Pollution and Environmental Protection - Knowledge Hypermarket. We consider pollution and environmental protection Pollution and environmental protection lesson outline

Environmental pollution An undesirable change in the environment as a result of anthropogenic intake of various substances and compounds that have a harmful effect on the lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, flora and fauna, buildings and materials, and on the person himself. An undesirable change in the environment as a result of anthropogenic intake of various substances and compounds that have a harmful effect on the lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, flora and fauna, buildings and materials, and on the person himself.

Annual volume of wastewater discharge. (km/year) Regions Municipal discharges Industrial wastewater Agricultural wastewater North Africa 34,535 North America South America Asia Europe

Consequences of environmental pollution. Environmental problems affect all aspects of human life and do not recognize state borders. They can be solved only with broad international cooperation. The release of funds from the arms race would make the solution of environmental problems more realistic.

Issues for discussion. Why has the problem of environmental pollution acquired a global character? Why has the problem of environmental pollution acquired a global character? What is the role of Russia in the pollution of the oceans? What is the role of Russia in the pollution of the oceans? What ways of environmental protection measures can you suggest. What ways of environmental protection measures can you suggest.

Anthropogenic environmental pollution: causes and consequences. You already know a lot about environmental pollution from previous geography courses, and it cannot but disturb you. “The bird that pollutes its own nest is bad,” says a folk proverb. Is it possible that all of humanity, and each of us, has become like such a bird?
Environmental pollution is an undesirable change in its properties as a result of anthropogenic intake of various substances and compounds. It leads or may lead in the future to a harmful effect on the lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, flora and fauna, buildings, structures, materials, and on the person himself. It suppresses the ability of nature to self-repair its properties.

Human pollution has a long history. Even the inhabitants of Ancient Rome complained about the pollution of the waters of the Tiber River. The inhabitants of Athens and Ancient Greece were worried about the pollution of the waters of the port of Piraeus. Already in the Middle Ages, laws on environmental protection appeared. .

The main source of pollution is the return to nature of that huge mass of waste that is formed in the process of production and consumption of human society. Already in 1970 they amounted to 40 billion tons, and by the beginning of the XXI century. increased to 300 billion tons.
A distinction must be made between quantitative and qualitative pollution. Quantitative pollution of the environment occurs as a result of the return to it of those substances and compounds that occur in nature in a natural state, but in much smaller quantities (for example, these are compounds of iron and other metals). Qualitative pollution of the environment is associated with the entry into it of substances and compounds unknown to nature, created primarily by the industry of organic synthesis.
Pollution of the lithosphere (soil cover) occurs as a result of industrial, construction and agricultural activities. At the same time, metals and their compounds, fertilizers, pesticides, and radioactive substances act as the main pollutants, the concentration of which leads to a change in the chemical composition of soils. The problem of accumulation of household waste is also becoming more and more complex; it is no coincidence that in the West, in relation to our time, the term "garbage civilization" is sometimes used. .
And this is not to mention the complete destruction of the soil cover, primarily as a result of open-cast mining, the depth of which - including in Russia - sometimes reaches 500 m or even more. The so-called badlands (“bad lands”), which have completely or almost completely lost their productivity, already occupy 1% of the land surface. The total area of contaminated land on land exceeds 13 million km2, which is 1/10 of the world land fund.
Pollution of the hydrosphere occurs primarily as a result of the discharge of industrial, agricultural and domestic wastewater into rivers, lakes and seas.
By the end of the 90s. 20th century the total world volume of wastewater has approached 3-4 thousand km3 per year, or 20% of the "water ration" of the Earth. But since these waters require on average 10 times more pure water to dilute, they actually pollute a much larger volume of channel water. It is not difficult to guess that this, and not only the growth of direct water intake, is the main reason for the aggravation of the problem of fresh water.
Many rivers are heavily polluted - the Rhine, Danube, Seine, Thames, Tiber, Mississippi, Ohio, Volga, Dnieper, Don, Dniester, Nile, Ganges, etc. Pollution of the World Ocean is also growing, the "health" of which is threatened simultaneously from the coast , from the surface, from the bottom, from rivers and the atmosphere. Every year, a huge amount of waste enters the ocean. The most polluted are the inland and marginal seas - the Mediterranean, Northern, Irish, Baltic, Black, Azov, Inner Japanese, Javanese, Yellow, Caribbean, as well as the Biscay, Persian, Mexican and Guinean bays.

