What are the types of environmental pollution. Physical pollution of the environment

This type of pollution is also called

mechanical

One of the most insidious types of environmental pollution is mechanical pollution. It would seem that there is nothing irreversible and dangerous in it: this is the entry of dust into the atmosphere, and the silting of water bodies with soils, and waste dumps. In fact, the danger is not so much the phenomenon of mechanical pollution as its scale. It is because of these huge scales that in recent years, various environmental problems have increasingly arisen, the elimination of which sometimes requires huge financial costs.

biological

Experts divide this type of pollution into bacterial and organic.

In the first case, pathogenic microorganisms are to blame, which contribute to the spread of many diseases, but the sources of organic pollution of the environment can be water pollution, waste disposal, and neglect of sewerage cleaning measures.

Bacterial contamination is the most dangerous for a person, since many pathogens of serious infectious diseases appear in this case.

geological

Geological pollution is mainly caused by the actions of the person himself: as a result of certain types of activity, landslides or landslides, flooding, subsidence of the earth's surface, and drainage of territories can form. The main reasons why this happens:

• mining;
• construction;
• vibration impact of transport;
• impact on the soil of waste and sewer waters.

Chemical

This is another serious form of pollution that results from the release of various pollutants, and such pollutants can be a variety of substances, from heavy metals to synthetic and organic compounds.

Scientific and technological progress makes life easier for a person, but improved technologies often lead to pollution of nature. The main types of environmental pollution are anthropogenic sources, that is, those caused by human activities. It is important to learn how to identify polluting factors, eliminate them and prevent the emergence of new ones.

The concept of the environment

The concept of "environment" includes the natural conditions characteristic of a particular area, as well as the ecological state of the objects located on it. For a person, the environment is determined by the objects that are around him and with which he contacts. These include elements of animate and inanimate nature. The composition of the environment includes the following components:

1. The atmosphere is the gaseous shell that surrounds the planet.
2. The hydrosphere is the water shell of the planet.
3. Lithosphere - the earth's crust, mantle.
4. The biosphere is the habitat of living organisms.

Conventionally, two types of environment are distinguished: microenvironment and macroenvironment. The microenvironment is the local environment of a person which is in close proximity to it. The macroenvironment is a broader concept that includes biotic (living) and physical (non-living) objects.

The law establishes that a person must ensure the normal functioning of all ecosystems. Thus, Federal Law No. 7-FZ “On Environmental Protection” establishes the basic security principles, defines the concepts that are used in this area, distributes the powers of state bodies, explains the rights and obligations of citizens and organizations in the region.

Types of pollution

The revolution in science and industry has led to massive pollution of nature, which has affected the health of mankind. When scientists discovered a direct link between the state of the micro- and macroenvironment and human health, the science of ecology appeared.

The types of pollution that existed were classified, and the relationship of living organisms with humans and the environment was studied in detail.

The following types of environmental pollution have been identified:

All types of environmental pollution harm animals, plants and humans. As a result of the action of polluting factors, thousands of birds, mammals and inhabitants of water bodies die, and serious diseases develop in humans. An example of the negative impact of pollution is the destruction of the planet's ozone layer, which should protect against harmful ultraviolet radiation. As a result of the destruction of the ozone layer, there is an increase in the number of oncological diseases and diseases of the retina.

Control of pollutants

Depending on what types of pollution are known, scientists create programs to combat environmental pollutants. Protective measures are becoming a priority for most countries, environmental and environmental protection measures have reached the level of international cooperation. Pollution Control Measures:

Global environmental pollution can lead to the death of all life on the planet, including humans. The task of mankind is to stop the pollution of nature and save life.

As a result of anthropogenic activity, the environment is susceptible to pollution of various types. This significantly affects not only the lives of people, but also the state of the climate, flora, fauna, and leads to sad consequences. The main source of pollution is the inventions of people:

• cars;
• power plants;
• nuclear weapon;
• industrial enterprises;
• chemical substances.

Everything that is not natural, but artificial, affects human health and the environment as a whole. Even basic necessities such as food and clothing are now in need of innovative developments using chemicals.

