A global environmental problem leading to oxygen starvation of nature. Air pollution is a serious environmental problem

Hello, my dear schoolchildren! Welcome to the pages of the ShkolaLa blog.

Today in the “Projects” section there is an important topic dedicated to the problem of our time. Air pollution is a global issue that humanity has had to face. Who is to blame for the fact that over the past 200 years the level of concentration of harmful substances has increased by 30 percent, and environmental pollution has led to environmental damage and climate change on the planet? Is it possible to stop this process and how to protect our Earth?

We'll figure out.

Lesson plan:

Why and from what is the atmosphere polluted?

Atmospheric air pollution is the ingress of chemical, physical and biological substances into it that affect the quality of the atmosphere. This is the main reason for the change in the natural state of the environment. Air pollution occurs due to natural processes, but most of all as a result of human activity. Therefore, sources of harmful emissions are divided into:

• natural, coming from nature itself, and
• artificial, man-made.

Natural springs are of mineral or plant origin.

Volcanoes

When they erupt, a huge amount of gases, solid particles and ash, water vapor and dust are released into the air, which remain in the atmospheric layers for several years.

Data. In 1883, during the eruption of the Krakatoa volcano, a black cloud 27 kilometers high rose into the air, 150 billion dust and ash were thrown 80 kilometers into the air. Gases, sand and dust were dispersed over a distance of 827,000 kilometers.

Forest and peat fires

Smoke from forest burning pollutes the air and spreads over large areas. The fumes from peat bogs fill the air with small suspended particles.

Data. In 2010, due to peat fires, an emergency environmental situation developed in the Russian capital. The maximum permissible standards for pollutants were exceeded tens of times. Because of the smog, residents of Moscow could not breathe freely and used respirators and gas masks. Many were forced to leave the city.

Dust storms

They occur when there is a strong wind, which lifts rock fragments from the ground and transports them over long distances. Tornadoes and hurricanes pollute the atmospheric air with tons of dust.

Data. In 1928, in Ukraine, a powerful wind lifted 15 million tons of black soil and transported it to the west at an altitude of 750 meters. A layer of earth settled in the Carpathian region, Romania and Poland with an area of ​​6 million square kilometers.

Artificial air pollutants are the most dangerous. They can be solid, liquid and gaseous.

Household waste

They appear when fuel is burned indoors, for example during cooking, smoke from stove heating, as well as what remains from human consumption, in other words, household garbage.

Production

They are obtained as a result of industrial activities and represent emissions from technological processes. Particularly dangerous of them are radioactive substances, the sources of which are explosions of atomic bombs, the work of enterprises where radioactive components are used, nuclear plants and reactors.

Transport

Sources of such pollutants are cars, aircraft, ships, and trains.

Data. In 1900 there were only 11 thousand cars in the world, in 1950 there were 48 million, by 1980 the number increased to 330 million, and today there are about 500 million. The gases exhausted by cars contain approximately 280 components harmful to the atmospheric air.

What causes air pollution?

Scientists have identified the main air pollutants that have the greatest negative impact on human health.

Carbon monoxide

A colorless and odorless gas, also called carbon monoxide. It is formed during incomplete combustion of fuel due to a lack of oxygen and low ambient temperature. When it enters the human body, it blocks the flow of oxygen into the blood. This is one of the reasons for frequent human poisoning, leading to loss of consciousness and death.

Carbon dioxide

The gas we release when we breathe is colorless, but it has a sour odor. Its excess content in the air we breathe leads to headaches, depression and weakness.

Sulfur dioxide

A colorless gas with a pungent odor produced by the combustion of sulfur-containing fuels, such as coal. Long-term exposure to it in humans leads to loss of taste, difficulty breathing, disruption of the heart and pulmonary edema.

Nitrogen oxides

They are formed during combustion, for example, during the operation of cars and heating plants, and are also obtained during the activities of enterprises that produce nitrogen fertilizers, acids and dyes. Exceeding the permissible limits of this gas can lead to diseases of the respiratory tract and visual organs.

Ozone

It is considered the most toxic of all gaseous pollutants. It is formed from photochemical processes and is found in industrial emissions, transport and chemical solvents. Long-term exposure to ozone in humans leads to lung diseases.

Lead

The toxic silver metal is used in paint production, printing and ammunition. The main source of lead is exhaust gases. The accumulation of lead in the body leads to impaired mental functioning and affects the liver, kidneys and skeletal system.

Data. Russia occupies a strong position among countries with poor ecology. Only in 15 cities the atmospheric air meets the established standards. 125 Russian cities record concentrations of harmful substances exceeding the level by 5-10 times. Among the most polluted cities are Magnitogorsk, Cherepovets, Chelyabinsk, there are Moscow and St. Petersburg, but Norilsk is on a par with the world's dirty cities Mexico City, Cairo and Los Angeles. The main source of pollution in Russia is industry.

How to help nature?

Human activity leads to irreparable consequences for the life of the planet. Every year, up to 20 billion tons of carbon dioxide enter the air. And it belongs to the greenhouse group. An increase in the amount of greenhouse gases and aerosols heats up the lower layer of the atmosphere and entails a change in temperature in the World Ocean, disrupting circulation.

Rising temperatures could cause ice to melt, raising water levels and gradually covering small areas of land. Due to shifting climatic zones, floods, droughts and dust storms are possible. Environmental consequences include acid rain, which occurs due to the release of acid oxides.

Data. The cleanest air today is in the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. The list of favorable areas includes Antarctica, Chilean Patagonia, and the Brazilian city of Natal. But in China it is becoming more and more difficult to breathe atmospheric air every year. Big cities are drowning in smog. Dirty countries include Pakistan, Iran, India and Qatar. There was once a time when clean air was poor in Japan, and in the 70s oxygen bars appeared there where you could breathe pure oxygen. But clean Canadian mountain air is transported to the dirty cities of China in 7.7-liter cylinders. A piece of freshness costs $15 and is enough for 15 breaths.

Environmental protection includes measures to protect nature.

• Use of environmentally friendly types of energy - solar, wind and geothermal.
• Landscaping. All plants actively absorb carbon dioxide, releasing oxygen back. Some indoor flowers, such as geranium, ficus and asparagus, are biological filters, absorbing heavy metal particles and toxins.
• Emission regulation. To do this, special equipment is installed in machine mechanisms and environmentally friendly fuel is developed. In addition, the mechanical engineering industry is gradually switching to electric vehicles.
• Protective filters. To clean waste released into the air from industrial activities, modern treatment systems are installed at enterprises.
• Juristic documents. Documents adopted by international organizations regulate harmful emissions during the activities of enterprises. The money paid by organizations goes towards efforts to combat the effects of global warming.

If we can have only a small influence on natural phenomena, then reducing human impact on environmental pollution is our direct responsibility. Let's take care of nature and try to prevent what you see in the video below.

I hope you found the information useful. I also recommend checking out to find out when World Environment Day is celebrated.

With this I say goodbye to you. See you again on interesting projects.

Evgenia Klimkovich.

The atmosphere is what we breathe and with the help of which we exist. This is the shell of the Earth, which makes it possible for all living things to develop. But every year the issue of air pollution becomes more acute.

Atmospheric pollution is penetration into all its layers (see. « ") products and substances that disrupt its normal and habitual functioning, lead to a different outcome of the final reactions or an increase in certain substances (which also negatively affects the condition of the inner shell).

The influence of man and his activities on the state of the biosphere is especially strongly felt. It is customary to distinguish three types of air pollution:

• physical, which include dust, radio waves, radioactive elements, warm air, noise and air vibrations;
• biological, which are based on microorganisms and bacteria, spores and harmful fungi, their waste products;
• chemical is what gets into the air through the use of sprays, aerosols, gas impurities, as well as their processed products, heavy metals.

It becomes clear that our atmosphere every second feels the influence of the actions of all humanity, suffers from this and breaks down, which, in turn, affects our well-being and health.

Sources of air pollution

Sources of atmospheric pollution are places, processes and activities that affect the composition, condition and functioning of the Earth's envelope. All sources of this kind are divided into two kinds:

• natural or natural - those that occur due to processes and reactions in nature, among living organisms without any human intervention;
• anthropogenic or you can also find the concept of artificial sources of pollution. These include everything that negatively affects the atmosphere due to the actions of mankind.

The most common natural sources include winds that blow earth and sand into the air, volcanic eruptions, insects and plants, as well as their waste products. No less dangerous for the atmosphere are fires that destroy plants and animals, soil, and combustion products in the form of gases and dust enter the air. However, nature can independently regulate all these actions and recover from their negative influence. Much more terrible and dangerous is the influence of man on the state of the gas shell.

Artificial sources include household and agricultural activities, all types of industrial work and, of course, transport in all its manifestations.

We all know that industrial and urban complexes and enterprises emit tons of substances into the environment, which remain there. The “heavy artillery” includes metallurgy, chemical production and gas and oil production, which “give” the atmosphere sulfur dust, benzene, carbon monoxide, ammonia and many other substances.

Another problem is thermal power engineering. The process of burning certain fuels is fraught with the release of combustion products. And this is not only soot, smoke or dust, nitrogen oxides, benzopyrene, carbon dioxide should also be included here. Separately, it is worth mentioning the excess heat that is released both from the operation of power plants of all types, and from many other types of human activity, emergency emissions from various factories, and man-made disasters..

One of the main polluters of our planet is transport, and in some countries it ranks first in the index of emissions of harmful substances into the air. Railroad transportation, airplanes, and ships contribute their share to the poor state of the biosphere, but road transport is the undoubted leader.

Vehicles, while moving, contribute to the entry of large amounts of exhaust gases from fuel processing by engines, dust and solid particles on tires and bodies into the lower spheres of the earth's shell. And the heat generated by cars in a big city is equivalent to running a large coal-fired power plant. Well, one cannot help but recall the noise pollution that is spread by all types of vehicles on the planet.

Consequences of air pollution

The atmosphere is the place where all the main processes on the planet take place, so the consequences of its pollution will be felt by everyone.

First of all, these problems will affect the human condition, because all particulate matter, dust, carbon monoxide, silicon dioxide and nitrogen oxides enter the air we breathe, and therefore into our lungs, blood and mucous membranes.

All these factors affect the functioning of internal organs, mucous membranes, mutation at the cellular level, decreased immunity, and an increase in cancer.

Another example of how human actions negatively affect nature is the greenhouse effect. Its essence is that the lower layers of the globe heat up and lose their ability to protect us from the penetration of ultraviolet radiation. What does this mean? Because the average temperature across the planet has already increased by 0.6 degrees Celsius compared to the last century. If this continues, then in addition to global warming, we will end up with melted glaciers, increased water levels in the World Ocean and flooding of areas that are located near large bodies of water.

The formation of ozone holes in the atmosphere is another large-scale example of how pollution affects the situation in the world. Ozone is a ball of atmosphere that is formed at an altitude of 2000-25000 thousand meters and consists mainly of oxygen. Its main task is to retain harmful radiation from the Sun. In small portions, ultraviolet rays are needed by living organisms to undergo the process of photosynthesis and a number of other important reactions, but in large doses they lead to mutations, a decrease in fertility and an increase in cancer of varying degrees of complexity.

Acid rain is any type of precipitation that contains high levels of chemicals (sulfur and nitrogen oxides predominantly). The nature of such atmospheric phenomena is such that they can lead to the death of vegetation, insects, fish at different concentrations of harmful substances, reduce the amount of harvests, and worsen the health of all living things.

Smog is another factor in the impact of pollutants on the atmosphere. This is a layer of dust, gas, chemicals that hang over a certain area in a gaseous (aerosol) state. What does this mean for us? These mud clouds collect particles from fuel processing, industrial emissions, heavy metals and harmful microorganisms. A humid environment oxidizes them and promotes reproduction and various reactions. Smog can cause respiratory and blood diseases, conjunctivitis, suppression of the nervous system and even death.

Ways to solve the problem of air pollution

Atmospheric pollution is a global and large-scale problem that affects everyone living on the planet. To protect the gas shell from harmful emissions, the following control methods are used:

• absorption - a measure to combat the entry of negative particles, the essence of which is their absorption by special filters. These installations are small in size and easy to install, and their essence is that they are made from materials that perfectly absorb and retain harmful fumes;
• oxidation is characterized by the combustion of an unnecessary composition in the air, but it also has a side effect - the formation of carbon dioxide as a combustion product;
• The catalytic method involves the conversion of gases into solid particles. This option for solving problems is quite effective, but expensive and energy-consuming;
• The mechanical method involves air purification in special installations. Has proven itself to be ineffective and expensive to maintain;
• the newest and most effective is electric combustion, as a result of which the gas enters special installations where it is affected by

Atmospheric air protection is a key problem in improving the health of the natural environment. Atmospheric air occupies a special position among other components of the biosphere. Its importance for all life on Earth cannot be overestimated. A person can go without food for five weeks, without water for five days, and without air for only five minutes. At the same time, the air must have a certain purity and any deviation from the norm is dangerous to health.

Atmospheric air also performs a complex protective ecological function, protecting the Earth from the absolutely cold space and the flow of solar radiation. Global meteorological processes take place in the atmosphere, climate and weather are formed, and a lot of meteorites are retained.

The atmosphere has the ability to self-purify. It occurs when aerosols are washed out of the atmosphere by precipitation, turbulent mixing of the surface layer of air, deposition of polluted substances on the surface of the earth, etc. However, under modern conditions, the capabilities of natural self-purification systems of the atmosphere are seriously undermined. Under the massive onslaught of anthropogenic pollution in the atmosphere, very undesirable environmental consequences, including those of a global nature, began to appear. For this reason, atmospheric air no longer fully fulfills its protective, thermoregulatory and life-supporting environmental functions.

Ambient air pollution

Atmospheric air pollution should be understood as any change in its composition and properties, which has a negative impact on human and animal health, the condition of plants and ecosystems.

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

Natural air pollution is caused by natural processes. These include volcanic activity, weathering of rocks, wind erosion, massive flowering of plants, smoke from forest and steppe fires, etc. Anthropogenic pollution is associated with the release of various pollutants during human activity. In scale, it significantly exceeds natural air pollution.

Depending on the scale of distribution, various types of air pollution are distinguished: local, regional and global. Local pollution is characterized by an increased content of pollutants in small areas (city, industrial area, agricultural zone, etc.). With regional pollution, significant areas are involved in the negative impact, but not the entire planet. Global pollution is associated with changes in the state of the atmosphere as a whole.

According to their state of aggregation, emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere are classified into:

3) solid (carcinogenic substances, lead and its compounds, organic and inorganic dust, soot, resinous substances and others).

The main pollutants (pollutants) of atmospheric air formed during industrial and other human activities are sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter. They account for about 98% of the total emissions of harmful substances. In addition to the main pollutants, more than 70 types of harmful substances are observed in the atmosphere of cities and towns, including formaldehyde, hydrogen fluoride, lead compounds, ammonia, phenol, benzene, carbon disulfide, etc. However, it is the concentrations of the main pollutants (sulfur dioxide, etc.) most often exceed permissible levels in many Russian cities.