The Mediterranean Sea is the largest inland sea on Earth, the cradle of several great civilizations. 18 countries are located on its shores, 130 million people live,
260 ports. In addition, the Mediterranean Sea is one of the main areas of world shipping: it simultaneously contains
2.5 thousand long-distance ships and 5 thousand coastal ships. 300-350 million tons of oil passes through its routes annually. As a result, this sea in the 60-70s. turned into almost the main "garbage pit" of Europe.

Pollution affected not only the inland seas, but also the central parts of the oceans. . The threat to deep-sea basins is growing: there have been cases of burial of toxic substances and radioactive materials in them.
But oil pollution poses a particular danger to the Ocean. As a result of oil leakage during its production, transportation and processing, from 3 to 10 million tons of oil and oil products annually enter the World Ocean (according to various sources). Space images show that already about 1/3 of its entire surface is covered with an oily film, which reduces evaporation, inhibits the development of plankton, and limits the interaction of the Ocean with the atmosphere. The Atlantic Ocean is the most oil polluted. . The movement of surface water in the ocean leads to the spread of pollution over long distances. Especially dangerous are the catastrophes of large tankers, which lead to "volley" oil emissions.
In addition, radioactive contamination of the World Ocean is taking place, due to the fact that some countries have been burying their radioactive waste in its waters for a long time.
Atmospheric pollution occurs as a result of the work of industry, transport, as well as various furnaces, which together annually emit billions of tons of solid and gaseous particles into the Earth's air shell. The main air pollutants are carbon monoxide (CO) and sulfur dioxide (S02), which are formed primarily during the combustion of mineral fuels, as well as oxides of sulfur, nitrogen, phosphorus, lead, mercury, aluminum and other metals.
You know that sulfur dioxide is the main source of so-called acid rain. which are especially widespread in Europe and North America. Acid precipitation reduces crop yields, destroys forests and other vegetation, destroys life in fresh water bodies, destroys buildings, and adversely affects human health.
Example. In Scandinavia, which receives acid rain mainly from Great Britain and Germany, life has died in 20 thousand lakes, salmon, trout and other fish have disappeared in them. In many countries of Western Europe, there is a catastrophic loss of forests. The same destruction of forests began in Russia.
The effects of acid precipitation can not withstand not only living organisms, but also stone. .

A particular problem is the increase in emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. If in the middle of the XX century. worldwide, CO2 emissions amounted to approximately 6 billion tons, then at the beginning of the 21st century. it exceeded 27 billion tons. The main responsibility for these emissions lies with economically developed countries. Recently, carbon emissions have increased significantly in some developing countries due to the development of industry and especially energy (see table 9 in the Annexes). Such emissions threaten humanity with the greenhouse effect and global warming. And the growing emission of chlorofluorocarbons (freons) has already led, according to many scientists, to the formation of huge "ozone holes" and partial destruction of the "ozone barrier". The accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986 indicates that cases of radioactive contamination of the atmosphere also cannot be completely ruled out.