To date, many machines and technical means have been invented that create noise during their work. These are transport and special equipment, equipment of enterprises and much more. As a result, cars, trains, machine tools make a huge amount of sounds that irritate the hearing of people and animals. Also, unpleasant noises can be produced naturally - thunderstorms, volcanoes, hurricanes. All this causes sound pollution and affects people's health, causing headaches, cardiovascular problems and hearing aid problems. In addition to hearing loss, this can lead to a stroke or heart attack.

Air pollution

Huge amounts of emissions and greenhouse gases enter the atmosphere every day. Exhaust gases of cars pollute the air most of all, and there are more cars in cities every year. Another source of air pollution is industrial enterprises:

• petrochemical;
• metallurgical;
• cement;
• energy
• coal mining.

As a result of air pollution, the ozone layer of the Earth is destroyed, which protects the surface from direct sunlight. The state of the environment as a whole is deteriorating, since oxygen molecules are necessary for life processes for all living organisms.

Pollution of the hydrosphere and lithosphere

Water and soil pollution is another global problem. It has reached such proportions that not only the waters of rivers and lakes, but the sea and oceans have come into disrepair. The most dangerous sources of water pollution are as follows:

• waste water - domestic and industrial;
• dumping garbage into rivers;
• spill of oil products;
• hydroelectric power plants and dams.

The land is polluted with both water and agrochemicals, products of industrial enterprises. Landfills and landfills, as well as burials of radioactive substances, are a particular problem.

Huge garbage dumps that litter and litter everything have become a global problem of our time.

Nature is home

The planet Earth has been spinning in its orbit for 4 billion years. Man exists hundreds of times less. People are guests in this house, but behave like pests. They feed on the gifts of nature. They drink water from clean springs. And in return, they pollute the environment: they leave garbage, burn forests and produce nuclear explosions.

The social problems of this issue are indicated by the following positions:

• the growth of the world's population;
• the development of science and technology that pollute nature;
• extraction of raw materials and energy resources without further enrichment.

This is detrimental to the bowels of the Earth. Man pollutes nature in various ways, interferes with structures and processes. In the birth of cities, people played a decisive role.

By improving living conditions, the impact on the landscape, soil, plants and animals increased. The amount of oxygen in the air decreases. The hydrological structure is changing.

Waste products of the city in the form of garbage and sewage must be disposed of without harming nature. They are the main factor in environmental pollution of megacities and small towns. The harm to the planet that humanity leaves behind has many directions. The main types of environmental pollution:

• atmospheric;
• hydrospheric;
• soil pollution.

Let's consider each of them separately.

Atmosphere

Due to direct or indirect human impact on the environment, more than 10 thousand people die every day, and the number of living beings exceeds 20 thousand. The World Health Organization is trying to convey by all possible methods that air pollution has been identified as the cause of a decrease in life expectancy and the emergence of cancer.

Sources of air pollution are:

• Artificial. Influence on natural processes directly or indirectly. Pollution of air, water directly by human hands - refers to the first. Opening a cylinder with methane gas directly harms the environment. If he makes a motorcycle on gasoline, it causes the same harm, only indirectly.
• Natural pollution is the result of a volcanic eruption, tsunami, storms, fire, hurricane, natural decomposition of the body. In 99% of cases, a person cannot influence the process. Becomes a hostage of the situation.

The causal relationship in atmospheric changes begins from the moment a person masters new professions. Before that, only the extraction of ores and the manufacture of equipment for their processing were involved. With the development of industry, there was a need for new mechanisms, materials and methods. Mankind stepped forward, and with this movement a breakthrough in development occurred. The atmosphere was badly damaged.

When the first vehicles appeared, there was no threat. These horse-drawn carts did not pose an environmental problem. But with the invention of the automobile, the situation has changed, many harmful factors have appeared. Cars are equipped with engines filled with fuel. Raw materials were processed and emitted harmful substances into the air. Machines have taken over the world.

The industry is rapidly drilling holes in the ozone globe. Each pipe of the factory, without the use of cleaning technologies, emits processed gases and dust on a daily basis. The atmosphere changes structure. There are acid rains. This is detrimental to flora and fauna. Thermal power plants are a brilliant invention, but at the same time a time bomb. Against the background of the received cheap energy, the air is enriched with carbon dioxide and dust. The essence of pollution is in the components that fill the sphere. These substances cause cancer in humans, irradiate with radiation.

Agriculture is recognized as the main pest in the destruction of the atmospheric layer. It's all about fertilizers, which are enriched with nitrogen and natural animal waste.