Total global emissions into the atmosphere of the four main atmospheric pollutants (pollutants). In addition to these main pollutants, many other very dangerous toxic substances enter the atmosphere: lead, mercury, cadmium and other heavy metals (emission sources: cars, smelters, etc.); hydrocarbons (among them the most dangerous is benzo(a)pyrene. It has a carcinogenic effect (exhaust gases, coal furnaces, etc.), aldehydes and primarily formaldehyde, hydrogen sulfide, toxic volatile solvents (gasolines, alcohols, ethers), etc.

Emission of the main pollutants (pollutants) into the atmosphere in the world and in Russia:

Substances, million tons	Sulfur dioxide	Nitrogen oxides	Carbon monoxide	Particulate matter
Total global emissions
Russia (stationary sources only)
Russia (including all sources),

The most dangerous air pollution is radioactive. Currently, it is caused mainly by globally distributed long-lived radioactive isotopes - products of nuclear weapons tests conducted in the atmosphere and underground. The surface layer of the atmosphere is also polluted by emissions of radioactive substances into the atmosphere from operating nuclear power plants during their normal operation and other sources.

Another form of air pollution is local excess heat input from anthropogenic sources. A sign of thermal (thermal) pollution of the atmosphere are the so-called thermal junes, for example, “heat islands” in cities, warming of water bodies, etc.

In general, the level of air pollution in our country, especially in Russian cities, remains high, despite a significant decline in production, which is associated primarily with an increase in the number of cars, including faulty ones.

Main sources of air pollution

Currently, the main contribution to air pollution in Russia is made by the following industries: thermal power engineering (thermal and nuclear power plants, industrial and municipal boiler houses, etc.), then ferrous metallurgy, oil production and petrochemical enterprises, motor transport, metallurgy enterprises and the production of building materials.

The role of various economic sectors in air pollution in developed industrial countries of the West is somewhat different. For example, the main amount of emissions of harmful substances in the USA, Great Britain and Germany comes from motor vehicles (50-60%), while the share of thermal power engineering is much less, only 16-20%.

Thermal and nuclear power plants. Boiler installations. During the combustion of solid or liquid fuel, smoke is released into the atmosphere containing products of complete (carbon dioxide and water vapor) and incomplete (oxides of carbon, sulfur, nitrogen, hydrocarbons, etc.) combustion. The volume of energy emissions is very large. Thus, a modern thermal power plant with a capacity of 2.4 million kW consumes up to 20 thousand tons of coal per day and emits 680 tons of SO2 and SO3 into the atmosphere per day, 120-140 tons of solid particles (ash, dust, soot), 200 tons of nitrogen oxides .

Converting installations to liquid fuel (fuel oil) reduces ash emissions, but practically does not reduce emissions of sulfur and nitrogen oxides. The most environmentally friendly gas fuel, which pollutes the air three times less than fuel oil and five times less than coal.

Sources of air pollution with toxic substances at nuclear power plants (NPPs) are radioactive iodine, radioactive inert gases and aerosols. A major source of energy pollution of the atmosphere is the heating system of homes (boiler installations) produces little nitrogen oxides, but many products of incomplete combustion. Due to the low height of chimneys, toxic substances in high concentrations are dispersed near boiler installations.

Ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy. When smelting one ton of steel, 0.04 tons of solid particles, 0.03 tons of sulfur oxides and up to 0.05 tons of carbon monoxide are released into the atmosphere, as well as in small quantities such dangerous pollutants as manganese, lead, phosphorus, arsenic, mercury vapor etc. During the steelmaking process, vapor-gas mixtures consisting of phenol, formaldehyde, benzene, ammonia and other toxic substances are released into the atmosphere. The atmosphere is also significantly polluted at sintering factories, during blast furnace and ferroalloy production.

Significant emissions of waste gases and dust containing toxic substances are observed at non-ferrous metallurgy plants during the processing of lead-scurvy, copper, sulfide ores, during the production of aluminum, etc.

Chemical production. Emissions from this industry, although small in volume (about 2% of all industrial emissions), nevertheless, due to their very high toxicity, significant diversity and concentration, pose a significant threat to humans and all biota. In various chemical industries, atmospheric air is polluted by sulfur oxides, fluorine compounds, ammonia, nitrous gases (a mixture of nitrogen oxides), chloride compounds, hydrogen sulfide, inorganic dust, etc.).

Vehicle emissions. There are several hundred million cars in the world that burn huge amounts of petroleum products, significantly polluting the air, especially in large cities. Exhaust gases from internal combustion engines (especially carburetor engines) contain a huge amount of toxic compounds - benzopyrene, aldehydes, nitrogen and carbon oxides and especially dangerous lead compounds (in the case of using leaded gasoline).

The largest amount of harmful substances in the exhaust gases is formed when the vehicle’s fuel system is unregulated. Correct adjustment allows you to reduce their number by 1.5 times, and special neutralizers reduce the toxicity of exhaust gases by six or more times.

Intense air pollution is also observed during the extraction and processing of mineral raw materials, at oil and gas refineries, during the release of dust and gases from underground mine workings, during the burning of garbage and burning of rocks in dumps (heaps), etc. In rural areas, there are outbreaks air pollution is caused by livestock and poultry farms, industrial complexes for meat production, spraying of pesticides, etc.

“Every inhabitant of the Earth is also a potential victim of strategic (transboundary) pollution,” emphasizes A. Gore in the book “Earth in the Balance.” Transboundary pollution refers to pollution transferred from the territory of one country to the area of ​​another. Due to its unfavorable geographical location, the European part of Russia received 1,204 thousand tons of sulfur compounds from Ukraine, Germany, Poland and other countries. At the same time, in other countries only 190 thousand tons of sulfur fell from Russian pollution sources, i.e. 6.3 times less.

Ambient air pollution

Atmospheric air pollution affects human health and the natural environment in various ways - from a direct and immediate threat (smog, etc.) to the slow and gradual destruction of various life support systems of the body. In many cases, air pollution disrupts ecosystem components to such an extent that regulatory processes are unable to return them to their original state, and as a result, homeostatic mechanisms fail.

The physiological impact of the main pollutants (pollutants) on the human body is fraught with the most serious consequences. Thus, sulfur dioxide, combining with moisture, forms sulfuric acid, which destroys the lung tissue of humans and animals.

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

Among suspended solid particles, the most dangerous are particles smaller than 5 microns, which can penetrate the lymph nodes, linger in the alveoli of the lungs, and clog the mucous membranes.

Very unfavorable consequences, which can affect a huge period of time, are also associated with such insignificant emissions as lead, benzo(a)pyrene, phosphorus, cadmium, arsenic, cobalt, etc. They depress the hematopoietic system, cause cancer, and reduce body resistance to infections, etc.

The consequences of exposure of the human body to harmful substances contained in car exhaust gases are very serious and have a wide range of effects: from coughing to death. Severe consequences in the body of living beings are caused by a toxic mixture of smoke, fog and dust - smog. There are two types of smog: winter smog (London type) and summer smog (Los Angeles type).

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

As for plants, emissions of harmful substances act both directly on their green parts, entering through the stomata into the tissues, destroying chlorophyll and cell structure, and through the soil - on the root system. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is especially dangerous for plants, under the influence of which photosynthesis stops and many trees die, especially conifers: pines, spruce, fir, cedar.

Environmental consequences of global air pollution

The “greenhouse effect,” along with ozone layer depletion and acid rain, is caused by global man-made atmospheric pollution. Many scientists consider them to be the biggest environmental problems of our time. From the second half of the 19th century. There is a gradual increase in the average annual temperature, which is associated with the accumulation in the atmosphere of so-called “greenhouse gases” - carbon dioxide, methane, freons, ozone, nitrogen oxide, etc.

Greenhouse gases prevent long-wave thermal radiation from the Earth's surface, and an atmosphere saturated with them acts like the roof of a greenhouse. It allows most of the solar radiation to pass in, but almost does not allow the heat emitted by the Earth to pass out.

Due to the burning of more and more fossil fuels by humans (annually more than 9 billion tons of equivalent fuel), the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is constantly increasing. Due to emissions into the atmosphere during industrial production and in everyday life, the content of freons, methane, and, to a lesser extent, nitrogen oxide increases.

The "greenhouse effect" is the cause of an increase in the average global air temperature at the earth's surface. The report of the UN International Panel on Climate Change states that by 2100 the temperature on Earth will increase by 2-4 degrees. The scale of warming over this relatively short period of time will be comparable to the warming that occurred on Earth after the Ice Age, which means the environmental consequences could be catastrophic. First of all, this is an increase in the level of the World Ocean due to the melting of polar ice, a reduction in the areas of mountain glaciation, etc. A rise in sea level of only 0.5-2.0 m by the end of the 21st century will lead to disruption of the climate balance, flooding of coastal plains in more than 30 countries, degradation of permafrost, swamping of vast areas, etc. Obviously, that a tangible environmental effect can be obtained only by combining these measures with the global direction of environmental policy - the maximum possible preservation of communities of organisms, natural ecosystems and the entire biosphere of the Earth.

“Ozone holes” are significant spaces in the ozone layer of the atmosphere at an altitude of 20-25 km with a noticeably reduced (up to 50% or more) ozone content. Depletion of the ozone layer is universally recognized as a serious threat to global environmental security. It weakens the atmosphere's ability to protect all living things from harsh ultraviolet radiation ("UV radiation"). Therefore, in areas with low ozone levels, sunburn is common and increases | number of skin cancer cases, etc.

Both natural and anthropogenic origins of “ozone holes” are assumed. The latter, according to most scientists, is more likely and is associated with an increased content of chlorofluorocarbons (freons). Freons are widely used in industrial production and in everyday life (refrigeration units, solvents, sprayers, aerosol packaging, etc.). In the atmosphere, freons decompose with the release of chlorine oxide, which has a detrimental effect on ozone molecules.

“Acid rain” is formed by industrial emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere, which, when combined with atmospheric moisture, form dilute sulfuric and nitric acids. As a result, rain and snow become acidified (pH number below 5.6).

The total global anthropogenic emissions of SO2 and NOx amount annually to more than 255 million tons. Acidification of the natural environment negatively affects the state of ecosystems. Under the influence of acid precipitation, not only nutrients are leached from the soil, but also toxic metals: lead, cadmium, aluminum, etc. Then they themselves or their toxic compounds are absorbed by plants and soil organisms, which leads to very negative consequences.

The impact of acid rain reduces the resistance of forests to droughts, diseases, and natural pollution, which leads to their degradation as natural ecosystems. Fifty million hectares of forest in 25 European countries are affected by a complex mixture of pollutants. Coniferous mountain forests in the Northern Appalachians and Bavaria are dying. There have been cases of damage to coniferous and deciduous forests in Karelia, Siberia and other regions of our country.

An example of the negative impact of acid precipitation on natural ecosystems is the acidification of lakes. It occurs especially intensively in Canada, Sweden, Norway and Finland. This is explained by the fact that a significant part of sulfur emissions in the USA, Germany and the UK falls on their territory.

In Russia, the area of ​​acidification is several tens of millions of hectares. There are known cases of acidification of lakes in Karelia. Increased acidity of precipitation is observed along the western border (transboundary transport) and in a number of large industrial areas. For example, in the area of ​​the city of Norilsk and in the Northern Urals, huge areas of taiga and forest-tundra have become almost lifeless due to emissions of sulfur dioxide from the Norilsk Mining and Chemical Combine.

Sources of air pollution

The main sources of air pollution are natural and anthropogenic. The main natural sources of atmospheric air pollution are wind erosion, volcanism, biological processes, forest fires, removal of substances from the surface of seas and oceans, and cosmic substances. Anthropogenic sources of air pollution include transport, industry, municipal services, and agriculture. The main industrial sources of pollutant emissions are thermal power engineering, ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, the chemical industry, and the production of building materials. Of all types of transport, road transport is characterized by a significant volume of pollutants.

The main natural source of air pollution is wind erosion. Over the entire earth's surface, 4.6-8.3 billion tons of terrigenous dust are deposited annually from the atmosphere (the oceans account for 10-20% of the total flow). The main areas where this dust is formed are steppes and deserts. Depending on the power of dust formation, global and local sources are distinguished. Global sources include the Sahara region, the Gobi and Taklamakan deserts, and local sources include the deserts of Central Asia, Mongolia, China, etc. These areas are characterized by increased air dust: in the Sahara, 60-200 million tons of terrigenous aerosol enter the air annually.

The level of dust in the air is affected by the degree of soil moisture, the absence and poor development of vegetation. Therefore, the main areas of formation of terrigenous dust are areas with a small amount of precipitation and a significant amount of solar radiation. For example, for dry soil, with an increase in wind speed to 4 m/s, constant dustiness of the surface air is observed. When the wind speed is more than 4 m/s, there is a sharp increase in the dust content in the air. Therefore, latitudinal zonality in the distribution of dust is observed. For example, in Russia, the amount of suspended air increases from 5-20 μg/m3 in forests to 20-100 μg/m3 in the steppes, 100-150 μg/m3 in the dry steppes and deserts of Kazakhstan and Central Asia.

The second natural source of air pollution is volcanism. The contribution of volcanism to atmospheric aerosol is estimated at about 40 million tons per year (from 4 to 250 million tons), which is about 0.5% of the mass of soil aerosol. Large volcanic eruptions are accompanied by the formation of gas and ash clouds, the area and mass of which are comparable to the largest dust clouds of aeolian origin. The products of emissions from large volcanic eruptions travel over a distance of 1000 km. For example, during a volcanic eruption in Alaska, ash material entered the Atlantic through Canada and the United States. However, most of the ejected material is concentrated near volcanoes.

As a result of volcanic eruptions, dust and gases are released into the atmosphere: CO2, SO2, H2O, H2, N, NCl, HF, etc. In all likelihood, the existence of a sulfate aerosol layer in the stratosphere is associated with volcanic activity.

Biological processes affect the content of CO2, O2, N in the atmosphere. Plants are responsible for the oxygen and carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere. Microorganisms convert molecular nitrogen into other compounds and form molecular nitrogen from organic matter, ammonium, nitrate and nitrite salts.

Microbiological processes play an important role in the content of sulfur compounds in the atmosphere. Sulfur is part of amino acids; after the plants die, the main part of organic sulfur is decomposed by microorganisms. Under anaerobic conditions, hydrogen sulfide is formed, and under aerobic conditions, sulfates are formed. During microbiological destruction, organic substances release a significant amount of methane into the atmosphere.

Insects play some role in the formation of the gas composition of the atmosphere. Every year, termite mounds emit 4.6-10 16 g of CO2 into the atmosphere; 1.5-10 14 g CH4; 1.0-10 13 g CO.

