Pollution of the earth's atmosphere: sources, types, consequences. Air pollution from industrial emissions

“Air pollution is an environmental problem.” This phrase does not reflect in the slightest degree the consequences that come from a violation of the natural composition and balance in the mixture of gases called air.

It is not difficult to illustrate such a statement. The World Health Organization provided data on this topic for 2014. Around 3.7 million people worldwide have died due to air pollution. Almost 7 million people died from exposure to air pollution. And this is in one year.

Air contains 98–99% nitrogen and oxygen, the rest: argon, carbon dioxide, water and hydrogen. It makes up the Earth's atmosphere. The main component, as we see, is oxygen. It is necessary for the existence of all living things. Cells “breathe” it, that is, when it enters a cell of the body, a chemical oxidation reaction occurs, as a result of which the energy necessary for growth, development, reproduction, exchange with other organisms and the like is released, that is, for life.

Atmospheric pollution is interpreted as the introduction of chemical, biological and physical substances that are not inherent in it into the atmospheric air, that is, a change in their natural concentration. But what is more important is not the change in concentration, which undoubtedly occurs, but the decrease in the composition of the air of the most useful component for life - oxygen. After all, the volume of the mixture does not increase. Harmful and polluting substances are not added by simply adding volumes, but are destroyed and take their place. In fact, a lack of food for cells arises and continues to accumulate, that is, the basic nutrition of a living creature.

About 24,000 people die from hunger per day, that is, about 8 million per year, which is comparable to the death rate from air pollution.

Types and sources of pollution

The air has been subject to pollution at all times. Volcanic eruptions, forest and peat fires, dust and pollen and other releases into the atmosphere of substances that are usually not inherent in its natural composition, but occurred as a result of natural causes - this is the first type of origin of air pollution - natural. The second is as a result of human activity, that is, artificial or anthropogenic.

Anthropogenic pollution, in turn, can be divided into subtypes: transport or resulting from the operation of different types of transport, industrial, that is, associated with emissions into the atmosphere of substances formed in the production process, and household or resulting from direct human activity.

Air pollution itself can be physical, chemical and biological.

• Physical includes dust and particulate matter, radioactive radiation and isotopes, electromagnetic waves and radio waves, noise, including loud sounds and low-frequency vibrations, and heat, in any form.
• Chemical pollution is the release of gaseous substances into the air: carbon and nitrogen monoxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrocarbons, aldehydes, heavy metals, ammonia and aerosols.
• Microbial contamination is called biological. These are various bacterial spores, viruses, fungi, toxins and the like.

The first is mechanical dust. Appears in technological processes of grinding substances and materials.

The second is sublimates. They are formed by condensation of cooled gas vapors and passed through process equipment.

The third is fly ash. It is contained in the flue gas in a suspended state and represents unburned mineral impurities of the fuel.

The fourth is industrial soot or solid highly dispersed carbon. It is formed during incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons or their thermal decomposition.

Today, the main sources of such pollution are thermal power plants operating on solid fuel and coal.

Consequences of pollution

The main consequences of air pollution are: the greenhouse effect, ozone holes, acid rain and smog.

The greenhouse effect is based on the ability of the Earth's atmosphere to transmit short waves and retain long ones. Short waves are solar radiation, and long waves are thermal radiation coming from the Earth. That is, a layer is formed in which heat accumulation or a greenhouse occurs. Gases capable of such an effect are called greenhouse gases. These gases heat themselves and heat the entire atmosphere. This process is natural and natural. It happened and is happening now. Without it, life on the planet would not be possible. Its beginning is not related to human activity. But if earlier nature itself regulated this process, now man has intensively intervened in it.