During combustion, these substances release small particles that are harmful to the health of living beings. Recognized as hyperhazardous for human inhalation.

Aerosol pollution of the environment is ranked third in the table of the main natural pests. Spraying a bottle of deodorant, take responsibility for the stolen life.
Volcanic eruptions are natural phenomena that lead to the release of gases: carbon monoxide, methane, hydrogen sulfide, nitrogen. Such a cocktail burns holes in the atmospheric layer, causing acid rain that kills nature. The effects can last for decades.

The greenhouse effect is the inability of the sun's rays to escape from the atmosphere. Harmful gases have created a strong shell. Fighting off the surface of the planet, they do not go into space. The earth heats up more, resulting in a greenhouse effect. Its danger is that over the past decades there has been global warming.

The result is:

• melting glaciers;
• rising sea levels;
• increased natural disasters: tsunamis, hurricanes, floods, typhoons.

The level of the world's oceans is rising by 3 mm annually. By the end of the century, this figure will be 3.5 m. Flooded islands, parts of the continents, states are the result of man's negligent attitude towards nature. Atmospheric pollution of the environment can be reduced, but cannot be completely eliminated.

To do this, you must follow simple rules:

1. Reduce the use of gasoline, diesel and hybrid vehicles.
2. Avoid aerosols. Replace with deodorants, mousses, gels with a solid texture.
3. Prohibit the burning of animal waste and fertilizers.

Nature will immediately repay humanity if the pollution of the world becomes less.

Hydrosphere

This is the artery of the Earth. The daily need for water by living organisms is great. Statistical studies speak of the importance of conserving drinking water. Only 3% of fresh stock remained clean.

There are the following sources of pollution:

1. Industrial. Enterprises save on installations of purification systems and dump waste materials into rivers, lakes, rates.
2. Oil. There are emergencies during transportation. Leaks, breakdowns, ship defects. Oil enters the world's oceans.
3. Nuclear. During the explosion, a large amount of radioactive elements is released. They fall into the water, onto the ground, into the air.
4. Sewer. People dump absolutely everything into drains: food waste, household chemicals, garbage.

There is a continuous ingress of harmful substances into the environment: with food, drink, inhalation. It is difficult to stop this process, but it is possible to minimize it.

• abandon the nuclear industry;
• introduce a phase of reuse of raw materials and water at enterprises;
• sort, recycle waste without harming nature;
• save water.

If this problem is not solved in time, there will be no drinking sources left, a person will suffer.

Earth is a sponge that absorbs: moisture, fertilizers, garbage. The statistics are significant. A third of the entire landmass of our planet is being destroyed. The reason is the pernicious attitude of man.

Types of soil pollution:

1. Deforestation. To replace dead wood, people do not consider it necessary to plant young trees. Thus, the structure of soils is changing.
2. Ingestion of toxic substances. It is caused by emissions of harmful elements into the air and settling on land.
3. The remains of the burned garbage fall in the form of ash to the ground. Consisting of heavy metals and toxic compounds, they cover our fields and gardens with a durable layer.
4. Vehicle emissions. Characterized by the presence of methane and carbon monoxide in its composition.
5. Atomic industry. Low in cost, but expensive in causing harm to nature. Emissions of waste particles into air, water.

Ground pollution prevention measures:

• phasing out nuclear power;
• use in industry only non-waste technologies;
• a ban on the unreasonable destruction of the forest;
• control of domestic agricultural and transport waste;
• environmentally friendly recycling;
• maximum saturation of land with useful components.

Soil pollution is a problem that people have become hostage to. In the soil germinate foodstuffs that have been contaminated by man himself. Negligent attitude to the land is fraught with problems, disorders and diseases.

natural disasters

Explosions at a nuclear power plant in Ukraine, in Japan took people's lives, harmed health, and destroyed property. The legacy for ecology, which remained after the catastrophes, will be heard in the form of abnormally large plants and animals for many years to come.

Children born later will be born with a developmental delay, with mutations. A direct link has been established between nuclear weapons tests and eruptions. Scientists say that the factors of nuclear research near the Changbaishan volcano (China) will lead to the excitation of its seismic activity. The death of animals, plants, begins with human intervention in natural processes.

