°C. Scientists’ calculations show that with the development of the greenhouse effect, it can increase by 0.5°C every 10 years. An increase in temperature on Earth can cause irreversible processes:

An increase in the level of the World Ocean, due to the melting of glaciers and polar ice, which, in turn, results in the flooding of territories, displacement of the boundaries of swamps and low-lying areas, an increase in the salinity of water at river mouths, and the loss of human habitation;

Violation of geological structures of permafrost;

Changes in hydrological regime, quantity and quality water resources;

Impact on ecological systems, agriculture and forestry (displacement climatic zones in a northerly direction).

As the warming trend intensifies weather are becoming more variable and climate-related disasters more destructive. At the end of the twentieth century, humanity came to understand the need to solve one of the most complex and extremely dangerous environmental problems associated with climate change, and in the mid-1970s active work began in this direction. At the World Climate Conference in Geneva (1979), the foundations of the World Climate Program were laid. In accordance with the UN General Assembly resolution on global climate protection, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (1992) was adopted. The goal of the convention is to stabilize the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere at a level that will not have a dangerous impact on the global climate system. At the III Conference of the countries that signed the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Kyoto, the Kyoto Protocol to the UNFCCC (1997) was adopted, which recorded certain quantitative obligations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for industrialized countries and countries with economies in transition . The Kyoto Protocol can be seen as the beginning of a movement in the direction of what needs to be done to slow down the process of global warming, and, in the long term, to reduce the risk of global climate change.

1.4 Freshwater depletion

Between 1900 and 1995, global freshwater consumption increased 6-fold, more than double the rate of population growth. Currently almost? The world's population lacks clean water. If current trends in freshwater consumption continue, by 2025 every two out of three inhabitants of the Earth will live in conditions of water scarcity.

The main source of fresh water for humanity is generally actively renewable surface water, which amounts to about 39,000 km? in year. Back in the 1970s, these huge annually renewable fresh water resources provided one inhabitant of the globe with an average volume of about 11 thousand m? year; in the 1980s, the provision of water resources per capita decreased to 8.7 thousand m? /year, and by the end of the twentieth century - up to 6.5 thousand m?/year. Taking into account the forecast for the growth of the Earth's population by 2050 (up to 9 billion), water availability will drop to 4.3 thousand m?/year. However, it is necessary to take into account that the average data provided are of a generalized nature. The uneven distribution of population and water resources around the globe leads to the fact that in some countries the annual supply of fresh water to the population is reduced to 2000-1000 m3/year (countries South Africa) or rises to 100 thousand m?/year (New Zealand).

Does groundwater meet the needs? population of the Earth. Of particular concern to humanity is their irrational use and methods of exploitation. Groundwater extraction in many regions of the globe is carried out in volumes that significantly exceed nature’s ability to renew it. It is widespread in the Arabian Peninsula, India, China, Mexico, CIS countries and the USA. There is a drop in groundwater levels of 1-3 m per year.

Protecting the quality of water resources poses a challenge. The use of water for economic purposes is one of the links in the water cycle. But the anthropogenic link of the cycle differs significantly from the natural one in that only part of the water used by humans returns to the atmosphere through the process of evaporation. Another part of it, especially when supplying water to cities and industrial enterprises, is discharged back into rivers and reservoirs in the form of wastewater contaminated with industrial waste. This process continues for thousands of years. With the growth of the urban population, the development of industry, and the use of mineral fertilizers and harmful chemicals in agriculture, the pollution of surface fresh waters began to acquire a global scale. The most serious challenge is that more than 1 billion people lack access to safe drinking water, and half the world's population lacks access to adequate sanitation services. In many developing countries, rivers flowing through major cities are sewers, posing a public health hazard.

The World Ocean is the largest ecological system of planet Earth and consists of the waters of four oceans (Atlantic, Indian, Pacific and Arctic) with all interconnected adjacent seas. Sea water makes up 95% of the volume of the entire hydrosphere. Being an important link in the water cycle, it provides nutrition to glaciers, rivers and lakes, and thereby the life of plants and animals. The sea ocean plays a huge role in creating the necessary conditions for life on the planet; its phytoplankton provides 50-70% of the total volume of oxygen consumed by living beings.