Carbon dioxide is the main greenhouse gas. Its share in the greenhouse effect is more than 60%. The share of the rest - chlorofluorocarbons, methane, nitrogen oxides, ozone and so on, accounts for no more than 40%. It was thanks to such a large proportion of carbon dioxide that natural self-regulation was possible. As much carbon dioxide was released during respiration by living organisms, so much was consumed by plants, producing oxygen. Its volumes and concentration remained in the atmosphere. Industrial and other human activities, and above all deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels, have led to an increase in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases by reducing the volume and concentration of oxygen. The result was greater heating of the atmosphere - an increase in air temperature. Predictions are that rising temperatures will lead to excessive melting of ice and glaciers and rising sea levels. This is on the one hand, and on the other hand, due to higher temperatures, the evaporation of water from the surface of the earth will increase. This means an increase in desert lands.

Ozone holes or destruction of the ozone layer. Ozone is one of the forms of oxygen and is formed naturally in the atmosphere. This occurs when ultraviolet radiation from the sun hits an oxygen molecule. Therefore, the highest concentration of ozone is in the upper layers of the atmosphere at an altitude of about 22 km. from the surface of the Earth. It extends over approximately 5 km in height. this layer is considered protective, as it blocks this very radiation. Without such protection, all life on Earth perished. Now there is a decrease in ozone concentration in the protective layer. Why this happens has not yet been reliably established. This depletion was first discovered in 1985 over Antarctica. Since then, the phenomenon has been called the “ozone hole.” At the same time, the Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer was signed in Vienna.

Industrial emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide into the atmosphere combine with atmospheric moisture to form sulfuric and nitric acid and cause “acid” rain. These are any precipitation whose acidity is higher than natural, that is, pH<5,6. Это явление присуще всем промышленным регионам в мире. Главное их отрицательное воздействие приходится на листья растений. Кислотность нарушает их восковой защитный слой, и они становятся уязвимы для вредителей, болезней, засух и загрязнений.

When they fall onto the soil, the acids contained in their water react with toxic metals in the ground. Such as: lead, cadmium, aluminum and others. They dissolve and thereby facilitate their penetration into living organisms and groundwater.

In addition, acid rain promotes corrosion and thus affects the strength of buildings, structures and other metal building structures.

Smog is a familiar sight in large industrial cities. It occurs where a large amount of pollutants of anthropogenic origin and substances resulting from their interaction with solar energy accumulate in the lower layers of the troposphere. Smog forms and lasts a long time in cities due to windless weather. There is: humid, icy and photochemical smog.

With the first explosions of nuclear bombs in the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, humanity discovered another, perhaps the most dangerous, type of air pollution - radioactive.

Nature has the ability to self-purify, but human activity clearly interferes with this.

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Title-federal state budgetary educational institution

higher professional education

"Ural State Mining University"

Atmospheric pollution from industrial processes

Teacher: Boltyrov V.B.

Student: Ivanov V.Yu.

group: ZChS-12

Ekaterinburg - 2014

Introduction

Conclusion

Introduction

Scientific and technological progress in the modern world has a great influence on the development of civilizations. At the same time, the impact of the ever-increasing share of industry on the environment is undeniable.

The Earth's biosphere is currently subject to increasing anthropogenic impact. Every year, technological progress and accompanying industries generate new types of waste that have a negative impact on the environment.

The most widespread and significant is chemical pollution of the environment with substances of a chemical nature that are unusual for it. Among them are gaseous and aerosol pollutants of industrial and domestic origin. The accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is also progressing. The further development of this process will strengthen the undesirable trend towards an increase in the average annual temperature on the planet.

As a result of human activities on an industrial scale, the control of air pollution, as well as the limitation of hazardous emissions, is currently becoming an urgent problem. An important part of the industrialization process is the introduction of high-tech and safe production processes and, accordingly, the use of effective industrial waste disposal systems.

One of the areas of stabilization and subsequent improvement of the environment is the introduction of waste-free production, as well as the creation of an effective system of environmental certification of production and other facilities that are sources of environmental pollution.

Chapter 1. Classification of industrial pollution and waste

Environmental pollution is a complex of various impacts of human society, leading to an increase in the level of harmful substances in the atmosphere, the appearance of new chemical compounds, particles and foreign objects, excessive increases in temperature, noise, radioactivity, etc.

Sources of pollution of a modern enterprise, depending on the situation of occurrence, are divided into operational and emergency.