Plants release huge amounts of pollen. At the height of flowering, several million pollen granules per day are released into the air from one plant. In spring, the maximum amount of pollen is released by trees, in summer – by sorrel and plantain, and in autumn – by meadow crossweed. Pollen of cereals and pine trees can remain suspended for a long time and move to considerable heights. For example, in the USA, pollen clouds are found up to an altitude of 12 thousand m. Plant pollen is the cause of a number of allergic diseases of the respiratory tract.

Forest fires are a significant source of air pollution. Fires affect the gas composition of the atmosphere. The above-ground part of the biomass, which is usually partially burned during fires, is 70-80%. If we assume that during forest fires, on average, 30% of the surface biomass burns, then from 1 km2 of forest area (covered by fires), 5-6 thousand tons of carbon (in the form of CO2, CO and hydrocarbons) are released in tropical forests. temperate zone - from 300 to 1200 tons.

The source of air pollution is the seas and oceans. The evaporation of moisture from these bodies of water enriches the air with crystals of sea salts. These salts are mainly represented by sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, and potassium bromide. The largest amount of salts enters the atmosphere during large waves and storms. In coastal areas of Great Britain, from 25 to 35 g of salts fall per 1 m2 of soil, 70% of which consists of sodium chloride.

Cosmic dust enters the atmosphere (up to 10 thousand tons/day). The origin of the dust has not been established. This dust is associated with the sun or forms in the zodiacal nebulae. Based on the content of chemical elements, particles are divided into “stone” and “iron”. In “stone” particles (they make up 75% of cosmic particles), Na, Mg, Al, Si, K, Ca, Ti, Cr predominate, in “iron” particles – Fe, Co, Ni. An increase in the amount of cosmic dust disrupts the thermal balance of the atmosphere, which affects the climate.

As noted above, anthropogenic sources of air pollution are industry, transport, public utilities and agriculture. The structure of pollutant emissions varies depending on the source of emissions.

Based on their state of aggregation, emissions of harmful substances are classified into:

1) gaseous (sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, etc.);
2) liquid (acids, alkalis, salt solutions, etc.);
3) solid (dust, soot, etc.).

Anthropogenic air pollution is represented by both primary and secondary impurities. Secondary impurities are formed as a result of chemical reactions between several compounds or between an impurity and natural gas. These impurities include aldehydes.

In total air pollution in some countries, the participation of industry is 35%, household heating systems - about 23%, and vehicles - 42%. Every day, New York alone emits 4 thousand tons of carbon monoxide, more than 3 thousand tons of sulfur dioxide and 300 tons of industrial dust into the atmosphere.

In Russia, thermal power engineering is the main source of air pollution. Oil and petroleum products burned in thermal power plants determine almost 60% of the level of air pollution in Western Europe. During the processing and combustion of fuel, the formation of solid particles, carbon dioxide, sulfur and nitrogen oxides, as well as metal oxides occurs. Vanadium oxide and benzopyrene are the most toxic ingredients.). The efficiency of power plants is 30-40%, i.e. Most of the fuel is wasted. The resulting energy is ultimately converted into heat. Consequently, in addition to chemical pollution, thermal pollution of the atmosphere occurs.

Ferrous metallurgy is the next most intense source of air pollution. Metallurgical enterprises emit large volumes of dust, sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide, as well as phenol, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, naphthalene, benzene, cyclic hydrocarbons and other chemicals into the atmosphere. Due to the versatility of enterprises, the chemical and petrochemical industry is characterized by a wide variety of quantitative and qualitative composition of emitted gases. The structure of emissions from the forest industry is represented by nitrogen oxides, sulfates, and organic substances.

Air pollution level

Observations of the state of atmospheric air indicate a decrease in average concentrations of suspended substances, soluble sulfates, ammonia, benz(a)pyrene, soot, hydrogen sulfide, formaldehyde, due to a decline in production and the closure of enterprises. At the same time, the average concentrations of nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, carbon disulfide, phenol, and hydrogen fluoride increased, which is associated with the irregular operation of enterprises. An increase in concentrations of carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and formaldehyde on highways in large cities and adjacent areas was also noted.

Thus, according to observational data, over a number of years in 254 cities of Russia the level of air pollution has changed slightly.

Average annual concentrations of suspended substances (dust), nitrogen dioxide, phenol and hydrogen fluoride reached one MPC, carbon disulfide exceeded 2 MPC, formaldehyde - 3 MPC, benzo(a) pyrene - 1 MPC and the World Health Organization standard - 2.6 times. All environmental pollutants have specific emission sources. Most of them, under the influence of natural factors over time, are neutralized or destroyed.

Every year, when analyzing information on atmospheric air pollution, cities with the highest levels of air pollution are included in the priority list of cities. For example, when compiling such a list, due to the harsh winter, the concentrations of benzo(a) pyrene, caused by emissions from boiler houses and stove heating, increased. Compared to the previous year, there was an increase in average concentrations of benzo(a) pyrene by 22%.

Due to air pollution with this substance, the priority list expanded to include 45 cities. In Angarsk, Kamensk-Uralsky, Norilsk, Omsk, Stavropol, Usolye-Sibirsky, the level of air pollution continued to rise.

Air pollution in the cities included in the list is characterized by high concentrations of specific pollutants. In almost every city, the greatest contribution to air pollution is determined by the concentrations of benzo(a)pyrene, formaldehyde, methyl mercaptan, carbon disulfide, benzene and other substances.

The main contribution to the high level of air pollution comes from ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, chemical and petrochemical enterprises, the construction industry, energy, pulp and paper industry, and in some cities, boiler houses. Air pollution by substances characteristic of road transport increases from year to year.

The main cause of high air pollution is emissions of specific substances. To take effective measures to improve the quality of atmospheric air and emissions from industrial enterprises and vehicles in cities, primarily benzo(a)pyrene, formaldehyde, ammonia, carbon disulfide and other pollutants that determine high air pollution in cities and industrial centers, special attention should be given to cities that are included for the first time in the list of cities with maximum single concentrations of pollutants exceeding 10 MPCs and with the highest level of air pollution.

One of the main atmospheric pollutants by weight is carbon dioxide CO2. Together with oxygen, it is an atmospheric biogen, which is mainly controlled by biota. In the twentieth century, there has been an increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the share of which has increased by almost 25% since the beginning of the century, and by 13% over the past 40 years.

In addition, about 2% of the total mass of emissions into the atmosphere were harmful substances with high toxicity (carbon disulfide, fluoride compounds, benzo(a)pyrene, hydrogen sulfide, etc.). Industrial emissions from stationary sources - ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy enterprises in cities - are especially large. For example, sulfur dioxide emissions (million tons/year): in Norilsk - 2.4, Monchegorsk - 0.2, Nikel - 0.19, Orsk - 0.17; carbon monoxide emissions (million tons/year): in Novokuznetsk - 0.44, Magnitogorsk - 0.43, Lipetsk - 0.41, Cherepovets - 0.4, Nizhny Tagil - 0.3, etc.

Hundreds of millions of tons of aerosols enter the atmosphere annually from natural and anthropogenic sources. Natural sources include dust storms, volcanic eruptions and forest fires. Gaseous emissions (eg SO2) lead to the formation of aerosols in the atmosphere. Despite the fact that the residence time of aerosols in the troposphere is several days, they can cause a decrease in the average air temperature at the earth's surface by 0.1 - 0.3C0. No less dangerous to the atmosphere and biosphere are aerosols of anthropogenic origin, formed during the combustion of fuel or contained in industrial emissions. The mineral composition of aerosols of anthropogenic origin is diverse: iron and lead oxides, silicates, soot. They are contained in emissions from thermal power plants, ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, building materials, and road transport. Dust deposited in industrial areas contains up to 20% iron oxide, 15% silicates and 5% soot, as well as impurities of various metals (lead, vanadium, molybdenum, arsenic, antimony, etc.). Aerosols emitted into the atmosphere also contain chlorine, bromine, mercury, fluorine and other elements and compounds hazardous to human health.

The concentration of aerosols varies over a very wide range: from 10 mg/m3 in a clean atmosphere to 2.10 mg/m3 in industrial areas. The concentration of aerosols in industrial areas and large cities with heavy traffic is hundreds of times higher than in rural areas. Among aerosols of anthropogenic origin, lead is of particular danger to the biosphere, the concentration of which varies from 0.000001 mg/m3 for uninhabited areas to 0.0001 mg/m3 for residential areas. In cities, the concentration of lead is much higher - from 0.001 to 0.03 mg/m3.

Aerosols pollute not only the atmosphere, but also the stratosphere, affecting its spectral characteristics and causing the risk of damage to the ozone layer. Aerosols enter the stratosphere directly with emissions from supersonic aircraft, but there are aerosols and gases that diffuse in the stratosphere.

The main aerosol of the atmosphere is sulfur dioxide (SO2), despite the large scale of its emissions into the atmosphere, it is a short-lived gas (4 - 5 days). According to current estimates, at high altitudes, aircraft engine exhaust can increase the natural background SO2 by 20%. Although this figure is small, an increase in the intensity of flights already in the 20th century may affect the albedo of the earth's surface in the direction of its increase. SO2 emissions in the ground layer can increase the optical thickness of the atmosphere in the visible parts of the spectrum, which will lead to a slight decrease in the input of solar radiation in the ground layer of air. Thus, the climate effect of SO2 emissions is opposite to the effect of CO2 emissions, but the rapid washout of sulfur dioxide by precipitation significantly weakens its overall impact on the atmosphere and climate. The annual release of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere due to industrial emissions alone is estimated at almost 150 million tons. Unlike carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide is a very unstable chemical compound. Under the influence of short-wave solar radiation, it quickly turns into sulfuric anhydride and, in contact with water vapor, is converted into sulfurous acid. In a polluted atmosphere containing nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide is quickly converted into sulfuric acid, which, when combined with water droplets, forms so-called acid rain.

In practice, to determine the degree of atmospheric air pollution, two standards are used: daily average maximum permissible concentration (MPCss) - to assess concentrations averaged over a long period (from a day to a year) and MACmr - to assess directly measured maximum single concentrations of a chemical substance in the air of populated areas ( with a 20 minute exposure).

Air pollution control in Russia is carried out in almost 350 cities. The surveillance system includes 1,200 stations and covers almost all cities with a population of more than 100 thousand inhabitants and cities with large industrial enterprises.

The maximum one-time concentrations of such air pollutants as dust, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, phenol, hydrogen fluoride exceed the corresponding MPC in more than 75% of cities monitored for each impurity. In many cities, pollution levels exceed 5 to 10 times or more, and the air is contaminated with several harmful substances at once. Some of the most polluted cities include: Berezniki, Bratsk, Yekaterinburg, Krasnoyarsk, Lipetsk, Magnitogorsk, Moscow, Novokuznetsk, Norilsk, Cherepovets and many others.

More than 50 million people are exposed to various harmful substances contained in the air in concentrations equal to 10 MAC, and over 60 million people are exposed to harmful substances whose concentration exceeds 5 MAC.

Air pollution is greatly influenced by the deposition of acid compounds. Today, sulfur and nitric acid precipitation falls over large areas of the Russian Federation. As a rule, they are formed in the area of ​​operation of non-ferrous metallurgy enterprises and chemical processing of sulfur gas condensate, as well as along the trajectories of air mass transfer from these enterprises. Thus, in the Norilsk region, sulfuric acid precipitation poisoned the tundra, lakes and wildlife for many hundreds of kilometers around. Sulfuric acid emissions from Norilsk enterprises reach Canada with rain.

Transboundary pollution

Pollution of the natural environment is significantly influenced by transboundary transfers of pollutants from countries neighboring Russia.

The main areas of transboundary influence on the Russian atmosphere are:

Western and Eastern Europe (especially Germany and Poland);
- North-eastern regions of Estonia (shale mining and processing area);
- Ukraine (radioactive contamination in the Chernobyl area, high concentration of industrial hubs in the central part, in the Kharkov region and Donbass);
- Northwestern China (radioactive contamination);
- Northern Mongolia (mining areas).

The main areas of Russia's transboundary influence on the atmosphere of adjacent territories include:

Kola Peninsula (mining areas) - to Finland and Norway;
- St. Petersburg industrial hub - to Finland and Estonia;
Southern Urals (industrial and radioactive pollution) - to Kazakhstan;
- Novaya Zemlya, Kara and Barents Seas - radioactive contamination may spread to adjacent territories.

Water exchange between Russia and adjacent territories is characterized by a significant predominance of the inflow of surface water over its outflow. In addition, the state of the water resources of the Volga and Don basins affects the environmental situation in the Caspian and Black Seas, which are interstate water bodies.

The Meteorological Synthesizing Center "Vostok" within the framework of the EMEP program (MSC-E, Moscow), based on expert assessments of emission data, performed indicative calculations of the transboundary transfer of lead and cadmium. The results of these calculations showed that the pollution of the territory of Russia with lead and cadmium transferred from other countries, mainly from the countries party to the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution, significantly exceeds the pollution of the territory of these countries with lead and cadmium from Russian sources, which is due to the dominance west-east transfer of air masses.

The “import” of these metals to Russia from Poland, Germany and Sweden is more than 10 times higher than their “export” from Russia. The “import” of lead from Ukraine, Belarus and Latvia is 5–7 times higher than its “export” from Russia, and the “import” of cadmium from these countries and Finland is 7–8 times higher. At the same time, lead fallout on the European territory of Russia (ER) is quite significant and amounts annually to: from Ukraine - about 1100 tons, Poland and Belarus - 180 - 190 tons each, Germany - more than 130 tons. Cadmium fallout in the ETR from Ukraine annually exceeds 40 tons , Poland - almost 9 tons, Belarus - about 7 tons, Germany - more than 5 tons, Finland - over 6 tons. These revenues are especially significant for the western regions of Russia.

From sources of the Russian Federation, the total fallout of lead and cadmium on its European territories is about 70%, and sources from other countries account for 30%. However, the share of transboundary pollution by these metals in the western regions of Russia significantly exceeds 30%.

City air pollution

Clean air plays a very important role for the normal functioning of the human body. After all, scientists have long found out that not only the functioning of the respiratory system, but also the activity of other organs and systems largely depends on the qualitative composition of the atmosphere. People who live in cities with especially polluted air are more likely to seek doctor's help than those who live in environmentally friendly places.

Air pollution from factories

Among the dirtiest cities in Russia there are a number of settlements that are subject to extreme densities of environmental emissions from industrial enterprises.

In first place are cities such as Norilsk, Zapolyarny, Karabash, and Satka. In these localities, non-ferrous metallurgy is based on outdated technologies. Thus, in Norilsk, about 2 thousand tons of pollutants are emitted into the atmosphere annually.

The second place among the dirtiest industrial cities is occupied by Sterezhevoy, located in the Tomsk region, where oil production flourishes.