The circulation processes in the atmosphere have led to the fact that the problem of its pollution has acquired a global character. Solving environmental problems: three main ways. But humanity not only litters its "nest". It has developed ways to protect the environment and has already begun to implement them.
The first way is to create various kinds of treatment facilities, the use of low-sulphur fuel, the destruction and processing of waste, the construction of chimneys 200-300 m or more high, land reclamation, etc. However, even the most modern facilities do not provide complete purification. And ultra-high chimneys, reducing the concentration of harmful substances in a given place, contribute to the spread of dust pollution and acid rain over much larger areas: a chimney 250 m high
increases the dispersion radius to 75 km.
The second way is to develop and apply a fundamentally new environmental ("clean") production technology, in the transition to low-waste and waste-free production processes. Thus, the transition from direct-flow (river-enterprise-river) water supply to circulation, and even more so to “dry” technology, can first ensure a partial and then a complete cessation of wastewater discharge into rivers and reservoirs.
This path is the main one, because it not only reduces, but prevents environmental pollution. But it requires huge expenditures, unsustainable for many countries.
The third way is a deeply thought-out, most rational placement of the so-called "dirty" industries that have a negative impact on the environment. The "dirty" industries primarily include the chemical and petrochemical, metallurgical, pulp and paper industries, thermal power engineering, and the production of building materials. When locating such enterprises, geographical expertise is especially necessary. Nature protection activity and ecological policy. The plunder of natural resources and the growth of environmental pollution have become an obstacle not only to the further development of production. Often they threaten the very lives of people. So back in the 70's and 80's. most of the economically developed countries of the world began to carry out a variety of environmental activities, to pursue an environmental policy. Strict environmental laws have been enacted, long-term environmental improvement programs have been developed, fine systems (polluter pays) have been introduced, special ministries and other government agencies have been established. At the same time, a mass movement of the public in defense of the environment began. In many countries, the “green” parties have appeared and achieved considerable influence, various public organizations have arisen, for example, Greenpeace.
As a result, in the 80-90s. environmental pollution in a number of economically highly developed countries began to gradually decrease, although in most developing countries and in some countries with economies in transition, including Russia, it still remains threatening.
Example. Russian geographers distinguish 16 critical ecological regions on the territory of Russia, which together occupy 15% of the country's territory. Industrial-urban agglomerations prevail among them, but there are also agricultural and recreational areas.
In our time, for the implementation of environmental activities, the implementation of environmental policy is not enough measures taken by individual countries. The efforts of the entire world community are needed, which are coordinated by the UN and other international organizations. In 1972, the first UN Conference on the Environment was held in Stockholm, the day of its opening - June 5 - would be declared World Environment Day. Subsequently, an important document "The World Strategy for Conservation of Nature" was adopted, which contained a detailed program of action for all countries. The second conference on environment and development took place in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro. It adopted the "Agenda for the 21st Century" and other important documents. There is a special body in the UN system - the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), which coordinates the work carried out in different countries, generalizes world experience. The World Conservation Union (WUCN), the International Geographical Union (IGU) and other organizations actively participate in environmental activities. In the 80-90s. 20th century international agreements were concluded to reduce carbon emissions, freons, and many others. Some of the measures being taken have distinct geographic dimensions.
Example 1. At the beginning of the XXI century. in the world there were already more than 12 thousand specially protected natural areas (SPNA). Most of them are in the USA, Australia, Canada, Germany, China. The total number of national parks is approaching 2 thousand, and biosphere reserves - to 500.
Example 2. Since 1972, the UNESCO Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage has been in force. At the end of 2007, the World Heritage List, which is updated annually, included 851 sites (see Table 10 in the "Appendices"), including 660 cultural, 166 natural and 25 cultural and natural. .
And yet, each of you citizens of the 21st century should always remember the conclusion reached at the Rio 92 Conference: "Planet Earth is in danger like never before." (Task 9.)

Class: 10

Presentation for the lesson

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Goals:

To acquaint students with the problem of anthropogenic pollution of the environment, sources of pollution of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere; Consider the main ways to solve environmental problems;
To bring to the attention of students that the solution of environmental problems can be carried out through proper environmental activities and environmental policies. To form a culture of communication, the ability to defend one's point of view. Contribute to the education of the ecological culture of the individual;
Develop skills in working with various sources of information, including Internet resources, develop skills in working with additional literature and statistical material.