Operational sources of pollution, in turn, include three large groups.

The first group combines sources of pollution resulting from imperfect technology. Thus, at an oil refinery, the first group of sources of air pollution is associated with the processes of catalytic cracking (burning coke), production of elemental sulfur (afterburning of residual hydrogen sulfide), production of bitumen (afterburning gases from oxidizer cubes), and production of synthetic fatty acids (afterburning saponification gases). The main sources of water pollution from technological waste are: electrical desalination of oil (water with a high content of salts and oil); processes of alkaline sulfuric acid purification of petroleum products - sulfur-alkaline wastewater; steam distillation (effluent containing petroleum products); alkylation processes (acid waste); selective purification of oils, etc.

The second group of pollution sources consists of the equipment of the main technological workshops and auxiliary production facilities. The polluting effect of equipment does not depend on the process technology, but is the result of design flaws and the specific operation of the equipment. The second group of pollution sources includes: furnaces of technological installations, barometric condensers, storage tanks for oil and petroleum products, oil traps, settling ponds, sludge reservoirs, pumps and compressors, flare equipment, unloading racks, drying furnaces of catalyst factories, catalyst circulation system at catalytic installations. cracking. The group of equipment - sources of pollution - is the largest, both in terms of the number of source points and the volume of emitted pollution.

The third group of sources of environmental pollution is the result of poor equipment operation standards. Pollutions of this group manifest themselves both in emergency situations and under normal operating conditions with low responsibility and qualifications of personnel or organizational deficiencies. The reasons for the appearance of this group of sources are, for example, leaks of oil and petroleum products during sampling, overflows when filling tanks, overflows when filling tanks on unloading racks, depressurization of equipment and fittings due to its malfunction, the release of petroleum products and reagents into sewers in emergency situations and when preparing equipment for repair.

Thus, harmful emissions are divided into three groups:

1) technological waste, the sources of which are polluting processes;

2) loss of products as a result of imperfect equipment and low standards of its operation;

3) flue gases generated when fuel is burned in furnaces of technological installations, when gases are flared, etc.

The share of each group of pollutants in the overall balance of harmful emissions varies at different enterprises.

Industrial pollution of the biosphere is divided into two main groups: material (i.e. substances), including mechanical, chemical and biological pollution, and energy (physical) pollution.

Mechanical contaminants include aerosols, solids and particles in water and soil.

Chemical pollution is a variety of gas, liquid and solid chemical compounds that interact with the biosphere.

Biological pollution - microorganisms and their metabolic products - is a qualitatively new type of pollution that arose as a result of the use of processes of microbiological synthesis of various types of microorganisms (yeast, actinomycetes, bacteria, molds, etc.).

Energy pollution includes all types of energy - thermal, mechanical (vibration, noise, ultrasound), light (visible, infrared and ultraviolet radiation), electromagnetic fields, ionizing radiation (alpha, beta, gamma, x-ray and neutron) - both waste from various industries. Some types of pollution, such as radioactive waste and emissions resulting from explosions of nuclear charges and accidents at nuclear power plants and enterprises, are both material and energetic.

To reduce the level of energy pollution, they mainly use shielding of noise sources, electromagnetic fields and ionizing radiation, noise absorption, damping and dynamic vibration damping.

Sources of environmental pollution are divided into concentrated (point) and dispersed, as well as continuous and periodic. Contaminants are also divided into persistent (indestructible) and destructible under the influence of natural chemical and biological processes.

Industrial waste includes the remains of multicomponent natural raw materials after extraction of the target product from it, for example, barren ore rock, overburden rock of mining operations, slag and ash of thermal power plants, blast furnace slag and burnt earth of flasks of metallurgical production, metal shavings of machine-building enterprises, etc. In addition, they include significant waste from forestry, woodworking, textile and other industries, the road construction industry and the modern agro-industrial complex.

In industrial ecology, production waste refers to waste that is in a solid state of aggregation. The same applies to consumer waste - industrial and household.