As for the third place, it is the cities of Myshkin and Polysayevo, where gas compressor stations are located.

The highest rates of atmospheric pollution are recorded in settlements where the largest coal state-owned distribution centers in Russia are located - the village of Reftinsky in the Sverdlovsk region, the city of Troitsk in the Chelyabinsk region.

Air pollution from motor vehicles

There are a number of Russian cities whose atmosphere suffers ninety percent from pollution from vehicle exhaust gases. Among such settlements are Nazran (99.8%), and also Nalchik (more than 95%). In addition, these include Elista, Krasnodar, Stavropol, Rostov-on-Don, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kaluga and Voronezh. Thus, the total annual volume of emissions in Moscow reaches almost 995 thousand tons, and in St. Petersburg - approximately 488 thousand tons.

A significant density of polluting emissions from vehicles is typical for cities that are regional centers (Kazan, Tver, Tambov, etc.), for large port and resort cities (Sochi and Novorossiysk), as well as for settlements with an increased number of vehicles (for example, Tolyatti). Thus, in Tolyatti, 71.3 thousand tons of emissions enter the air annually, and in Novorossiysk - about 67.8 thousand tons.

Cities such as Orsk, Karabash, Nizhny Tagil, Bryansk, Astrakhan, Penza, etc. are considered the cleanest from automobile exhausts. The Far Eastern cities, where Japanese cars are actively used, are also relatively clean.

There are also 46 cities in Russia that are equally affected by emissions from various industrial enterprises and vehicles. They are represented mainly by regional capitals: Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, Omsk, Volgograd, Barnaul, Ryazan, Kemerovo, etc. Their lists also include such settlements as Salekhard, Novorossiysk, Biysk, Vyborg, etc.

For example, in Novosibirsk, 128.5 thousand tons of aggressive substances are released into the air annually, and in Volgograd – 134.1 thousand tons.

From the point of view of the general level of air pollution, the maximum amount of various emissions is observed in Norilsk, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Cherepovets and Asbest.

Air pollution in cities around the world

If we talk about the level of air pollution in the world, there are a number of cities that are absolute leaders. Among them are several Chinese cities, for example, Linfen and Tianjin. The air in these settlements is polluted by industrial emissions and automobile exhaust. So, for example, in Tianjin the concentration of lead in the air exceeds the norm ten times. Thus, we can conclude that maximum air pollution from enterprises is typical for industrial countries, among which China is worth highlighting first.

Some settlements in Iran can also be considered the most polluted cities in the world, for example, Ahwaz, Sanandaj, Kermanshah, etc. These are provincial cities where heavy industry predominates.

If we look only at air pollution from cars, the largest cities affected by exhaust fumes are Madrid, Stockholm, Vienna, Tokyo, Toronto, Los Angeles and New York. So in Madrid about 200 tons of lead enter the air per year, as well as in Vienna.

Ukraine

In second place is Mariupol, on whose territory there are several giant metallurgical plants. In such a city, 294 thousand tons of aggressive substances enter the air per year.

Air pollution from transport, or more precisely from car exhausts, is worst in Odessa, Kyiv and Uzhgorod.

Human air pollution is increasing with the level of industrialization. However, the level of development of modern science helps to reduce by an order of magnitude the amount of aggressive substances entering the atmosphere from industrial enterprises and cars. Most developed countries have been actively using such technologies in everyday life for many decades.

Air pollution problem

Two global environmental problems associated with air pollution pose a serious threat to the health and prosperity of humanity and other life forms: abnormally high levels of solar ultraviolet radiation reaching the earth's surface, caused by a decrease in ozone levels in the stratosphere, and climate change (global warming), caused by the entry of into the atmosphere of a large number of so-called greenhouse gases.

Both problems are closely interrelated, since they depend on the entry into the atmosphere of almost the same gases of anthropogenic origin. For example, fluorochlorine-containing refrigerants (chlorofluorocarbons) contribute to the destruction of the ozone layer and play an important role in the occurrence of the greenhouse effect.

Depletion of the ozone layer. Stratospheric ozone is concentrated mainly at altitudes from 20 to 25 km. Absorbing 99% of short-wave radiation from the Sun, which is dangerous for all living things, ozone protects the earth's surface and troposphere from it, protecting people from sunburn, skin and eye cancer, cataracts, etc. In addition, it prevents most of the tropospheric oxygen from being converted into ozone.

Along with the process of ozone formation in the atmosphere, the reverse process of its decay occurs, which also occurs during the absorption of solar ultraviolet radiation. Atmospheric hydrogen oxides (HOx), methane (CH4), hydrogen gas (H2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) can also destroy stratospheric ozone. If there is no anthropogenic impact, there is a certain balance between the formation and decay of ozone molecules.

The global chemical time bomb is artificial chlorofluorocarbons, which contribute to a decrease in the average concentration of ozone in the troposphere. First synthesized in 1928 and known as freons, chlorofluorocarbons became chemical marvels in the 1940s. Chemically inert, non-toxic, odorless, non-flammable, non-destructive of metals and alloys and inexpensive to produce, they quickly gained popularity and were widely used as refrigerants. Sources of chlorofluorocarbons in the atmosphere include aerosol cans, damaged refrigerators, and air conditioners. It is obvious that freon molecules are too inert and do not disintegrate in the troposphere, but slowly rise upward and after 10-20 years enter the stratosphere. There, ultraviolet radiation from the Sun destroys the molecules of these substances (the so-called photolytic decomposition process), resulting in the release of a chlorine atom. It reacts with ozone to form atomic oxygen (O) and an oxygen molecule (O2). Chlorine oxide (Cl2O) is unstable and reacts with a free oxygen atom, resulting in the formation of an oxygen molecule and a free chlorine atom. Therefore, a single chlorine atom, once formed from the breakdown of a chlorofluorocarbon, can destroy thousands of ozone molecules.

Short-wave ultraviolet radiation from the Sun, which is dangerous for living cells, can penetrate to the earth's surface due to seasonal decreases in ozone concentration (so-called ozone holes), which were observed, in particular, over Antarctica and to a lesser extent over other regions. According to forecasts, increased doses of ultraviolet radiation will lead to an increase in the number of victims of sunburn, as well as an increase in the incidence of skin cancer (this trend is already visible in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina and Chile), eye cataracts, etc.

Greenhouse effect. Swedish chemist Svante Arrhenius was the first to suggest that the atmosphere and earth's surface were heating up as a result of the greenhouse effect. Solar energy enters the Earth's atmosphere in the form of short-wave radiation. Some of it is reflected into outer space, the other is absorbed by air molecules and heats it, and about half reaches the earth's surface. The Earth's surface heats up and emits long-wave radiation, which has less energy than short-wave radiation. After this, the radiation passes through the atmosphere and is partially lost in space, and most of it is absorbed by the atmosphere and reflected again to the Earth's surface.

This process of secondary reflection of radiation is possible due to the presence in the air, albeit in small concentrations, of impurities of many gases (the so-called greenhouse gases), which have both natural and anthropogenic origin. They transmit short-wave radiation but absorb or reflect long-wave radiation. The amount of thermal energy retained depends on the concentration of greenhouse gases and the length of time they remain in the atmosphere.

The main greenhouse gases are water vapor, carbon dioxide, ozone, methane, nitrous oxide and chlorofluorocarbons. Undoubtedly, the most important among them is water vapor, and the contribution of carbon dioxide is also significant. 90% of the carbon dioxide that enters the atmosphere annually is formed during respiration (the oxidation of organic compounds by plant and animal cells). However, this intake is compensated by its consumption by green plants during photosynthesis. The average concentration of carbon dioxide in the troposphere due to human activity increases annually by approximately 0.4%. Based on computer modeling, a forecast was made according to which global warming will inevitably occur as a result of an increase in the content of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the troposphere. If it comes true and the average air temperature on Earth rises by just a few degrees, the consequences could be catastrophic: the climate and weather will change, the growing conditions of plants, including agricultural crops, will be significantly disrupted, droughts will become more frequent, glaciers and ice sheets will begin to melt, which, in in turn, will lead to rising sea levels and flooding of coastal lowlands.

Indoor air pollution

Indoor air pollution is a leading cause of cancer. The main sources of this pollution are radon, products of incomplete combustion, and evaporation of chemicals.

Radon. Radon exposure is considered to be the second leading cause of lung cancer. This mainly occurs in houses that were built on loose sediments or bedrock enriched with uranium-containing minerals. Radon gas, a product of the radioactive decay of uranium, enters houses by seeping from the soil. The solution to this problem largely depends on the type of building structures. In addition, ventilation of buildings, for example ventilation windows in foundations, helps improve the environmental situation. Ventilation pipes inserted into the base of the foundation can remove radon directly from the soil to the atmosphere.

Products of incomplete combustion. Incomplete combustion of fuel in stoves, fireplaces and other heating devices, as well as smoking, produces carcinogenic chemicals such as hydrocarbons. In homes, carbon monoxide is a major concern because it is colorless, odorless, and tasteless, making it very difficult to detect. Undoubtedly, the main and very insidious pollutant of indoor air, and, therefore, very dangerous to human health, is cigarette smoke, which can cause lung cancer and many other diseases of the respiratory and heart organs. Even non-smokers, being in the same room with smokers (so-called passive smokers), expose themselves to great risk.

Release of chemicals. Mothballs, bleaches, paints, shoe polish, various cleaning products, and deodorants are just a few of the wide range of chemicals that everyone (especially industrial workers) are exposed to almost daily and that emit carcinogens. For example, plastics, synthetic fibers and cleaners evaporate benzene, while foam insulation, plywood, and particleboard are sources of formaldehyde. Such emissions can cause headaches, dizziness and nausea.

Air protection from pollution

Have you ever thought about how important air is in our lives? Just imagine that human life cannot continue without it for more than two minutes. We rarely think about this, taking the air for granted, however, there is a real problem - the Earth's atmosphere is already quite polluted. And she suffered precisely at the hands of man. This means that all life on the planet is in danger, because we constantly inhale various toxic substances and impurities. How to protect air from pollution?

How do people and their activities affect the state of the atmosphere?

The faster modern society develops, the more needs it has. People need more cars, more household appliances, more products for daily use - the list goes on. However, the point is that to meet the needs of modern people, you need to constantly produce and build something.

To achieve this, forests are being rapidly cut down, new companies are being created, plants and factories are opening, which daily emit tons of chemical waste, soot, gases, and all kinds of harmful substances into the atmosphere. Every year hundreds of thousands of new cars appear on the roads, each of which contributes to air pollution. People unwisely use resources, minerals, dry up rivers, and all these actions directly or indirectly affect the state of the Earth's atmosphere.

The gradually collapsing ozone layer, designed to protect all living things from radioactive solar radiation, is evidence of unreasonable human activity. Its further thinning and destruction will lead to the death of both living organisms and flora. How to save the planet from atmospheric pollution?

What are the main sources of air pollution?

Modern automobile industry. Currently, there are over 1 billion cars on the roads of all countries of the world. In Western and European countries, almost every family has several cars at its disposal. Each of them is a source of exhaust gases that enter the atmosphere in tons. In China, India and Russia, the situation does not seem to be the same yet, but the number of cars in the CIS has clearly increased significantly.

Factories and plants. Of course, we cannot do without industry, but we should not forget that when we receive the goods we need, in return we pay with clean air. Soon, humanity will have nothing to breathe if factories and industrial enterprises do not learn to recycle their own waste instead of releasing it into the atmosphere.

The combustion products of oil and coal consumed in thermal power plants rise into the air, filling it with very harmful impurities. In the future, toxic waste falls out along with precipitation, feeding the soil with chemicals. Because of this, green spaces die, but they are necessary to absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. What about us without oxygen? We will die... So air pollution and human health are directly related.

Measures to protect air from pollution

What measures can humanity take to stop polluting the air on the planet? Scientists have long known the answer to this question, but in reality few people implement these measures.

What to do:

1. Officials must strengthen control over the organization of work of factories and industrial enterprises that is safe for nature and the environment. It is necessary to oblige the owners of all factories to install treatment facilities in order to reduce harmful emissions into the atmosphere to zero. For violation of these obligations, introduce penalties, possibly in the form of a ban on the continuation of the activities of enterprises that continue to pollute the air.
2. Produce new cars that run only on environmentally friendly fuel. If we stop producing cars that consume gasoline and diesel fuel and replace them with electric cars or hybrid cars, then buyers will have no choice. People will buy cars that do not harm the atmosphere. Over time, old cars will be completely replaced with new, environmentally friendly ones, which will bring great benefits to ourselves, the inhabitants of the planet. Already, many people living in the countries of the European continent are choosing such transport.
The number of electric vehicles in the world has already reached 1.26 million. According to the forecast of the International Energy Association, in order to prevent a rise in temperature due to warming by more than 2 degrees, it is necessary to increase the number of electric vehicles on the roads to 150 million by 2030 and 1 billion by 2050 with other available production indicators.
3. Environmentalists agree that if the operation of outdated thermal power plants is stopped, the situation will stabilize. However, first we need to find and implement new ways to extract energy resources. Many of them are already successfully used. People have learned to convert the energy of the sun, water and wind into electricity. Alternative types of energy resources do not involve the release of hazardous waste into the external environment, which means they will help protect the air from pollution. In reality, in Hong Kong, more than half of the electricity generation comes from coal-fired thermal power plants, and therefore the share of carbon dioxide emissions has increased by 20% in recent years.
4. In order for the environmental situation to stabilize, we need to stop destroying natural resources - cutting down forests, draining water bodies, and start using minerals wisely. It is necessary to constantly increase green spaces so that they help purify the air and enrich it with oxygen.
5. It is necessary to increase public awareness. In particular, information on how to protect air from pollution for children. In this way, you can change the approach of many people to the current state of the situation.

Air pollution gives rise to many new problems - the incidence of cancer is increasing, people's life expectancy is decreasing, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. The real problem is that the damaged ecology threatens global warming, and this will lead to serious natural disasters in the future. Already, the protest of our planet against the thoughtless activities of people is manifested in the form of floods, tsunamis, earthquakes and other natural phenomena. Humanity needs to seriously think about protecting the air from dirt.

At a meeting today in Rwanda, as reported by Reuters, delegates from nearly 200 countries agreed to reduce the use of greenhouse gases (hydrofluorocarbon gases) used in refrigeration and air conditioning equipment. Hydrofluorocarbon gases destroy the Earth's ozone layer many times more than carbon dioxide (10 thousand times). The Minister of Natural Resources of Rwanda reported to journalists about the signing of the agreement following the meeting.

Human air pollution

One of the main conditions for maintaining human health and longevity is clean air. Unfortunately, in modern realities in many parts of the world, achieving compliance with this key requirement seems like an impossible mission. But is it really impossible to make the air we breathe cleaner? And what exactly pollutes the atmosphere the most?