Equipment: political map of the world, map "Natural Resources of the World", atlases, textbooks, additional literature, presentation

During the classes

I. Organizing time

II. Introductory word of the teacher

Humanity has entered the 21st century, full of worries not only for its future, but also for the very existence on Earth. The voices of the public, experts, and politicians are increasingly insistent, calling for an end to the pollution and destruction of nature, as the Earth's life resources are approaching their limit. The processes of self-healing in nature are not able to cope with the ever-increasing burden that man puts on it. The time is coming when the world can suffocate if man does not come to the aid of nature. Only a person has an ecological talent - to keep the world around clean ... "One of two things: either people will make the planet less polluted, or its pollution will make it so that there will be fewer people on Earth"

Today we will find out what problems threaten life on Earth and how they can be solved. The topic of our lesson is "Pollution and environmental protection." “The bird that pollutes its own nest is bad,” says a folk proverb. Is it possible that all of humanity, and each of us, has become like such a bird? Let's try to answer this question.

III. Stage of assimilation of new material:

Teacher: environmental pollution is an undesirable change in its properties as a result of anthropogenic intake of various substances and compounds that have a harmful effect on the lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, flora and fauna, on buildings, on the person himself. Environmental pollution suppresses the ability of nature to self-repair its properties.

Questions: What do you think is the main source of environmental pollution? What types of pollution do you know?

Teacher: distinguish between quantitative and qualitative pollution of the environment. Quantitative pollution of the environment occurs as a result of the return to it of those substances and compounds that are found in nature in a natural state, but in much smaller quantities (iron compounds, wood, etc.) Qualitative pollution of the environment is associated with the entry into it of unknown nature substances and compounds created by the chemistry of organic synthesis (plastics, chemical fibers, rubber, etc.)

Let us consider in more detail the pollution of various shells of the Earth. Let's listen to the messages that you have prepared together, working in groups, and fill in the table.

Student messages:

Igroup "Atmosphere"» : Air is the most important condition for life on Earth. Air affects people, plants, animals, buildings and much more. Therefore, air pollution adversely affects the environment. All sources of air pollution are divided into natural and anthropogenic. Natural air pollution occurs as a result of volcanic eruptions, dust storms. The most powerful eruption in the history of mankind was the eruption of the Krakatoa volcano in 1883. The explosion of this volcano was heard at a distance of 4800 km. Volcanic dust rose to a height of more than 20 km. This ash circled the entire globe for several months. The natural source of dust is the Sahara desert. Dust clouds that form over the Sahara are carried by the trade winds over all of West Africa. Anthropogenic pollution of the atmosphere has a lot of sources and causes more tangible harm. The main sources of air pollution are: thermal power plants, metallurgy, chemical, petrochemical, pulp and paper industries, motor transport. Aerosol pollution is the pollution of the atmosphere by dust and liquid particles. Aerosols form fog and smog in the atmosphere. Smog has a very negative effect on the human body. A large and dangerous source of aerosols are forest fires, smoke clouds from which stretch for thousands of kilometers. Gaseous pollution poses an increased hazard. It accounts for 80-90% of all emissions into the atmosphere. These are compounds of sulfur, nitrogen, chlorine, carbon. Once in the atmosphere, sulfur and nitrogen compounds combine with water droplets and form sulfuric and nitric acids. Then, with rains, they fall to the Earth, violating the norms of soil acidity, contributing to the drying of forests, especially coniferous ones. Getting into rivers and lakes, they destroy the flora and fauna of water bodies. Acid rains lead to the destruction of structures and monuments. The main areas of distribution of acid rain are the USA, foreign Europe. The region where acid rain is produced and where it occurs are often located thousands of kilometers apart. For example, the main culprit of acid rain in the southern part of Scandinavia is the industrial regions of Great Britain, Belgium, Germany. Acid rain comes to Canada from the USA. Even more attention of scientists is attracted by the consequences of carbon compounds entering the atmosphere: carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and methane. Carbon dioxide dominates among them. It is not poisonous, but, accumulating, leads to the formation of a greenhouse effect. The entry of these compounds into the atmosphere is associated with the combustion of fuel and methane leaks from oil and gas wells. If in 1950 1520 million tons of carbon entered the Earth's atmosphere, then in 2000 - 6200 million tons, that is, the volume of carbon input increased four times. The strongest carbon dioxide pollution occurs in the northern hemisphere between 40-50 parallels. In terms of emissions per capita, oil-producing countries - Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore - are in the first place. Another group of gases - freons - are of anthropogenic origin. Freons are used as refrigerants in refrigerators and air conditioners, in the form of solvents, sprays, detergents. Radioactive contamination of the atmosphere is associated with the testing of atomic weapons (until the 90s, the United States and the USSR carried out more than 500 nuclear explosions, as a result of which the planet's radioactive background increased by 2%. At present, above-ground nuclear weapons tests are prohibited. But radiation contamination can occur during accidents at nuclear power plants)