Consumer waste is products and materials that have lost their consumer properties as a result of physical (material) or moral wear and tear. Industrial consumer waste includes machines, machines and other obsolete equipment of enterprises.

Household waste is waste generated as a result of human activity and disposed of by them as unwanted or useless.

A special category of waste (mainly industrial) consists of radioactive waste (RAW), generated during the extraction, production and use of radioactive substances as fuel for nuclear power plants, vehicles (for example, nuclear submarines) and other purposes.

Toxic waste poses a great danger to the environment, including some non-hazardous waste at the stage of its occurrence, which acquire toxic properties during storage.

Chapter 2. Chemical pollution of the atmosphere

Atmospheric air is the most important life-supporting natural environment and is a mixture of gases and aerosols of the surface layer of the atmosphere, which developed during the evolution of the Earth, human activity and is located outside residential, industrial and other premises.

Atmospheric pollution is a change in its composition due to the arrival of impurities of natural or anthropogenic origin. Pollutants come in three types: gases, aerosols and dust. Aerosols 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, chlorofluorocarbons (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.

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 plants, etc.

The main harmful impurities of pyrogenic (secondary) origin are the following:

1) carbon monoxide - 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;

2) 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;

3) sulfuric anhydride - is formed during the oxidation of sulfuric anhydride. 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;

4) hydrogen sulfide and carbon disulfide - 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;

5) 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;

6) 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.

7) chlorine compounds - enter the atmosphere from chemical plants producing hydrochloric acid, chlorine-containing pesticides, organic dyes, hydrolytic alcohol, bleach, 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.

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

2.1 Aerosol pollution of the atmosphere and its impact on the Earth’s ozone layer

Aerosols are solid or liquid particles suspended in the air. In some cases, solid components of aerosols are especially dangerous for organisms and cause specific diseases in people. In the atmosphere, aerosol pollution is perceived as smoke, fog, haze or haze. A significant portion of aerosols are formed in the atmosphere through the interaction of solid and liquid particles with each other or with water vapor.

Aerosols are divided into primary (emitted from sources of pollution), secondary (formed in the atmosphere), volatile (transported over long distances) and non-volatile (deposited on the surface near zones of dust and gas emissions). Persistent and finely dispersed volatile aerosols (cadmium, mercury, antimony, iodine-131, etc.) tend to accumulate in lowlands, bays and other relief depressions, and to a lesser extent on watersheds.

Based on their origin, aerosols are divided into artificial and natural. Natural aerosols arise in natural conditions without human intervention; they enter the atmosphere during volcanic eruptions, the combustion of meteorites, during dust storms that lift soil and rock particles from the earth’s surfaces, as well as during forest and steppe fires. During volcanic eruptions, black storms or fires, huge dust clouds are formed, which often spread over thousands of kilometers.

Regardless of the origin and conditions of formation, an aerosol containing solid particles less than 5.0 microns in size is called smoke, and containing the smallest particles of liquid is called fog.

The average size of aerosol particles is 1-5 microns. About 1 cubic meter enters the Earth's atmosphere annually. km of dust particles of artificial origin. A large number of dust particles are also formed during human production activities. The main sources of artificial aerosol air pollution are thermal power plants that consume high-ash coal, washing plants, metallurgical, cement, magnesite and soot factories. Aerosol particles from these sources have a wide variety of chemical compositions. Most often, compounds of silicon, calcium and carbon are found in their composition, less often - metal oxides: iron, magnesium, manganese, zinc, copper, nickel, lead, antimony, bismuth, selenium, arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, molybdenum, as well as asbestos. An even greater variety is characteristic of organic dust, including aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons and acid salts. It is formed during the combustion of residual petroleum products, during the pyrolysis process at oil refineries.

Constant sources of aerosol pollution are industrial dumps - artificial embankments of redeposited material, mainly overburden rocks formed during mining or from waste from processing industry enterprises, thermal power plants. Massive blasting operations serve as a source of dust and toxic gases. Thus, as a result of one average-mass explosion (250-300 tons of explosives), about 2 thousand cubic meters are released into the atmosphere. m of conventional carbon monoxide and more than 150 tons of dust.