All sources that negatively affect the state of the air basin are divided into anthropogenic and natural by ecologists. The greatest damage to the environment is caused by the first category – factors associated with human activities. Air pollution that occurs due to natural causes is not only insignificant on a global scale, but is also self-eliminating in nature.

Industry that kills

The number one source of air pollution in developing and some developed countries is industry. The lion's share of emissions into the atmosphere comes from energy, non-ferrous and ferrous metallurgy enterprises. Industries such as oil production and oil refining, and mechanical engineering are considered less harmful to the air, but still dangerous. In places where industrial production is concentrated, phenols, hydrocarbons, mercury, lead, resins, sulfur oxide and dioxide are present in the atmosphere in significant quantities.

In developed countries, air pollution with harmful substances became a pressing problem a century ago. That is why the process of creating environmental legislation began there earlier than in other states.

When are the delights of civilization harmful?

Transport, being a necessary condition for the functioning of modern society, is also the main threat to human health. All machines that use different types of fuel to operate pollute the atmosphere to one degree or another. For example, a car actively absorbs oxygen from the air. In return, it emits carbon dioxide, water vapor and toxic substances (carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, aldehydes, soot, benzopyrene, sulfur dioxide).

The contribution that certain types of transport make to air pollution is as follows:

85% of harmful emissions come from cars and trucks;
5.3% – for river and sea vessels;
3.7% and 3.5% for air and rail transport respectively;
Agricultural machines (seeders, planters, combines, tractors, arable equipment) pollute the atmosphere the least (2.5%).

Each country solves the problem of air pollution in its own way. The Danish experience is indicative in this regard. After World War II, residents of the small Scandinavian country, whose streets were flooded with cars, began to resent the gas pollution. When the oil crisis of the 70s struck, the Danish authorities had no choice but to follow the lead of the public. A developed cycling infrastructure was created in the country, and a huge tax was introduced on the purchase and use of a car. The local residents liked the idea: the “Car-Free Copenhagen” and “Car-Free Sundays” campaigns became widespread. Now Denmark is the most cycling country in the world, one of the three cleanest and most prosperous countries for people.

Air protection from pollution

Protecting the environment from pollution is one of the most important problems of our time. Getting into the air, water and soil, toxic chemicals (industrial poisons) create a real threat to the existence of humans, plants and animals on our planet. The development of industry and transport, an increase in population density, human penetration into the stratosphere and outer space, the intensification of agricultural production (the use of pesticides), the transportation of petroleum products, the burial of hazardous chemicals at the bottom of the seas and oceans and the ongoing testing of nuclear weapons - all this contributes to a global and ever-increasing pollution of the natural environment surrounding humans.

Currently, the biosphere constantly contains about one million different chemical compounds of anthropogenic origin, and their number is constantly growing. Almost 250,000 new chemical substances are synthesized annually in the world, many of which become potential pollutants of the atmosphere, water and soil. Of particular concern is air pollution, without which life on Earth is impossible. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution occurs when a pollutant or several air pollutants are present in the atmosphere in such quantities and for such a duration that they cause harm or may contribute to harm to people, animals, plants and property or may cause incalculable damage to human health and property.

The main sources of air pollution are emissions from industrial enterprises, as well as the processes of evaporation and combustion of fuel (thermal power plants, internal combustion engines, etc.), forest fires. Air pollutants as a result of meteorological processes spread in the atmosphere over significant distances, which leads to global air pollution on our planet. Now there is no longer a fundamental difference in the composition of atmospheric air in rural and industrial regions (the difference is only in the quantitative content of pollutants).

Under these conditions, the problem of combating air pollution, which is especially acute in industrialized countries, becomes of paramount importance. Reasonable use of natural resources and nature conservation, the creation of state reserves and national parks, increasing the number of green spaces, reducing industrial emissions of harmful chemicals into the atmosphere and the development of waste-free chemical technology - these are the main ways to solve environmental problems, the goal of which is ultimately the benefit of all humanity . However, solving such a set of problems for the protection of atmospheric air and other environmental objects is impossible without creating an effective air quality control system. The need to develop comprehensive methods for the determination of various toxic substances in the atmosphere is widely recognized. Global pollution of the atmosphere and oceans, as well as the importance and difficulty of combating this pollution, have led to the need for broad international cooperation in the field of environmental protection. There are numerous international programs aimed at protecting key components of the environment from pollution, protecting wildlife and habitats. Under the auspices of the UN, WHO, UNESCO, WMO (World Meteorological Organization) and other international organizations, most of these programs are being successfully implemented. The CMEA countries cooperate particularly successfully in environmental protection. Contacts in the fight against air pollution are developing fruitfully between the CMEA member countries and other countries of the world interested in radically solving these problems.

The importance of implementing measures to control air pollution, as well as the need to develop effective and reliable analytical methods for determining the content of industrial poisons in the atmosphere and air of the working area, led to a sharp increase in the interest of analytical chemists in this problem, one of the the most complex and difficult s of analytical chemistry.

Rapid, sensitive and selective methods have been developed for the determination of microimpurities of toxic organic substances, inorganic gases and heavy metal aerosols in the air. Some countries have adopted standard methods (mandatory for national use) for monitoring the content of the main air pollutants - carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, photo-oxidants and heavy metal aerosols. The number of publications on methods for analyzing air pollution has also increased significantly. Over the past 10 years, more than 20 monographs and about 30,000 articles have appeared on analysis techniques, methods for concentrating trace amounts of toxic substances from the air, methods for identifying pollutants and correct methods for their determination.

Air Pollution Convention

Public outcry against the harmful effects of acid rain in Europe led to the signing of the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution in 1979, which came into force in 1983. The Convention was the first regional environmental agreement and contributed to the reduction of major harmful pollutants in Europe and North America.

With the participation of 51 of the 56 member states of the UN Economic Commission for Europe, the Convention covers most of the region. Over the past 30 years, the Convention has been supplemented by 8 protocols that are aimed at regulating the reduction of air pollution in order to protect human health and the environment. Each of these protocols covers pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, persistent organic pollutants, volatile organic compounds, ammonia and toxic heavy metals.

Over the years, the Convention has made a significant contribution to the implementation of reducing air pollution levels in the region.

There was a decrease in concentration levels:

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) by 70% in the European Union and 36% in the United States;
nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 35% in the European Union and 23% in the United States;
ammonia (NH3) by 20% in the European Union;
non-methane volatile organic compounds by 41% in the European Union;
particulate matter (PM 10) by 28% in the European Union.

The fact that implementation of the Convention is moving forward has led to the inclusion of new goals and activities in a joint approach aimed at addressing multiple objectives. The Gothenburg Protocol to Abate Acidification, Eutrophication and Ground-level Ozone has been introduced and aims to reduce the harmful effects of SO2, NOx, VOCs and ammonia.

The Protocol will soon be revised to include more pollutants on its list. There will also be a revision of the protocols on heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants, which will lead to re-evaluation of standards, more stringent target setting and the inclusion of new pollutants (including solutes, dust and particulate matter).

European Union

Member states of the European Economic Community were among the first countries to sign and ratify the Convention. Over the past 30 years, this region has seen a significant decline in harmful air pollutants.

The European Commission's Directorate General for the Environment (DG Environment) has a defined strategy for cooperation with the Convention, focusing on three key areas: the development and use of air pollutant models, the identification of pollution sources, and the definition of a common approach to the impact of air pollution. The work carried out by the European Union under the Convention was recently presented in a report prepared by the European Environment Agency (EEA); This report provides air pollution data for each country. The EU's commitment to the necessary research provides a significant contribution to understanding the current state of the air environment, air pollution and its harmful effects.

North America

The transboundary effects of air pollution led Canada and the United States to ratify the Convention in its early days. Both countries recognized that reducing air emissions in North America, as well as in Europe, is critical to reducing air pollution and its harmful effects. Canada and the United States of America implement the Convention through bilateral agreements: cooperation on air pollutants by mode of transport under the Canada-US Agreement on Better Air, the International Strategy for the Protection of the Great Lakes from Toxic Substances (with Mexico) under the auspices of the Commission on Environmental Affairs environment and the Joint Strategy for Improving Air Conditions. Some of the achievements of this collaboration include the Acid Rain and Ozone Addendums (to the Canada-US Air Agreement), which include commitments to reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and volatile organic compounds.

Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia

The Convention is increasingly focusing on providing expertise and guidance on the situation in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia, helping the peoples living in this region in their initiative to follow protocols and reduce the impact of air pollution. This year, the Protocol to Control Emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds or their Transboundary Fluxes, the Protocol on Heavy Metals and the Gothenburg Protocol will be discussed again in order to set firmer targets and create more flexible conditions that will give people the opportunity to replace outdated technologies and ensure better air pollution monitoring system.

In addition, the Agreement continues to assist these nations in providing guidance and policy development to effectively implement the protocols; these are actions that will have an effective impact on reducing harmful emissions and thus protecting human health and the environment. This year, the Convention Secretariat launched assistance projects to the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Moldova, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

Although much has been done over the past 30 years, scientific research continues to identify new risks and pose new challenges. In this regard, the Convention aims to include new pollutants such as soluble substances, dust, particulate matter (PM 2.5) in its list. Climate change is a major environmental challenge; Greenhouse gases and air pollutants have largely the same source, so air pollution and climate change are closely linked. This challenge for the future of the Convention should play a constructive role in policies aimed at combating climate change and air pollution.

Thus, the Convention recognizes the importance of working together on climate change and starting cooperation with other international agreements: the Stockholm Convention under the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the Mercury Pollution Research Agreement, which should be adopted in the near future; the purpose of such work is to further use these connections and jointly search for possible solutions.

The Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution has become an important international agreement addressing air pollution, its impact on the environment and human health. The Convention aims to protect people and the environment from air pollution and to progressively reduce and prevent air pollution. The Convention is supplemented by 8 protocols (see link below).

To date, 51 states have signed and ratified the Convention. Covering Europe and North America, the Convention continues to address air pollution issues in collaboration with one of the world's most effective scientific monitoring systems and a number of task forces studying the harmful effects of air pollution. With a history of cooperation spanning three decades, the Convention continues to identify new sources of air pollution and set standards at the global level to clean up the air we breathe.

The European Cooperative Monitoring and Assessment Program for the Long-Range Transmission of Air Pollutants (EMEP) and international cooperation programs are teams of scientists and research centers that use the best available technologies to map, model, and research levels of air pollutants and their impacts. .

The Protocol on Persistent Organic Pollutants will include 7 new pollutants

The forthcoming revision of the Protocol on Persistent Organic Pollutants aims to include 7 harmful pollutants that should be subject to stricter regulation.

These pollutants include: hexachlorocyclohexane, octabromodiphenyl ether, pentachlorobenzene, pentabromodiphenyl ether, perfluorooctane sulfonates (PFOS), polychlorinated naphthalenes and short-chain chlorinated paraffins.

Acid rain is rain (or snow) that becomes acidic (with a pH less than 5.6) as a result of its combination with gaseous pollutants such as sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx). Acid rain can cause acidification of surface waters, soils and ecosystems.

Acidification surrounds

The environment is caused by the combination of oxidizing substances with rain and snow or the direct deposition of gases or particles on vegetation (dry deposition).

Black carbon is formed by the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, biofuels and biomass; its source is soot of anthropogenic and natural origin. Black carbon warms the planet by absorbing heat into the atmosphere and reducing the albedo of things like snow. It is also a constituent of particulate matter.

Eutrophication is an increase in the concentration of chemical nutrients in an ecosystem to such an extent that it causes an increase in the primary productivity of the ecosystem. Depending on the degree of eutrophication, its negative environmental consequences may include hypoxia, deterioration of water quality, and reduction in populations of fish and other animals.

The flexible mechanism covers emissions trading, the clean development mechanism and joint implementation projects. These mechanisms, defined under the Kyoto Protocol, are intended to reduce emissions reductions. Flexible mechanisms allow Parties to achieve emission reductions or removals of carbon from the atmosphere in other countries. Ground-level ozone is a toxic pollutant that is formed when pollutants from vehicles, power plants, oil refineries and other sources react chemically in the presence of sunlight. In contrast, stratospheric ozone is a kind of natural filter that protects the Earth from ultraviolet radiation. Ground-level ozone can cause irritation of the mucous membranes of the nose, eyes, throat, coughing and wheezing, and can damage plants (including agricultural cash crops).

Heavy metals are metallic elements with high atomic weights, such as mercury, chromium, cadmium, arsenic and lead. They can become toxic to living organisms at low concentrations and tend to accumulate in the food chain.

Nitrogen oxides (NOx) are chemical compounds of nitrogen and oxygen that are formed when gases are exposed to high temperatures. NOx has an acidifying effect on soil and water and contributes to material damage and the formation of ground-level ozone.

Particulate matter (PM) or fine particles are tiny particles and are made up of a complex mixture of solid and liquid particles.

Unlike aerosols, they refer to particles and gases at the same time. Sources of particulate matter can be natural or artificial sources. PM is considered the most dangerous pollutant for human health.

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are chemicals that persist in the environment, accumulate in the food web, and pose a risk of negative impacts on human health and the environment. This group includes priority pollutants pesticides (such as DDT), industrial chemicals (such as polychlorinated biphenyls, PCBs), and unintentionally produced POPs (such as dioxins and furans). Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is a gas produced by the combustion of sulfur particles, particularly oil and coal, and can also come from a number of industrial processes.

Volatile organic compounds are organic compounds containing carbon that readily evaporate into the atmosphere at room temperature. VOCs contribute to the formation of smog and can lead to several health problems.

Indoor air pollution

The sources of air pollution in residential premises are the finishing materials that we use during repairs. Vinyl wallpaper on the walls, linoleum covering the floor, parquet varnish, oil paint, polystyrene foam ceiling panels - all this turns the apartment into a real gas chamber. These materials can become very dangerous sources of indoor air pollution because... They release phenol, formaldehyde, and esters of carboxylic acids. When purchasing these materials, you must ask for a certificate and not be tempted by suspiciously cheap prices. When renovating indoors, you cannot use materials intended for external work.

Phenol and formaldehyde are released from chipboard panels used in the manufacture of furniture if they are not covered with a laminating material. These toxic substances cause damage to the kidneys, liver, changes in blood composition, and are strong allergens. If a person has bronchial asthma, inhaling these substances may cause suffocation. The smell that appears in the apartment after purchasing new furniture should disappear after three months.

The source of indoor air pollution can be too thorough cleaning of the room using too many household chemicals. Some of these products contain high levels of formaldehyde, which is recognized as a carcinogen, while others pollute the air with harmful chemicals. In some cases, it is better to abandon these sources of indoor air pollution and use old “old-fashioned” cleaning methods without “chemicals”.