How to help nature

Solving global issues on your own is almost impossible. There is a need for intervention at the legislative level on a global scale. Ways to solve the situation:

1. Implementation of purification systems that will prevent the entry of harmful chemicals into nature.
2. Inspection of emissions of harmful gases, metals, waste at the international level.
3. Deforestation control. Trees grow for many years, and destroy them in a few minutes. Plants are the respiratory system of the planet. To save every bush, blade of grass is the main task.
4. Separation and recycling of waste. Individuals as well as entire enterprises should be responsible for the disposal of waste. Sorting is the first step towards the harmless disposal of leftovers.
5. Nature protection and the system of fines for non-compliance with environmental legislation.
6. Refusal of harmful fertilizers in agriculture. Switching to natural ingredients.

Every resident has their own attitude to pollution. If a person, a country and the whole world take up the cleaning of territories, planting trees and protecting the environment, it is possible to change the situation. Eating healthy food, drinking clean water and breathing oxygen-enriched air are vectors in solving the global problem of pollution. Otherwise, adverse consequences await humanity.

Man is an animal that has left its natural habitat and created its own - the so-called cultural environment. However, although we do not live in natural conditions, we are still dependent on nature and, probably, will always be dependent. From an early age, the fact that “man” and “nature” are inseparable concepts from each other should settle in our heads, and we must observe the harmony of these relations.

The atmosphere, the water of the World Ocean, the condition of the soil - all this directly affects our life. The question arises: if everyone knows that pollution of the natural environment can lead to the death of all mankind, why every year the volume the detrimental impact on our planet is only increasing?

Environmental pollution is a global problem of mankind, which is discussed from all sides in the world community. Many organizations and groups are being created, the purpose of which is to prevent an impending disaster or to combat the consequences of a disaster that has already occurred.

In general, environmental issues is not only a modern phenomenon, but in recent decades it has acquired colossal proportions. However, the problems of ecology are one of the most ancient problems of man, associated primarily with the thoughtless and simply barbaric activities of people. It is worth saying that even in the primitive era, forests were mercilessly cut down, animals were exterminated, the landscape was changed to please a person who developed new habitats and looked for resources.

And already in those days, these actions did not go unpunished. The climate has changed, environmental disasters have occurred. Then, with the growth of the population of the Earth, the migration of peoples and the increased extraction of minerals, chemical pollution of the surrounding world came to the fore.

We cannot assess what contribution past generations have made to the current ecological situation, but now the most accurate and detailed analysis of the state of any of the vital indicators of our planet has become possible. Therefore, it is necessary to use forces new technologies to control the current state and develop programs that can improve the ecological situation on the planet. So far, everything suggests that the appearance of man is the most important ecological catastrophe of the Earth. So, with the development of industry, with an increase in its scale, the state of each environmental indicator worsens, for example, the chemical composition of air, water and soil.

Classification of natural pollution

There are several types of pollution allocated by source and direction:

• Biological. The source is living beings. It can occur naturally or as a result of human activity.
• Physical. Change in the physical characteristics of the environment. It includes: noise, thermal, radiation and other pollution.
• Mechanical. Pollution through the accumulation of unutilized garbage and waste.

Often, types of pollution are combined, creating a complex problem that needs to be solved.

Without constant gas exchange, the life of not a single living being on the planet is possible. The atmosphere is a participant in a wide variety of natural processes. It determines the temperature of the earth, and with it the climate, protects from cosmic radiation, and also affects the relief.

It is known that the chemical composition of the atmosphere has changed throughout the historical development of the Earth. Nowadays, a situation has developed in which the composition of a part of the volume of the atmosphere is determined by emissions created by a combination of industrial enterprises. Due to this, the composition of the air is heterogeneous and strongly depends on the geographical location. Thus, in a large industrial and densely populated city located on a plain, the content of various impurities is much higher than in a mountain village, the inhabitants of which are mostly involved in agriculture.

The main sources of chemical pollution of the atmosphere:

• Chemical industry enterprises;
• Fuel and energy facilities;
• Transport.

Due to the activity of these pollution factors, salts of heavy metals, such as mercury, copper, chromium and lead, accumulate in the atmosphere. It even came to the point that they became permanent elements of the chemical composition of the air in cities, whose main activity is the work of large enterprises of the heavy or chemical industry. For the environment, the enterprises of these industries are the most dangerous.