The scientific and technological revolution brought radical changes in the use of the resources of the World Ocean. At the same time, many negative processes are associated with scientific and technological revolution, and among them is the pollution of the waters of the World Ocean. Pollution of the ocean with oil, chemicals, organic residues, burial sites of radioactive production, etc. is catastrophically increasing. According to estimates, the World Ocean is absorbing main part pollutants. The international community is actively searching for ways to effectively protect marine environment. Currently, there are more than 100 conventions, agreements, treaties and other legal acts. International agreements regulate various aspects that determine the prevention of pollution of the World Ocean, including:

Prohibition or limitation under certain conditions of discharges of pollutants generated during normal operation (1954);

Prevention of intentional pollution of the marine environment by operational waste from ships, as well as partly from fixed and floating platforms (1973);

Prohibition or restriction of dumping of waste and other materials (1972);

Prevention of pollution or reduction of its consequences as a result of accidents and disasters (1969, 1978).

In the formation of a new international legal regime for the World Ocean, the leading place is occupied by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982), which includes a set of problems of the protection and use of the World Ocean in modern conditions of the scientific and technological revolution. The Convention declared the international seabed area and its resources to be the common heritage of mankind.

1.5 Destruction of the Earth's soil cover

The problem of land resources has now become one of the most pressing global problems, not only because of the limited land fund, but also because the natural ability of the soil cover to produce biological products decreases annually both relatively (per capita of the progressively increasing world population) and absolutely (due to increased soil loss and degradation as a result of human activities).

Over the course of its history, humanity has irrevocably lost more fertile land than is arable throughout the world, turning once productive arable land into deserts, wastelands, swamps, bushland, badlands, and ravines.

One of the main reasons for the deterioration of the quality of land resources is soil erosion - the destruction of the upper most fertile horizons and underlying soil-forming rock by surface water and wind. Under the influence of human economic activity, accelerated erosion occurs, which often leads to the complete destruction of the soil. As a result of soil erosion around the globe in the 20th century, several tens of millions of hectares of arable land were lost from agricultural use, and several hundred million hectares are in need of anti-erosion measures.

In many regions of the Earth, aridization is increasing - a decrease in the humidity of vast areas. 1/5 of the land is under threat from the spread of deserts. According to UN estimates, over the second half of the 20th century, the area of ​​the Sahara expanded by 650 thousand km?, its edge moves annually by 1.5-10 km, and the Libyan Desert - up to 13 km per year. Development of irrigated agriculture in conditions arid climate with a long dry season causes secondary soil salinization. About 50% of the world's irrigated land area is affected by salinity. For the first time, the idea of ​​the need for concerted and coordinated actions by all countries of the world in the field of combating desertification was put forward at the UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro (1992). It was proposed to develop a special UN Convention to Combat Desertification, aimed at uniting the efforts of states and the general population to prevent land destruction and mitigate the consequences of droughts (adopted in 1994). The Convention aims to combat all forms of land degradation in different geoclimatic zones, including Europe.

Any actions leading to a violation of the physical, physicochemical, chemical, biological and biochemical properties of the soil cause its pollution. On a large scale, soil pollution occurs: during open-pit mining, inorganic waste and industrial waste, as a result of agricultural activities, transport and municipal enterprises. The most dangerous is radioactive contamination of land.

Pollution of land, groundwater and surface water, and atmospheric air is increasingly associated with the accumulation of waste that is generated in the process of production, economic activity, and in everyday life. The amount of waste in the world increases every year and, according to some estimates, has reached 30 billion tons (all types of waste). An analysis of trends in the development of the world economy shows that the mass of waste doubles every 10-12 years. To dispose of waste, more and more land is being withdrawn from economic circulation. The formation and accumulation of production and consumption waste leads to disruption of the ecological balance of the natural environment and poses a real threat to human health.

The following can be recognized as priority areas in the field of waste management:

Reducing the volume of waste generation through the introduction of resource-saving and low-waste technologies;

Increasing the level of their processing, providing for the development and implementation of new technologies, the creation of complexes for the recycling, neutralization and burial of toxic industrial waste, the introduction of industrial methods for processing household waste;

Environmentally friendly placement, which includes organizing controlled waste disposal at landfills, improving control over existing landfills and constructing new ones.

1.6 Conservation of biological diversity

During the period of the scientific and technological revolution, the main force transforming plant and animal world, a man speaks. Human activity in recent decades has led to the fact that the rate of extinction of many animal species, primarily mammals and birds, has become much more intense and significantly exceeds the estimated average rate of species loss in previous millennia. Direct threats to biodiversity are usually based on socio-economic factors. Thus, population growth leads to an increase in the need for food, a corresponding expansion of agricultural land, intensification of land use, use of land for development, a general increase in consumption and increased degradation of natural resources.