It is necessary to carefully monitor the serviceability of gas-powered appliances, stoves, fireplaces, because... they can be a source of carbon monoxide, which causes headaches and blurred vision. Faulty gas appliances during operation can emit nitrogen dioxide, which irritates the eyes and nasopharynx, weakening the pulmonary system. Smokers are also a source of indoor air pollution, so it is necessary to ventilate the room in which they smoke even more often.

Indoor air quality

Until recently, the problem of outdoor air pollution attracted the attention of environmentalists. However, studies conducted in many countries have shown that indoor air can be tens of times more polluted than outdoor air. But even if indoor air pollution levels are low, it still poses a significant risk because people are exposed to it for long periods of time, spending on average up to 80% of their daily time indoors. According to various estimates by scientists, it turned out that the air in rooms is 4-6 times dirtier than outside air and 8-10 times more toxic. The main components of indoor air pollution are gases, biological pollutants, radon, and some other substances harmful to human health.

According to American allergists, 50% of human diseases are either caused or aggravated by air pollution in homes. Particularly susceptible to air pollution are: children, adolescents, pregnant women, the elderly, as well as people suffering from allergies, asthma, or other diseases of the respiratory system.

More than 100 chemical compounds are detected in the air of office premises. Including aerosols of lead, mercury, copper, zinc, phenol, and formaldehyde that are hazardous to health in concentrations that are often several times higher than the maximum permissible limits. Experts from the World Health Organization have recognized indoor air pollution as a major risk factor for human health and the main cause of the catastrophic increase in cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases.

Environmental indoor air pollution can be divided into two types: chemical and bacteriological. Today, there are about 1,000 known chemical and biological types of contaminants found in indoor air.

Indoor air pollution can cause diseases of various levels of severity, ranging from simple malaise and headaches to severe allergies and cancer.

Water and air pollution

Air pollution

One of the most important problems of a modern city is increasing air pollution. Over large cities, the atmosphere contains 10 times more aerosols and 25 times more gases. At the same time, 60-70% of gas pollution comes from road transport.

Automotive

Car exhaust gases are a mixture of approximately 200 substances. They contain hydrocarbons - unburned or incompletely burned fuel components, the proportion of which increases sharply if the engine is running at low speeds or at the moment of increasing speed at the start, that is, at a red traffic light and during traffic jams (congestion of vehicles on the road , interfering with normal movement).

Carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and most other gas emissions from engines are heavier than air, so they all accumulate near the ground. Carbon monoxide combines with hemoglobin in the blood and prevents it from carrying oxygen to the body's tissues. Exhaust gases also contain aldehydes, which have a pungent odor and irritant effect. Due to incomplete combustion of fuel in a car engine, some of the hydrocarbons turn into soot. 1 liter of gasoline may contain about 1 gram of tetraethyl lead, after the destruction of which lead is released in the form of compounds, which in turn tends to accumulate in the body. One passenger car annually absorbs an average of more than 4 tons of oxygen from the atmosphere, emitting approximately 800 kg of carbon monoxide, about 40 kg of nitrogen oxides and almost 200 kg of various hydrocarbons with exhaust gases.

As the welfare of residents grows, the number of cars increases and, consequently, the concentration of toxic substances in the air also increases. There is no doubt that in the near future, urban air pollution from road transport will pose the greatest danger. This is mainly due to the fact that at present there are no fundamental solutions to this problem, although there is no shortage of individual technical projects and recommendations.

Industrial

As a result of the use in industry and the formation of large quantities of toxic substances during various production processes, masses of pollutants are also released into the surrounding air. Enterprises in the metallurgical, chemical, cement and other industries emit into the atmosphere dust, sulfur, fluoride and other harmful gases and compounds released during various technological production processes. The release of harmful substances into the atmosphere at oil refineries occurs mainly due to insufficient sealing of equipment. For example, atmospheric air pollution with hydrocarbons and hydrogen sulfide is observed from metal tanks of raw material parks for unstable oil, intermediate and commodity parks for passenger petroleum products. The main emissions from chemical industry enterprises are carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, ammonia, dust from inorganic production, organic substances, hydrogen sulfide, carbon disulfide, chloride compounds, fluoride compounds, etc. These compounds reduce the transparency of the atmosphere, produce 50% more fogs, 10% more precipitation, 30% reduction in solar radiation. The most dangerous production for the environment is associated with the use of varnishes and paints. Their emissions of anthropogenic organic substances amount to 350 thousand tons per year, while the rest of the chemical industry produces a total of 170 thousand tons per year.

The atmosphere of modern cities (especially large ones) is extremely polluted. According to research, one resident of Moscow in general accounts for 46 kg (!) of harmful substances per year. Many scientists see increasing air pollution in developed cities as the main reason for the increase in lung diseases.

The vegetation cover of cities is usually almost entirely represented by “cultural plantings” - parks, squares, lawns, flower beds, alleys. Their area in millionaire cities usually does not exceed 30% (Moscow), which is about 25-30 m2 per person (in Paris this number is 6, in London - 7.5, in New York - 8.6).

Man has to increasingly intervene in the economy of the biosphere - that part of our planet in which life exists. The Earth's biosphere is currently subject to increasing anthropogenic impact. Due to more active condensation of moisture in cities, precipitation increases by 5-10%. Self-cleaning of the atmosphere is prevented by a 10-20% decrease in solar radiation and wind speed. With low air mobility, thermal anomalies over the city cover atmospheric layers of 250 - 400 m, and temperature contrasts can reach 5 - 6 ° C. Temperature inversions are associated with them, leading to increased pollution, fog and smog.

Smog (photochemical fog)

Photochemical fog (smog) is a multicomponent mixture of gases and aerosol particles of primary and secondary origin. The main components of smog include: ozone, nitrogen and sulfur oxides, numerous organic compounds of peroxide nature, collectively called photooxidants. Photochemical smog occurs as a result of photochemical reactions under certain conditions: the presence in the atmosphere of high concentrations of nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons and other pollutants, intense solar radiation and calmness (or very weak air exchange in the surface layer) necessary to create a high concentration of reacting substances. Such conditions are created more often in June - September and less often in winter. Next, a chain of chemical transformations occurs, which results in the formation of oxidants, which are a source of free radicals.

Due to their physiological effects on the human body, they are extremely dangerous for the respiratory and circulatory systems and often cause premature death in urban residents with poor health. Scientists believe that every year thousands of deaths in cities around the world are linked to air pollution.

Significant air pollution in cities also leads to a decrease in insolation and a reduction in the flow of ultraviolet radiation to the earth's surface. This negatively affects the health of city residents, since with reduced insolation, the elimination of a number of toxic substances from the body, in particular heavy metals and their compounds, slows down; in addition, reduced insolation inhibits the synthesis of a number of important enzymes in the body. Meanwhile, residents of large cities very often, especially in winter, experience a shortage of it.

Many man-made substances entering the air environment of cities are dangerous pollutants. They cause damage to human health, wildlife, and material values. Some of them, due to their long existence in the atmosphere, are transported over long distances, which is why the pollution problem turns from local to international. This mainly concerns pollution with sulfur and nitrogen oxides.

The rapid accumulation of these pollutants in the atmosphere of the Northern Hemisphere (an annual increase of 5%) has given rise to the phenomenon of acidic and acidified precipitation. They suppress the biological productivity of soils and water bodies, especially those that have their own high acidity.

Water pollution

Another equally important problem of a modern city is water pollution. Among industrial products, toxic synthetic substances occupy a special place in their negative impact on the aquatic environment and living organisms. They are increasingly used in industry, transport, and household services.

Pollution of the water basin in cities should be considered in two aspects - water pollution in the water consumption area and pollution of the water basin within the city due to its wastewater.

Water pollution in the water consumption area

Water pollution in the water consumption area is a serious factor that worsens the ecological condition of cities. It is produced both due to the discharge of part of the untreated wastewater from cities and enterprises located above the water intake zone of a given city and water pollution by river transport, and due to the entry into water bodies of part of the fertilizers and pesticides applied to the fields. In areas of high moisture, about 20% of fertilizers and pesticides applied to the soil end up in watercourses. This, in turn, can lead to eutrophication of water bodies, which further deteriorates water quality.

Every year in large cities (including Moscow), there is a seasonal deterioration in the quality of drinking water during spring floods, associated with the ingress of pollutants into water sources with surface and storm runoff from sanitarily undeveloped areas, agricultural facilities and lands. In this regard, water is hyperchlorinated, which, however, is unsafe for public health due to the formation of organochlorine compounds.

Water pollution within the city

Therefore, cities need powerful wastewater treatment plants.

A particular problem is the penetration of polluted surface runoff into groundwater. Surface runoff from cities is always highly acidic. If there are chalk deposits and limestones under the city, the penetration of enlisted water into them inevitably leads to the emergence of anthropogenic karst. Voids formed as a result of anthropogenic karst directly under the city can pose a serious threat to buildings and structures, therefore, in cities where there is a real risk of its occurrence, a special geological service is needed to predict and prevent its consequences.

In modern conditions, human needs for water for domestic needs are greatly increasing. Cities consume 10 or more times more water per person than rural areas. At the same time, water resources are used irrationally - more than 20% of water goes unused. Pollution of water bodies reaches catastrophic proportions, so almost all large cities experience a shortage of water resources and many of them receive water from remote sources. For example, Los Angeles receives water from the Colorado River, which is located 970 kilometers from the city. And Beijing plans to deliver water to its citizens' homes from the Yangtze River, 1,500 kilometers away.

That is why an extremely important task at the moment is to protect water sources from pollution. Along with the improvement and expansion of treatment facilities, the transfer of enterprises to recycled water supply and waste-free technology, the demineralization of brackish and saline waters, the introduction of fees for wastewater discharge, the creation of comprehensive regional schemes for water consumption, water disposal and wastewater treatment, as well as automation of control monitoring water quality in water sources and developing methods for managing water quality.

Air pollution assessment

The atmosphere is one of the elements of the environment that is constantly exposed to human activity. The consequences of this impact depend on various factors and are manifested in changes in climate and chemical composition of the atmosphere. These changes significantly affect the biotic components of the environment, including humans.

The air environment can be assessed in two aspects:

1. Climate and its changes under the influence of natural causes and anthropogenic influences in general (macroclimate) and this project in particular (microclimate). These assessments assume a forecast of the potential impact of climate change on the implementation of the projected type of anthropogenic activity.
2. Air pollution. To begin with, the possibility of air pollution is assessed using one of the complex indicators, such as: air pollution potential (APP), atmospheric dispersive ability (ASC) and others. After this, an assessment is made of the existing level of air pollution in the required region.

Conclusions about climatic and meteorological characteristics, and about the source of pollution are made, first of all, on the basis of data from the regional Roshydromet, then on the basis of data from the sanitary-epidemiological service and special analytical inspections of the State Committee for Ecology, and are also based on various literary sources.

As a result, based on the obtained estimates and data on specific emissions into the atmosphere of the projected facility, air pollution forecast calculations are made, and special computer programs are used ("ecologist", "guarantor", "ether", etc.), allowing not only to assess possible levels of air pollution, but also to obtain a map diagram of concentration fields and data on the deposition of pollutants (pollutants) on the underlying surface.

The criterion for assessing the degree of atmospheric air pollution includes maximum permissible concentrations (MAC) of pollutants. Measured and calculated concentrations of pollutants in the atmosphere can be compared with MPC values ​​and, therefore, atmospheric pollution is measured in MPC values.

At the same time, it is worth paying attention to the fact that the concentrations of pollutants in the air should not be confused with their emissions. Concentration is the mass of a substance per unit volume (or mass), and release is the weight of a substance delivered per unit of time (i.e., the “dose”). An emission cannot be a criterion for air pollution, but since air pollution depends not only on the mass of emissions, but also on other factors (meteorological parameters, height of the emission source, etc.).

Air pollution forecasts are used in other sections of the EIA to predict the influence of other factors from the impact of a polluted environment (pollution of the underlying surface, vegetation vegetation, population morbidity, etc.).

When carrying out an environmental assessment, the assessment of the state of the air basin is based on a comprehensive assessment of air pollution in the study area, and a system of direct, indirect and indicator criteria is used. Air quality assessment (primarily the degree of pollution) is quite well developed and is based on a huge number of legislative and policy documents that use direct control methods to measure environmental parameters, as well as indirect calculation methods and assessment criteria.

Direct evaluation criteria. The main criteria for the state of atmospheric air pollution include the values ​​of maximum permissible concentrations (MPC). It should be noted that the atmosphere is also a medium for the transfer of technogenic pollutants, and it is also the most changeable and dynamic of all its abiotic components. Based on this, to assess the degree of atmospheric air pollution, time-differentiated assessment indicators are used, such as: maximum one-time MPCmr (short-term effects), average daily MPCs and average annual MPCg (for longer-term exposure).

The degree of air pollution can be assessed using the repetition and frequency of exceeding the MPC, taking into account the hazard class, as well as by summing up the biological effects of pollution (POI). The level of air pollution by substances of various hazard classes is determined by “bringing” their concentrations, normalized by MPC, to the concentrations of substances of the 3rd hazard class.

There is a division of air pollutants according to the likelihood of their adverse effects on human health, which includes 4 classes:

1) first class - extremely dangerous.
2) second class - highly dangerous;
3) third class - moderately dangerous;
4) fourth class - slightly dangerous.

Basically, actual maximum one-time, average daily and average annual MPCs are used in comparison with the actual concentrations of pollutants in the air over the past few years, but not less than 2 years.

Also important criteria for assessing total air pollution include the value of the complex indicator (P), equal to the square root of the sum of the squares of the concentration of substances of various hazard classes, normalized by MPC, reduced to the concentration of a substance of the third hazard class.

The most common and informative indicator of air pollution is the KIZA indicator (comprehensive index of average annual air pollution).

Distribution by classes of atmospheric conditions occurs in accordance with the classification of pollution levels on a four-point scale:

Class "normal" - means that the level of air pollution is below the average for cities in the country;
- "risk" class - equal to the average level;
- “crisis” class - above average level;
- class "disaster" - much higher than average.

Basically, KIZA is used for a comparative analysis of air pollution in different parts of the study area (cities, regions, etc.), as well as for assessing the time trend regarding the state of air pollution.

The resource potential of the air basin of a certain territory is calculated based on its ability to disperse and remove impurities and the ratio of the actual level of pollution and the MPC value. The assessment of air dispersion capacity is determined based on the following indicators: air pollution potential (APP) and air consumption parameter (AC). These characteristics reveal the peculiarities of the formation of pollution levels depending on weather conditions, which contribute to the accumulation and removal of impurities from the air.

Atmospheric pollution potential (APP) is a complex characteristic of meteorological conditions that turn out to be unfavorable for the dispersion of pollutants in the air. Currently in Russia there are 5 classes of PZA, which are typical for urban conditions, based on the frequency of surface inversions, stagnation of weak winds and the duration of fog.