Measures to combat air pollution: 1. Reducing the most harmful emissions, that is, increased requirements for fuel, a ban on the use of sour coal and oil. 2.Introduction of new technologies: the use of solar, wind, water energy. Atmospheric pollution is a global problem, and its solution can only be achieved through international efforts.

QuestionsIgroup class:

Describe the main causes of air pollution
Prove that the circulation processes in the atmosphere have led to the fact that the problem of its pollution has become global.
Why is international cooperation needed to solve environmental problems?

Student messages

IILithosphere group: The lithosphere is polluted primarily with solid waste, which accumulates in dumps, landfills and is a dangerous source of pollution of the earth's surface. Solid waste is usually incinerated, buried or stockpiled. Household waste consists of paper, metal, wood, glass, polymers, etc. The United States holds the record for the volume of waste per capita. There is more industrial waste than household waste. The most "dirty" industries are energy, metallurgy, chemical, pulp and paper. Even more dangerous is the violation by mining of land, the total area of which is 12-15 million hectares. The most environmentally hazardous are toxic wastes that are stored in storage facilities, burial grounds, and warehouses. These include heavy metals (arsenic, lead, cadmium, mercury), which accumulate in the human body and have a carcinogenic effect. 9/10 of toxic waste comes from developed countries. The United States ranks first in terms of their volume, and Russia ranks second. The disposal of radioactive waste is a particular problem. These are wastes generated during the operation of nuclear power plants, nuclear-powered ships, military industry enterprises. Most radioactive waste is generated in the USA, Russia, Canada, France and the UK. Solid Waste Recycling produce on waste processing plants. Waste often serves as a secondary raw material, for example, for the production of building materials. Reclamation is used to improve lands disturbed by mining.

Ways to solve the problem of pollution of the lithosphere: 1. Reducing the material consumption of production. 2. Waste recycling. 3. Land reclamation.

QuestionsIIgroup class:

What do you know the main pollutants that lead to changes in the chemical composition of soils?
How is the problem of the accumulation of household waste solved? Explain the term "garbage civilization"
What do you know the most "dirty" industries?