According to the latest surveys compiled by UN experts, about a quarter of a million plant species, i.e., one in eight, are at risk of extinction. The survival of approximately 25% of all mammal species and 11% of bird species is also problematic. The depletion of fishing grounds in the World Ocean continues: over the past half century, fish catches have increased almost fivefold, while 70% of ocean fisheries are subject to extreme or exorbitant exploitation.

The problem of preserving biological diversity is largely interconnected with the degradation of forest resources. Forests contain over 50% of the world's biodiversity, provide landscape diversity, form and protect soils, help retain and purify water, produce oxygen, and reduce the threat of global warming. Population growth and the development of the world economy have led to growing global demand for forest products. As a result, over the past 300 years, 66-68% of the planet's forest area has been destroyed. Harvesting of a limited number of wood species leads to changes in the species composition of large forests and is one of the reasons for the overall loss of biological diversity. In the period 1990-2000. In developing countries, tens of millions of hectares of forest land have been lost to over-logging, conversion to agricultural land, disease and fire. The situation is especially dangerous in tropical forests. At the current rate of deforestation in the 21st century, in some regions (Malaysia, Indonesia), forests may disappear completely.

Awareness of the unpredictable value of biological diversity, its importance for maintaining the natural evolution and sustainable functioning of the biosphere has led humanity to understand the threat posed by the reduction of biological diversity resulting from certain types of human activities. Sharing the concerns of the world community, the UN Conference on Environment and Development (1992), among other important documents, adopted the Convention on Biological Diversity. The main provisions of the convention are aimed at the rational use of natural resources biological resources and implementation of effective measures for their conservation.

2. WAYS TO SOLUTION ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS

Each of the considered global problems has its own options for a partial or more complete solution. There is a certain set of general approaches to solving environmental problems.

Measures to improve environmental quality:

1. Technological:

Development of new technologies,

Treatment facilities,

Fuel replacement,

Electrification of production, everyday life, transport.

2. Architectural and planning measures:

Zoning of the territory of a settlement,

Greening of populated areas,

Organization of sanitary protection zones.

3.Economic.

4. Legal:

Creation of legislative acts to maintain environmental quality.

In addition, over the last century, humanity has developed a number of original ways to combat environmental problems. These methods include the emergence and activities of various kinds of “green” movements and organizations. In addition to “Green Peacea”, which is distinguished by the scope of its activities, there are similar organizations that directly carry out environmental actions. There is also another type of environmental organization: structures that stimulate and sponsor environmental activities (Wildlife Foundation).

In addition to various types of associations in the field of solving environmental problems, there are a number of state or public environmental initiatives: environmental legislation in Russia and other countries of the world, various international agreements or the “Red Books” system.

Among the most important ways to solve environmental problems, most researchers also highlight the introduction of environmentally friendly, low- and non-waste technologies, the construction of treatment facilities, the rational location of production and the use of natural resources.

ozone atmosphere acidity soil

CONCLUSION

In this work, I tried to consider the main environmental problems and ways to solve them. Based on the analysis of the environmental situation, we can conclude that we should talk not about a final and absolute solution to global environmental problems, but about the prospects for shifting particular problems, the solution of which will help reduce the scale of global ones.

Nature conservation is the task of our century, a problem that has become social. Time and again we hear about the dangers threatening the environment, but many of us still 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 arisen. However, human impact on the environment has reached alarming proportions. To fundamentally improve the situation, purposeful and thoughtful actions of all humanity will be needed. Responsible and effective environmental policies will only be possible if we accumulate reliable data on current state environment, reasonable knowledge about the interaction of important environmental factors, if he develops new methods for reducing and preventing harm caused to nature by humans.

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL LIST

1. Akimova, T.A. Ecology: Nature-man-technology: a textbook for universities T.A. Akimova, A.P. Kuzmin, V.V. Haskin. - M.: Unity, 2001. - 343 p.

2. Bobylev, S.N. UN Millennium Development Goals and ensuring environmental sustainability of Russia S.N. Bobylev // Ecology and law. - 2006. - No. 1

3. Brodsky, A.K. Short course general ecology: tutorial A.K. Brodsky. - 3rd ed. - St. Petersburg: DEAN, 1999. - 223s.

4. Nature conservation: textbook N.D. Gladkov et al. - M.: Enlightenment, 1975. - 239s.

5. Gorelov, A.A. Ecology: textbook by A.A. Gorelov. - M.: Center, 1998 -238 p.

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