The production of cement and other building materials is also a source of dust pollution. The main technological processes of these industries - grinding and chemical processing of charges, semi-finished products and resulting products in streams of hot gases - are always accompanied by emissions of dust and other harmful substances into the atmosphere. Atmospheric pollutants include hydrocarbons - saturated and unsaturated, containing from 1 to 3 carbon atoms. They undergo various transformations, oxidation, polymerization, interacting with other atmospheric pollutants after excitation by solar radiation. As a result of these reactions, peroxide compounds, free radicals, and hydrocarbon compounds with nitrogen and sulfur oxides are formed, often in the form of aerosol particles.

Aerosol pollution of the atmosphere disrupts the functioning of the earth's ozone layer. The main danger to atmospheric ozone is a group of chemicals collectively known as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), also called freons. For half a century, these chemicals, first discovered in 1928, were considered miracle substances. They are non-toxic, inert, extremely stable, do not burn, do not dissolve in water, and are easy to manufacture and store. And therefore, the scope of application of CFCs has been dynamically expanding. Chlorofluorocarbons have been used for more than 60 years as refrigerants in refrigerators and air conditioning systems, foaming agents in fire extinguishers, and in dry cleaning of clothing. Freons have proven to be very effective in cleaning parts in the electronics industry and are widely used in the production of foam plastics. And with the beginning of the worldwide aerosol boom, they became most widely used (they were used as propellants for aerosol mixtures). The peak of their global production occurred in 1987-1988. and amounted to about 1.2-1.4 million tons per year. industrial pollution smog atmosphere

The mechanism of action of freons is as follows. Once in the upper layers of the atmosphere, these substances, inert at the surface of the Earth, become active. Under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, the chemical bonds in their molecules are disrupted. As a result, chlorine is released, which, when colliding with an ozone molecule, “knocks out” one atom from it. Ozone ceases to be ozone and turns into oxygen. Chlorine, having temporarily combined with oxygen, again turns out to be free and “sets off in pursuit” of a new “victim”. Its activity and aggressiveness is enough to destroy tens of thousands of ozone molecules.

Oxides of nitrogen, heavy metals (copper, iron, manganese), chlorine, bromine, and fluorine also play an active role in the formation and destruction of ozone. Therefore, the overall balance of ozone in the stratosphere is regulated by a complex set of processes in which about 100 chemical and photochemical reactions are significant.

In this balance, nitrogen, chlorine, oxygen, hydrogen and other components participate as if in the form of catalysts, without changing their “content”, therefore the processes leading to their accumulation in the stratosphere or removal from it significantly affect the ozone content. In this regard, the entry of even relatively small quantities of such substances into the upper atmosphere can have a stable and long-term effect on the established balance associated with the formation and destruction of ozone.

As life shows, it is not at all difficult to upset the ecological balance. It is immeasurably more difficult to restore it. Ozone-depleting substances are extremely persistent: various types of freons, once released into the atmosphere, can exist in it and do their destructive work from 75 to 100 years.

2.2 Photochemical fog (smog)

Photochemical smog or photochemical fog is a relatively new type of atmospheric pollution. It is a pressing environmental problem in the largest cities, where a huge number of vehicles are concentrated.

Photochemical smog is a multicomponent mixture of gases and aerosol particles. The main components of smog are ozone, oxides of sulfur and nitrogen, as well as numerous organic compounds of peroxide nature, which are collectively called photooxidants.

Smog can form under almost any natural and climatic conditions in large cities and industrial centers with severe air pollution. Smog is most harmful in warm periods of the year, in sunny, windless weather, when the upper layers of air are warm enough to stop the vertical circulation of air masses. This phenomenon often occurs in cities that are protected from the winds by natural barriers, such as hills or mountains.

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 calm or very weak air exchange in the surface layer with a powerful and increased inversion for at least a day. Stable calm weather, usually accompanied by inversions, is necessary to create high concentrations of reactants. Such conditions are created more often in June-September and less often in winter. During prolonged clear weather, solar radiation causes the breakdown of nitrogen dioxide molecules to form nitric oxide and atomic oxygen.