Needless to say, even today, power plants emit hundreds of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every day, as well as ash, dust and soot. It is believed that the huge release of carbon dioxide is the main cause of global warming on the planet.

Almost every family owns a car. The city is chock-full of cars of various makes and models. However, a fee is charged for convenience and freedom of movement: at present, in cities and other settlements, the content of various harmful substances in the air, which are part of engine exhaust, has sharply increased. Due to various industrial fuel additives, volatile lead compounds are formed in gasoline, which are easily released into the atmosphere. In addition, the car is a source of dust, dirt and ash, which, settling, also pollute the soil.

The gas shell of the earth is also strongly affected by toxic gases - by-products of the production of chemical industry enterprises. Waste from chemical plants is very difficult to dispose of, and the little that they still decide to throw into the atmosphere, for example, oxides of sulfur and nitrogen, will cause another acid rain and can even completely change the chemical composition of the air in the nearby area, reacting with other components atmosphere.

Also, the release of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide into the atmosphere is facilitated by numerous forest and peat fires, which can be caused by both natural factors and anthropogenic activities.

Soil is a thin layer of the lithosphere, which was formed as a result of exchange processes between living and non-living systems.

Most of these hazardous compounds are lead compounds. It is known that approximately 30 kg of metal from each ton. Automobile exhausts, which contain large amounts of lead deposited in soils, also contribute. It violates the natural relationships in the existing ecosystem of the earth. In addition, mine waste also leads to an increase in the content of copper, zinc and other hazardous metals in the soil.

Power plants, radioactive waste from nuclear power plants and other nuclear enterprises are one of the reasons why radioactive isotopes get into the soil.

An additional danger is that all of the listed substances and compounds can enter the human body with products grown on poisoned soil, which will at least lead to a decrease in immunity.

Hazardous releases to water

The scale of pollution of the hydrosphere is much greater than you can imagine. Oil spills, debris in the oceans - this is just the tip of the iceberg. Its main mass is hidden in the depths, or rather, dissolved in water. The catastrophic pollution of waters causes great harm to their inhabitants.

However, water can also become polluted due to natural causes. As a result of mudflows and floods, magnesium is washed out of the soil of the continents, which enters the ocean, causing harm to its inhabitants. But natural pollution is a tiny part, if we compare the scale of the impact with anthropogenic.

Due to human activity, the following fall into the waters of the oceans:

The source of pollution is fishing vessels, large farms, oil platforms that extract resources in the shelf zone, hydroelectric power plants, chemical industry facilities, and sewerage.

Acid rains, being the result of anthropogenic activity, act on the soil, dissolve the soil and wash out salts of heavy metals, which, once in the water, poison it.

There is also physical pollution of water, more specifically - thermal. Enormous volumes of water are used in the process of generating electricity, for example, for cooling turbines. And then the waste liquid, which has an elevated temperature, is disposed of in reservoirs.

Also, the quality of water may deteriorate due to its pollution with household waste in settlements. This adversely affects the flora and fauna of water bodies and can even lead to the extinction of entire species. The protection of water from pollution is primarily associated with the construction of modern treatment facilities.

Ways to deal with environmental pollution

This problem should become paramount for all states of the world. Alone, even the most powerful state is unable to cope with such a task. Nature has no state borders, the planet Earth is our common home, which means that taking care of it, maintaining order in it is our common and most important duty. Protecting our planet is only possible through joint efforts.

In order to stop or reduce the release of toxic substances into the environment, it is necessary to impose strict sanctions on enterprises that emit waste into the environment, as well as to monitor the implementation of the introduced peace. In addition, to oblige enterprises that emit gases into the atmosphere to install filters that reduce the percentage of emissions of toxic substances into the air. It is necessary to oblige all states to impose heavy fines for leaving garbage in places not designated for it, as, for example, it has been successfully done in Singapore.

What methods should be used

We all need to remember that environmental pollution and human health are interdependent. In short, the worse the environmental situation, the more diseases people are susceptible to. Have you noticed that recently there have been more reports of cancer? This fact is also associated with the deplorable environmental situation on the planet. The earth is our home, its protection and protection is the task of each of us. In order not to watch a picture from the window that is more suitable for illustrations for books of the post-apocalyptic genre, we need to join forces in a mission to improve the ecological situation on the planet. Together we can do it.