The air consumption parameter (AC) is understood as the volume of clean air that is necessary to dilute emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere to the level of the average permissible concentration. This parameter is of particular importance when managing air quality if the user of natural resources has established a regime of collective responsibility (the “bubble” principle) in market conditions. Based on this parameter, the volume of emissions is established for the entire region, and only after that, enterprises located on its territory jointly identify the optimal option for providing the required volume, including through trading in pollution rights.

It is accepted that air can be considered as the initial link in the chain of pollution of the environment and objects. Often, soils and surface waters are indirect indicators of its pollution, and in some cases, on the contrary, they can be sources of secondary air pollution. Hence the need arises not only for assessing air pollution, but also for monitoring the possible consequences of the mutual influence of the atmosphere and adjacent environments, as well as obtaining an integral (mixed) assessment of the state of the air basin.

Indirect indicators for assessing air pollution include the intensity of the entry of atmospheric impurities as a result of dry deposition on the soil cover and water bodies, as well as as a result of its leaching by precipitation. The criterion for this assessment is the value of permissible and critical loads, which are expressed in units of fallout density, taking into account the time interval (duration) of their arrival.

The result of a comprehensive assessment of the state of air pollution is an analysis of the development of technogenic processes and an assessment of possible negative consequences in the short and long term at the local and regional levels. When analyzing the spatial characteristics and temporal dynamics of the effects of air pollution on human health and the state of the ecosystem, it is necessary to rely on the mapping method, using sets of cartographic materials that characterize the natural conditions of the region, including protected areas.

The optimal system of components of an integral (comprehensive) assessment includes:

Assessment of the level of pollution from a sanitary and hygienic point of view (MPC);
- assessment of the resource potential of the atmosphere (PZA and PV);
- assessment of the degree of influence on certain environments (soil, vegetation and snow cover, water);
- the trend and intensity of the processes of anthropogenic development of a given natural and technical system to identify short-term and long-term effects of impact;
- determination of the spatial and temporal scales of possible negative consequences of anthropogenic impact.

Chemical air pollution

Atmospheric pollution should be understood as a change in its composition due to the arrival of impurities of natural or anthropogenic origin. Pollutants come in three types: gases, dusts and aerosols. The latter include dispersed solid particles emitted into the atmosphere and suspended in it for a long time.

The main atmospheric pollutants include carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur and nitrogen dioxides, as well as trace gas components that can affect the temperature regime of the troposphere: nitrogen dioxide, halocarbons (freons), methane and tropospheric ozone.

The main contribution to the high level of air pollution comes from ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, chemical and petrochemical enterprises, the construction industry, energy, pulp and paper industry, and in some cities, boiler houses.

Sources of pollution are thermal power plants, which, along with smoke, emit sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide into the air, metallurgical enterprises, especially non-ferrous metallurgy, which emit nitrogen oxides, hydrogen sulfide, chlorine, fluorine, ammonia, phosphorus compounds, particles and compounds of mercury and arsenic into the air; chemical and cement plants. Harmful gases enter the air as a result of burning fuel for industrial needs, heating homes, operating transport, burning and processing household and industrial waste.

Atmospheric pollutants are divided into primary, which enter directly into the atmosphere, and secondary, which are the result of the transformation of the latter. Thus, sulfur dioxide gas entering the atmosphere is oxidized to sulfuric anhydride, which reacts with water vapor and forms droplets of sulfuric acid. When sulfuric anhydride reacts with ammonia, ammonium sulfate crystals are formed. Similarly, as a result of chemical, photochemical, physicochemical reactions between pollutants and atmospheric components, other secondary characteristics are formed. The main sources of pyrogenic pollution on the planet are thermal power plants, metallurgical and chemical enterprises, and boiler plants, which consume more than 170% of the annually produced solid and liquid fuel.

The main harmful impurities of pyrogenic origin are the following:

A) Carbon monoxide. It is produced by incomplete combustion of carbonaceous substances. It enters the air as a result of the combustion of solid waste, exhaust gases and emissions from industrial enterprises. Every year, at least 250 million tons of this gas enter the atmosphere. Carbon monoxide is a compound that actively reacts with components of the atmosphere and contributes to an increase in temperature on the planet and the creation of a greenhouse effect.

B) Sulfur dioxide. Released during the combustion of sulfur-containing fuel or processing of sulfur ores (up to 70 million tons per year). Some sulfur compounds are released during the combustion of organic residues in mining dumps. In the United States alone, the total amount of sulfur dioxide released into the atmosphere amounted to 85 percent of global emissions.
c) Sulfuric anhydride. Formed by the oxidation of sulfur dioxide. The final product of the reaction is an aerosol or solution of sulfuric acid in rainwater, which acidifies the soil and aggravates diseases of the human respiratory tract. The fallout of sulfuric acid aerosol from smoke flares of chemical plants is observed under low clouds and high air humidity. Pyrometallurgical enterprises of non-ferrous and ferrous metallurgy, as well as thermal power plants, annually emit tens of millions of tons of sulfur anhydride into the atmosphere.
d) Hydrogen sulfide and carbon disulfide. They enter the atmosphere separately or together with other sulfur compounds. The main sources of emissions are enterprises producing artificial fiber, sugar, coke plants, oil refineries, and oil fields. In the atmosphere, when interacting with other pollutants, they undergo slow oxidation to sulfuric anhydride.
e) Nitrogen oxides. The main sources of emissions are enterprises producing; nitrogen fertilizers, nitric acid and nitrates, aniline dyes, nitro compounds, viscose silk, celluloid. The amount of nitrogen oxides entering the atmosphere is 20 million tons per year.
f) Fluorine compounds. Sources of pollution are enterprises producing aluminum, enamels, glass, ceramics, steel, and phosphate fertilizers. Fluorine-containing substances enter the atmosphere in the form of gaseous compounds - hydrogen fluoride or sodium and calcium fluoride dust. The compounds are characterized by a toxic effect. Fluorine derivatives are strong insecticides.
g) Chlorine compounds. They enter the atmosphere from chemical plants producing hydrochloric acid, chlorine-containing pesticides, organic dyes, hydrolytic alcohol, bleach, and soda. In the atmosphere they are found as impurities of chlorine molecules and hydrochloric acid vapors. The toxicity of chlorine is determined by the type of compounds and their concentration.

In the metallurgical industry, when smelting cast iron and processing it into steel, various heavy metals and toxic gases are released into the atmosphere. Thus, per 1 ton of saturated cast iron, in addition to 2.7 kg of sulfur dioxide and 4.5 kg of dust particles are released, which determine the amount of compounds of arsenic, phosphorus, antimony, lead, mercury vapor and rare metals, resinous substances and hydrogen cyanide.

The volume of emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere from stationary sources in Russia is about 22 - 25 million tons per year.

Industrial air pollution

In ecology, pollution is understood as an unfavorable change in the environment, which is wholly or partly the result of human activity, directly or indirectly changing the distribution of incoming energy, radiation levels, physicochemical properties of the environment and the conditions of existence of living organisms. These changes can affect humans directly or through water and food. They can also affect a person, worsening the properties of the things he uses, the conditions of rest and work.

Intense air pollution began in the 19th century due to the rapid development of industry, which began to use coal as the main type of fuel, and the rapid growth of cities. The role of coal in air pollution in Europe has been known for a long time. However, in the 19th century it was the cheapest and most accessible type of fuel in Western Europe, including Great Britain.

But coal is not the only source of air pollution. Nowadays, a huge amount of harmful substances are emitted into the atmosphere every year, and, despite significant efforts made in the world to reduce the degree of air pollution, it is found in developed capitalist countries. At the same time, researchers note that if over the countryside there are currently 10 times more harmful impurities in the atmosphere than over the ocean, then over the city there are 150 times more of them.

Impact on the atmosphere of ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy enterprises. Enterprises in the metallurgical industry saturate the atmosphere with dust, sulfur and other harmful gases released during various technological production processes.

Ferrous metallurgy, the production of cast iron and its processing into steel, naturally occurs with the accompanying emissions of various harmful gases into the atmosphere.

Air pollution by gases during the formation of coal is accompanied by the preparation of the charge and its loading into coke ovens. Wet extinguishing is also accompanied by the release into the atmosphere of substances that are part of the water used.

When producing aluminum metal using electrolysis, a huge amount of gaseous and dusty compounds containing fluorine and other elements are released into the environment. When smelting one ton of steel, 0.04 tons of solid particles, 0.03 tons of sulfur oxides and up to 0.05 tons of carbon monoxide enter the atmosphere. Non-ferrous metallurgy plants discharge into the atmosphere compounds of manganese, lead, phosphorus, arsenic, mercury vapor, vapor-gas mixtures consisting of phenol, formaldehyde, benzene, ammonia and other toxic substances.

Impact on the atmosphere of petrochemical industry enterprises. Oil refining and petrochemical industry enterprises have a noticeable negative impact on the environment and, above all, on the atmospheric air, which is due to their activities and the combustion of oil products (motor, boiler fuels, and other products).

In terms of air pollution, oil refining and petrochemicals rank fourth among other industries. The composition of fuel combustion products includes pollutants such as oxides of nitrogen, sulfur and carbon, carbon black, hydrocarbons, and hydrogen sulfide.

During the processing of hydrocarbon systems, more than 1,500 tons of harmful substances are released into the atmosphere. Of these, hydrocarbons - 78.8%; sulfur oxides - 15.5%; nitrogen oxides - 1.8%; carbon oxides - 17.46%; solids - 9.3%. Emissions of solid substances, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides account for up to 98% of total emissions from industrial enterprises. As an analysis of the state of the atmosphere shows, it is the emissions of these substances in most industrial cities that create an increased background of pollution.

The most environmentally hazardous are industries associated with the rectification of hydrocarbon systems - oil and heavy oil residues, the purification of oils using aromatic substances, the production of elemental sulfur, and wastewater treatment facilities.

Impact on the atmosphere of agricultural enterprises. Atmospheric air pollution by agricultural enterprises is carried out mainly through emissions of gaseous and suspended pollutants from ventilation units that provide normal living conditions for animals and humans in production premises for keeping livestock and poultry. Additional pollution comes from boiler houses as a result of the processing and release of fuel combustion products into the atmosphere, from exhaust gases from motor vehicles, from fumes from manure storage tanks, as well as from the spreading of manure, fertilizers and other chemicals. One cannot ignore the dust generated during harvesting field crops, loading, unloading, drying and processing of bulk agricultural products.

The fuel and energy complex (thermal power plants, combined heat and power plants, boiler plants) emits smoke into the atmospheric air resulting from the combustion of solid and liquid fuels. Emissions into the atmospheric air from fuel-using installations contain products of complete combustion - sulfur oxides and ash, products of incomplete combustion - mainly carbon monoxide, soot and hydrocarbons. The total volume of all emissions is quite significant. For example, a thermal power plant that consumes 50 thousand tons of coal monthly, containing approximately 1% sulfur, daily emits 33 tons of sulfuric anhydride into the atmosphere, which can turn (under certain meteorological conditions) into 50 tons of sulfuric acid. In one day, such a power plant produces up to 230 tons of ash, which is partially (about 40-50 tons per day) released into the environment within a radius of up to 5 km. Emissions from thermal power plants that burn oil contain almost no ash, but emit three times more sulfuric anhydride.

Air pollution from the oil production, oil refining and petrochemical industries contains large amounts of hydrocarbons, hydrogen sulfide and foul-smelling gases. The release of harmful substances into the atmosphere at oil refineries occurs mainly due to insufficient sealing of equipment. For example, atmospheric air pollution with hydrocarbons and hydrogen sulfide is observed from metal tanks of raw material parks for unstable oil, intermediate and commodity parks for passenger petroleum products.

Causes of air pollution

Let's consider the causes and consequences of air pollution. Atmospheric pollution can be natural or artificial. Natural atmospheric pollution occurs during volcanic eruptions, dust storms, and forest fires caused by lightning. Various bacteria are constantly present in the atmospheric air, in particular those that cause diseases, as well as fungal spores. But they can disappear over time and do not have much effect on the composition of atmospheric air.

At the present stage of human development, irreparable damage is caused by artificial atmospheric pollution. The person himself is to blame for this, so he must stop the negative processes. Otherwise, humanity may disappear along with plants and animals, and the planet will become uninhabitable.

Artificial sources of pollution include the following:

1. The activities of industrial enterprises that pollute the atmosphere with gases, mainly toxic. For example, sulfur gas from burning coal; carbon disulfide and hydrogen sulfide during the production of artificial fibers. The source of dust is thermal power plants. When burning 2000 tons of coal (a small power plant), 400 tons of ash and 120 tons of sulfur gas, etc., are released into the air per day.
2. The intensive development of motor transport in the world leads to the release of millions of tons of harmful gases into the atmosphere, including annually 50 million tons of rubber dust from the abrasion of car tires alone. And emissions of toxic heavy metals from cars in the world amount to over 300 thousand tons.
3. Radioactive pollution of the atmosphere. It is worth recalling radiation pollution due to the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, which still affects the health of people in Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia.

Air purification methods are divided into three main groups:

1. Rational use of fuel and creation of treatment facilities.
2. Improvement of production technologies and vehicles. Cars powered by gas and solar energy have been created.
3. Improving the planning of settlements - from cities to villages, increasing the area of ​​green spaces.

Of course, this will require the combined efforts of countries around the world. Many states have adopted air protection laws. In order to reduce the amount of emissions of toxic gases, ash, and dust into the atmosphere, the Kyoto Protocol “On Climate Change” was drawn up at the UN conference. In this protocol, the amount of emissions into the atmosphere is determined for each state with a gradual reduction. The document was supported by 119 countries, except the USA and Japan.

The atmosphere is not only the basis of life on the planet, but also a kind of “screen” that protects the Earth from the deadly rays of the Sun and outer space. Weather and climate are formed in the atmosphere. Protecting the atmosphere is an urgent task for all humanity.

The skies above cities are darkened by smog, and the air we breathe is becoming increasingly polluted with particulate matter and carbon dioxide every day. These negative factors have a detrimental effect on human health and the environment. So what can you do to reduce air pollution? You'll be surprised at how valuable your efforts will be because even your small contribution to protecting the environment can make a huge difference. This article will discuss what you can do to reduce pollution.

Steps

Change of transport

A question of driving culture. Of course, plants and factories are rightfully considered the main air polluters, but motorists also make a huge contribution to this process. The production of cars and fuel, the construction of roads and the processing of waste from fuel combustion also plays a role. Due to the fact that many cities are located in such a way that you cannot travel around them without a car, it is quite difficult to find any unambiguous solution to the problem. No matter where you live, you can take steps to reduce your dependence on your car.

• It may not be rational to completely give up traveling by car, but reducing the number of trips is quite possible. For example, instead of going to the grocery store every day, do it every week and a half, purchasing everything you need at one time.
• Sharing a car with neighbors is also a very reasonable way out of the situation.