Atomic oxygen and molecular oxygen give ozone. It would seem that the latter, oxidizing nitric oxide, should again turn into molecular oxygen, and nitric oxide into dioxide. But this doesn't happen. Nitrogen oxide reacts with olefins in exhaust gases, which split at the double bond and form fragments of molecules and excess ozone. As a result of ongoing dissociation, new masses of nitrogen dioxide are broken down and produce additional amounts of ozone. A cyclic reaction occurs, as a result of which ozone gradually accumulates in the atmosphere. This process stops at night. In turn, ozone reacts with olefins. Various peroxides are concentrated in the atmosphere, which together form the oxidants characteristic of photochemical fog. The latter are a source of so-called free radicals, which are particularly reactive. Such smogs are a common occurrence over London, Paris, Los Angeles, New York and other cities in Europe and America. 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.

There are several types of smog, described above - dry smog; London is characterized by wet smog, i.e. In the atmosphere, due to high humidity, droplets accumulate, which form thick clouds, but in Alaska, smog was recorded, in which, due to the cold, small pieces of ice accumulate in the atmosphere instead of droplets.

The problem of photochemical smog is especially acute for countries such as the USA, Japan, Canada, Great Britain, Mexico, and Argentina. Photochemical fog was first recorded in 1944 in Los Angeles. The city is located in a depression surrounded by mountains and the sea, which leads to stagnation of air masses, the accumulation of atmospheric pollutants and, as a result, the creation of favorable conditions for the formation of this type of smog.

At high concentrations of pollutants, photochemical smog can be observed in the form of a bluish haze, which leads to poor visibility, which disrupts transport. At lower concentrations, smog appears as a bluish or yellow-green haze rather than a continuous fog.

Photochemical smog affects people, plants, buildings, and various materials. Photochemical fog causes irritation of the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, and throat in people. It aggravates pulmonary and various chronic diseases; in addition, in addition to irritating effects, it can also have a general toxic effect. Smog is characterized by an unpleasant odor.

Photochemical smog has a particularly bad effect on beans, beets, cereals, grapes, and ornamental plants. A sign that the plant has been exposed to the harmful effects of photochemical fog is swelling of the leaves, which then progresses to the appearance of spots and white coating on the upper leaves, and on the lower leaves leads to the appearance of a bronze or silver tint. Then the plant begins to quickly wither.

Among other things, photochemical fog leads to accelerated corrosion of materials and building elements, cracking of paints, rubber and synthetic products, and even damage to clothing.

2.3 Maximum permissible concentrations of emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere

Maximum permissible concentrations (MAC) are those concentrations that, while affecting a person and his offspring directly or indirectly, do not impair their performance, well-being, as well as sanitary and living conditions.

The generalization of all information on maximum permissible concentrations received by all departments is carried out at the Main Geophysical Observatory. In order to determine air values ​​based on the results of observations, the measured concentration values ​​are compared with the maximum one-time maximum permissible concentration and the number of cases when the MPC was exceeded is determined, as well as how many times the highest value was higher than the MPC. The average concentration for a month or a year is compared with the long-term MPC - the average sustainable MPC.

The state of air pollution by several substances observed in the city's atmosphere is assessed using a complex indicator - the air pollution index (API). To do this, normalized to the corresponding values ​​of the maximum permissible concentration and the average concentrations of various substances, using simple calculations, lead to the concentration of sulfur dioxide, and then sum it up. The maximum one-time concentrations of the main pollutants were the highest in Norilsk (nitrogen and sulfur oxides), Frunze (dust), and Omsk (carbon monoxide).

The degree of air pollution by major pollutants is directly dependent on the industrial development of the city. The highest maximum concentrations are typical for cities with a population of more than 500 thousand inhabitants. Air pollution with specific substances depends on the type of industry developed in the city.