Student messages

IIIgroup "Hydrosphere": Anthropogenic pollution of land waters plays a huge negative role. The main sources of pollution are industry, transport, agriculture, and utilities. In water pollution, the share of industry is the largest, especially enterprises of ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, energy, oil refining and petrochemistry, woodworking and pulp and paper industries. Agriculture, being a major source of pollution, discharges chemical fertilizers, pesticides, waste from livestock farms into inland waters. Water transport dumps a large amount of waste and oil products into rivers and lakes. Pollution is divided into physical, chemical and biological. Physical pollution includes pollution with solid waste - garbage, forest loss during mole rafting. Such pollution does not pose a danger to living organisms, but hinders the work of transport, fishing and degrades the quality of the landscape. Chemical pollution causes acids, alkalis, heavy metals, fertilizers, pesticides, phenols, oil and oil products to enter water bodies. Biological pollution is pollution by microorganisms, many of which are pathogenic. Pollution occurs when effluents from the chemical, food, pulp and paper industries, as well as effluents from urban utilities enter the water. In many areas, pollution exceeds the self-purification capacity of water bodies. The rivers Thames, Rhine, Mississippi, Ohio and many rivers of Russia and the CIS countries have turned into sewers. To save water bodies, cleaning measures are needed - mechanical, biological and physico-chemical. Any treatment does not give a 100% result, therefore, for the reuse of water, it is necessary to dilute the treated water with clean riverbed water. In this case, a 10-12-fold dilution is usually required per unit volume, and sometimes 100-fold dilution. In the future, the focus should be on measures to prevent water pollution. For this, new methods are used: circulating water supply systems, low-waste and waste-free technologies. In Russia, only 2/3 of wastewater is treated. On many rivers, the MPC of pollution is increased by 10, and sometimes 100 times. The Volga river basin is the most polluted. Sources of pollution of the waters of the oceans are: oil and oil products, heavy metals, pesticides, radioactive substances, as well as a huge amount of solid and liquid municipal waste. 70% of pollution is associated with land sources: big cities, industry, agriculture, transport. The most polluted seas: Mediterranean, Northern, Red, Yellow, Mexican and Persian Gulfs. The most dangerous is oil pollution. As a result of oil leakage during its production, transportation and processing, from 3 to 10 million tons of oil and oil products annually enter the World Ocean. Space images show that already about 1/3 of its entire surface is covered with an oily film, which reduces evaporation, inhibits the development of plankton, and limits the interaction of the Ocean with the atmosphere. The Atlantic Ocean is the most oil polluted. The movement of surface water in the ocean leads to the spread of pollution over long distances. Especially dangerous are the catastrophes of large tankers, which lead to "volley" oil emissions.

QuestionsIIIgroup class:

What are the most pressing water pollution problems in the world's oceans?
What is the role of Russia in polluting the waters of the World Ocean?
What pollution poses a particular danger to the ocean and why?

Teacher: Ryabyata, it cannot be said that humanity is only littering its "nest". It has developed ways to protect the environment and has already begun to implement them. First way consists in the creation of various kinds of treatment facilities, the use of low-sulfur fuel, the destruction and processing of garbage, the construction of chimneys 200-300 m high and more, land reclamation, etc.

Second way consists in the development and application of a fundamentally new environmentally friendly production technology, in the transition to low-waste and waste-free production processes. This path is the main one, because it not only reduces, but prevents environmental pollution. But it requires huge expenditures, unsustainable for many countries.

third way lies in the deeply thought-out, most rational placement of "dirty" industries that have a negative impact on the state of the environment.

- What industries are classified as "dirty"?

In order to stop the growth of environmental pollution, most of the economically developed countries of the world began to carry out environmental policy . Strict environmental laws were adopted, long-term environmental improvement programs were developed, fine systems were introduced, special ministries and other government bodies were created. Green parties have appeared in many countries, and various public organizations have sprung up.

What organizations do you know that work to protect the environment?

Name the countries where the largest number of World Heritage sites are allocated; How many of them are in Russia?

And yet, each of us citizens of the 21st century should always keep in mind the conclusion reached at the Rio 92 Conference: "Planet Earth is in danger like never before."

IV. Summing up the lesson / grading for the lesson /

V. Homework: P. 3 pp. 41-46

VI. Reflection.

What did you like about the lesson?
What difficulties did you experience in preparing the project?
Would you like to work on similar tasks in the future?
What new skills have you acquired?

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

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

History of biosphere pollution

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

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

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

Classification of nature pollution

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

So, the following types of environmental pollution are distinguished:

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

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

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

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

The main sources of chemical pollution of the atmosphere:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Power plants, radioactive fallout from nuclear explosions, research centers for the study of atomic energy cause radioactive isotopes to enter the soil, which then enter the human body with food.

The reserves of metals concentrated in the bowels of the earth are dissipated as a result of human production activity. Then they concentrate in the topsoil. In ancient times, man used 18 elements from the earth's crust, and today - all known.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pollution control

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

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

Other pollution control methods include:

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

Environmental pollution is a large-scale global problem, which can be solved only with the active participation of everyone who calls the planet Earth their home, otherwise an ecological catastrophe will be inevitable.