1. Switch from personal transport to buses, subways or trains. If you live in Moscow, then, most likely, you are already accustomed to the fact that you can get to any part of the city by public transport. But the transport system is well developed not only in big cities. Study the routes of buses, trams and trolleybuses and start replacing car trips with bus trips at least once a week. Try to use public transport as often as possible, and only take a car when you cannot find an alternative way to get somewhere.

   • Getting to work or school by bus is very beneficial for several reasons. Firstly, you help reduce air pollution, secondly, you don’t have to pay for parking, and thirdly, you have free time to read, knit, do crosswords or look at fellow travelers. In addition, traveling by public transport is safer than driving your own car, and your nerve cells remain intact, since you do not have to sit in traffic jams during rush hour.

2. Try walking or cycling. An even more useful alternative to public transport is using your own energy to get around. You can absolutely easily walk to places that are five minutes away by car, and if you have the time and desire, you can walk longer distances. If your city has well-equipped bike paths, start riding on them. If the area where you live has a lot of traffic and congestion, the best way to get somewhere is to get on a bike and start pedaling.

3. If you do prefer to drive a car, keep it in good condition. Get your car inspected regularly, have it repaired if necessary, and make sure your car passes the smog test with flying colors. Here are a few things you can do to make sure your car pollutes as little as possible:

   • Use energy-saving engine oil.
   • Fill your gas tank early in the morning or late at night when it is cool outside. This way you will prevent fuel evaporation during hot periods.
   • Try not to spill fuel when filling the tank.
   • Instead of standing in front of fast food restaurants that have a service system that allows you to buy food without leaving your car, park your car and go inside.
   • Inflate your car's tires to ensure they have the correct level of pressure inside. This will improve the vehicle's performance and reduce fuel consumption.

   Change your consumption habits

   1. Become a manufacturer. Using raw materials to create as many things as possible instead of buying them from the store is a great way to reduce air pollution. Because mass production, packaging and delivery of goods to consumers is the main cause of industrial air pollution. Look around and determine for yourself what things you could do with your own hands. Here are some suitable ideas:

      • Of course you can cook the food. If you buy pre-packaged meals, start preparing your meals from scratch. Removing processed foods from your diet and replacing them with food made from fresh vegetables, meat and fruits will not only reduce air pollution, but will also have a positive effect on your health. For example, if you like to eat spaghetti, make a sauce with fresh tomatoes and garlic instead of buying ketchup. You can also make homemade pasta, it's delicious!
      • Did you know you can make your own cleaning products? Instead of buying dishwashing liquid, laundry detergents, and bathroom and toilet cleaners, make your own with non-toxic ingredients. Store the created products in glass jars.
      • The same goes for homemade shampoos, soaps, toothpaste, lip balm and deodorants.
      • Sewing clothes by hand can be a bit of a hassle, but if you're interested in trying it out, start with something simple like t-shirts and pants.
      • If you want to become a full-fledged producer, not just a consumer, discover the art of homesteading - and soon you'll be growing your own tomatoes and garlic for your pasta sauce.

   2. Shop local. If you need to buy something that you can't make yourself, try to buy products made in your region. It's best to shop at small, locally owned stores rather than at large supermarket chains, which source products from all over the world and contribute to air pollution. Here are some recommendations on where to shop:

      • Shop at small farmer-owned stores. This way you can be sure that you are buying locally grown products.
      • Check the tags on your clothes. Try to buy items made in your area. It can be a bit costly, but consider purchasing handmade items from someone in your neighborhood. If this is not acceptable, second-hand items can be a good alternative.
      • Don't buy things online. Of course, purchasing books or clothing through online stores is very convenient for consumers, but it is worth considering how many boats, planes and trucks it takes to deliver the goods to your home. Therefore, you should make such purchases only if absolutely necessary.

   3. Buy products without packaging. The plastic, foil and cardboard used to create packaging are produced using technologies that negatively impact air quality. No matter what exactly you buy, try to choose a product with a minimum of packaging. For example, instead of buying a box of kozinaki bars, try making them at home or buying them at a bakery that sells them unpacked in foil. If this is unacceptable to you, choose products in packaging that can be recycled.

      • Instead of plastic or cardboard bags, take with you a fabric bag like a string bag.
      • Buy foods in bulk instead of packaged ones.
      • Buy fresh food instead of canned and frozen goods.
      • Buy large reusable containers instead of lots of small ones.

   4. Reuse, recycle and compress waste. Proper management of household waste is another way to reduce air pollution. Reusing, recycling and compressing waste can reduce the amount of waste. The less waste that ends up in landfill, the better, as it is another big source of air pollution.

      • Buy products in glass containers that can be used over and over again. Plastic utensils, bottles and containers can also be reused several times to store food, but not for too long because chemicals can leach into the food over time.
      • Recycle plastic, paper, aluminum and other waste according to your local regulations.
      • Create a compost bin in your yard into which you can dump your organic waste. In a few months you will have excellent fertilizers for your garden.

   5. Use safe paints and cleaning products if necessary. They produce less harmful fumes and have a positive effect on the health of your lungs.

      • Follow manufacturers' recommendations regarding the use and storage of cleaning products, paints and other chemicals. Follow instructions to prevent toxic chemicals from evaporating.

   Save your energy

   1. Do not turn on lights and household appliances unless necessary. You've probably heard it a million times: when leaving a room, turn off the lights, and don't leave the TV on all day! These simple steps are very important in reducing air pollution since electricity is generated in thermal power plants using coal or natural gas. Here's how you can reduce energy consumption in your home:

      • Take advantage of natural light. Organize your work or study space near a window so that you have light all day and do not need to turn on additional lighting.
      • Turn on lights in one room in the evenings instead of lighting up the entire house. Let the family gather there to read, do homework, or watch a movie before bed.
      • Turn off electrical appliances when you are not using them. This applies to both large equipment and small appliances: televisions, computers, toasters, and so on. Even a phone left on charge all day can consume excess energy.
      • Replace outdated large units with modern energy-saving equipment.
      • Buy electricity from non-polluting sources.

   2. Change your attitude towards air conditioning and heaters. Let your body get used to the changing seasons instead of using a heater or air conditioner to maintain the same indoor temperature year-round. Warming up or cooling down a room uses a lot of energy, so break out mittens and sweaters to adapt to changing weather rather than relying on technology.

      • When you're at work or on vacation, turn off your heating or cooling appliances so they don't waste energy throughout the day.

   3. 1. Learn more about air pollution. Each region has its own problems with air pollution. There may be a factory in your city that is emitting toxic substances into the atmosphere, or the problem may be a huge garbage dump with toxic fumes. To understand what steps you can take to reduce pollution, do some research to identify the biggest sources of pollution in your area.

         • Look up information on the Internet, read newspapers and ask your friends. If you're in school, your teachers can tell you where to look for information you're interested in.
         • Start talking about the problem of air pollution with people around you, instead of keeping silent about it. Discussing a problem can lead to unexpected ways to solve it that you would never have thought of on your own.
      • Ozone is one of the main components of smog. Ground-level ozone is formed when two types of pollutants react chemically when exposed to direct sunlight. These pollutants are known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides. They are produced and released into the air:
        • Vehicles such as cars, trucks, buses, airplanes and locomotives
        • Construction equipment
        • Gardening tools
        • Large industrial enterprises
        • Small industrial enterprises such as gas stations and printing plants
        • Consumer products, including some paints and cleaning products

One of the main conditions for maintaining human health and longevity is clean air. Unfortunately, in modern realities in many parts of the world, achieving compliance with this key requirement seems like an impossible mission. But is it really impossible to make the air we breathe cleaner? And what exactly pollutes the atmosphere the most?

All sources that negatively affect the state of the air basin are divided into anthropogenic and natural by ecologists. The greatest damage to the environment is caused by the first category – factors associated with human activities. Air pollution that occurs due to natural causes is not only insignificant on a global scale, but is also self-eliminating in nature.

Industry that kills

The number one source of air pollution in developing and some developed countries is industry. The lion's share of emissions into the atmosphere comes from energy, non-ferrous and ferrous metallurgy enterprises. Industries such as oil production and oil refining, and mechanical engineering are considered less harmful to the air, but still dangerous. In places where industrial production is concentrated, phenols, hydrocarbons, mercury, lead, resins, sulfur oxide and dioxide are present in the atmosphere in significant quantities.

In developed countries, air pollution with harmful substances became a pressing problem a century ago. That is why the process of creating environmental legislation began there earlier than in other states. Thus, the Netherlands was the first to monitor emissions from enterprises, adopting relevant laws in 1875–1896. In the United States, the Clean Air Act was passed in 1955. In Japan, the law on monitoring and limiting harmful emissions appeared in 1967, in Germany (FRG) - 1972.

When are the delights of civilization harmful?

Transport, being a necessary condition for the functioning of modern society, is also the main threat to human health. All machines that use different types of fuel to operate pollute the atmosphere to one degree or another. For example, a car actively absorbs oxygen from the air. In return, it emits carbon dioxide, water vapor and toxic substances (carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, aldehydes, soot, benzopyrene, sulfur dioxide). The contribution that certain types of transport make to air pollution is as follows:

• 85% of harmful emissions come from cars and trucks;
• 5.3% – for river and sea vessels;
• 3.7% and 3.5% for air and rail vehicles respectively:
• Agricultural machines (seeders, planters, combines, tractors, arable equipment) pollute the atmosphere the least (2.5%).

Each country solves the problem of air pollution in its own way. The Danish experience is indicative in this regard. After World War II, residents of the small Scandinavian country, whose streets were flooded with cars, began to resent the gas pollution. When the oil crisis of the 70s struck, the Danish authorities had no choice but to follow the lead of the public. A developed cycling infrastructure was created in the country, and a huge tax was introduced on the purchase and use of a car. The local residents liked the idea: the “Car-Free Copenhagen” and “Car-Free Sundays” campaigns became widespread. Now Denmark is the most cycling country in the world, one of the three cleanest and most prosperous countries for people.

Are wind, sun and water our best friends?

Large-scale pollution of atmospheric air with harmful substances is caused by the work of thermal power plants. The operation of power plants using coal, diesel, fuel oil, kerosene and gasoline is accompanied by the release of hazardous compounds of heavy metals, carbon monoxide, carbon, and nitrogen. Outside the city, as a rule, dumps of ash left over from coal combustion accumulate.

The use of liquid fuel can reduce ash formation, but such a replacement has no effect on the amount of nitrogen and sulfur oxide emissions. At nuclear power plants, air pollution occurs with aerosols, radioactive gases and iodine. All types of traditional fuel are certainly harmful. Perhaps the gas is relatively harmless.

How to avoid ? Alternative energy sources can make the air cleaner. Another argument in favor of using the energy of tides, wind and sun is the limited reserves of gas and oil. China, India, the USA, Japan, and the EU can boast of advanced experience in the field of energy. Alternative sources in these countries account for up to 20% of total energy production. Tidal power plants are being built in coastal regions, and solar power plants are being built in southern countries. Geothermal power plants, which generate energy from the natural heat of the planet, are located near thermal springs.

The future belongs to eco-farms

Agricultural production causes more damage to water bodies, land and trees than to the air, but is still considered one of the main sources. As a result of the use of manure in livestock farms, ammonia is released. Pesticides used in agriculture also pose a danger to humans, animals and plants. A solution to the problem could be a new type of agricultural complexes that operate without the use of herbicides and pesticides. The implementation of the concept of organic farms is in full swing in European countries, Canada, and the USA. Successful farms producing healthy products operate in Russia.

Dust storm pollution

Among natural sources, the greatest contribution to air pollution is the phenomenon of soil weathering. Severe dustiness is typical for areas with a low degree of soil moisture and poorly developed vegetation. Global air pollution by dust occurs in the Taklamakan, Gobi, and Sahara deserts, while local pollution occurs in the Mongolian and Central Asian regions. In Europe, dust clouds that change the composition and quality of the atmospheric boundary layer dominate in the southeastern and eastern parts. The speed and area of ​​spread of pollution depends on the size of the particles. Fine dust stays in the air for 1.5–3 weeks and spreads throughout the hemisphere. Large particles spread over hundreds of kilometers and settle within a few hours or days.

How does soil weathering affect human health? If our body is able to filter out large particles, then fine dust easily penetrates through the upper respiratory tract and settles in the lungs. According to WHO research, an increase in the content of suspended particles in the air by 10 μg/m 3 leads to an increase in mortality by 0.5–1%.

Dust storms harm more than just humans. They are dangerous for the entire planet. The accumulation of hundreds of thousands of dust particles interferes with the normal outflow of excess heat from the Earth. How to solve the problem of wind soil erosion? To prevent dust storms, a system of windbreaks and forest belts is created, and agricultural activities are carried out to increase the adhesion of soil particles.

Volcanism and forest fires

A volcanic eruption is a rare event accompanied by catastrophic consequences. Every year, during a natural disaster, the atmosphere is replenished with 40 million tons of substances. Among the gases released by volcanoes, most are water vapor. Eruptions are one of the reasons for increasing the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Polluted air is also dangerous because the sulfur oxide released by the volcano reacts with water and turns into sulfuric acid.

During the hot period, the problem of forest fires is acute. The cause of a fire can be either solar activity or non-compliance with human safety rules. During a natural disaster, atmospheric air is polluted with aerosols, vapors, and toxic gases. Forest fires are the second source of methyl chloride release after the ocean. Indirect air pollution also occurs: due to the destruction of vegetation, oxygen production decreases.

Other sources of pollution

Oceans and seas have little influence on the degree of air pollution in the world. During the process of evaporation, crystals of sea salts (potassium bromide, calcium chloride, magnesium, sodium) enter the atmosphere from the water. The proportion of substances enriching air masses increases noticeably during a storm. The evaporation of sea salts in itself is not dangerous, but along with them there may be other toxic compounds in the water. Thus, air pollution is inextricably linked to the ecological state of the ocean.

In addition to substances of terrestrial origin, cosmic dust is also present in the atmosphere. Scientists have calculated that every year 40 thousand tons of such particles settle on our planet. This means that dust from space is a tiny source of air pollution and does not cause serious problems. However, if its quantity increases, it will be able to significantly influence the climate conditions of the Earth.

Finally, no matter how trivial it may sound, the air is polluted every day due to the influence of people who smoke. Cigarettes contain about 400 substances, including ammonia, nitrobenzene, formaldehyde, toluene and many other toxic compounds. All of them inevitably enter the air along with tobacco smoke and do not dissolve, but settle, for example, on the soil. You can draw an analogy with passive smoking and conclude that our planet is suffering from it, and the only way out is for people who are already dependent and to prevent younger generations from being involved in this process.

So, the main sources of air pollution are associated with human activities. Anthropogenic factors that worsen the condition of the air basin include industrial production, transport, and heat and power engineering. The degree of influence of each of these causes varies markedly across different regions of the world. Among natural sources, the ecological state of the atmosphere is most threatened by soil weathering.