Standard values ​​of maximum permissible concentrations of pollutants in the atmospheric air of populated areas in Russia are approved by a resolution of the Chief State Sanitary Doctor of the Russian Federation.

The maximum permissible concentration value is established taking into account various indicators of harmfulness associated with the characteristics of the impact on the body or methods of transfer (exchange between environments). In particular, to assess the value of the maximum permissible concentration for atmospheric air and natural waters used for water supply, an organoleptic indicator can be used, which takes into account not only the toxic effect, but also the appearance of unpleasant sensations when inhaling polluted air or drinking contaminated water.

For the most toxic substances, MPC values ​​are not established. This means that any, even the most insignificant, content of them in natural environments poses a danger to human health. Some substances that are synthesized artificially and have no natural analogues can have such a high degree of toxicity.

Atmospheric air quality is understood as the totality of atmospheric properties that determine the degree of impact of physical, chemical and biological factors on people, flora and fauna, as well as on materials, structures and the environment as a whole.

Permissible limits for the content of harmful substances are determined both in the production zone (intended to accommodate industrial enterprises, pilot production of research institutes, etc.) and in the residential zone (intended to accommodate housing stock, public buildings and structures) of settlements. Basic terms and definitions relating to atmospheric pollution indicators, observation programs, and the behavior of impurities in atmospheric air are defined by GOST 17.2.1.03-84.

A feature of the standardization of atmospheric air quality is the dependence of the impact of pollutants present in the air on the health of the population not only on the value of their concentrations, but also on the duration of the time interval during which a person breathes this air.

The maximum permissible maximum single concentration (MPCm.r.) is a maximum 20-30 minute concentration, under the influence of which reflex reactions in humans do not occur (breath holding, irritation of the mucous membrane of the eyes, upper respiratory tract, etc.).

Maximum permissible average daily concentration (MADC) is the concentration of a harmful substance in the air of populated areas, which should not have a direct or indirect effect on a person if inhaled for an unlimited period of time (years). Thus, the MPC is designed for all groups of the population and for an indefinitely long period of exposure and, therefore, is the most stringent sanitary and hygienic standard establishing the concentration of a harmful substance in the air.

Maximum permissible concentration of a harmful substance in the air of a working area (MPCrz) - a concentration that during daily (except weekends) work for 8 hours, or for another duration, but not more than 41 hours per week, throughout the entire working experience should not cause diseases or deviations in health, detected by modern research methods, in the process of work or in the long-term life of the present and subsequent generations. A working area should be considered a space up to 2 m high above the floor or area where workers permanently or temporarily reside.

As follows from the definition, the MPC is a standard that limits the exposure of the adult working population to a harmful substance for a period of time established by labor legislation.

Based on the nature of their impact on the human body, harmful substances can be divided into groups:

Irritants (chlorine, ammonia, hydrogen chloride, etc.);

Asphyxiants (carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, etc.); narcotics (nitrogen under pressure, acetylene, acetone, carbon tetrachloride, etc.);

Somatic, causing disturbances in the functioning of the body (lead, benzene, methyl alcohol, arsenic).

Chapter 3. Main directions of atmospheric air protection

The main direction for the protection and protection of atmospheric air includes the introduction of waste-free production.

When creating waste-free production, a number of complex organizational, technological, technical, economic and other problems are solved and a number of principles are used:

1. principle of consistency. In accordance with it, each individual process or production is considered as an element of a dynamic system of all industrial production in the region.

2. complexity of resource use. This principle requires the maximum use of all components of raw materials and the potential of energy resources. As is known, almost all raw materials are complex, and on average more than a third of their quantity consists of accompanying elements that can only be extracted through complex processing. Thus, at present, almost all silver, bismuth, platinum and platinum group metals, as well as more than 20% of gold, are obtained as a by-product from the processing of complex ores. This principle in Russia has been elevated to the rank of a state task and is clearly formulated in a number of government decrees.

3. cyclicality of material flows. The simplest examples of cyclical material flows include closed water and gas cycles. As effective ways to form cyclical material flows and rational use of energy, we can point to the combination and cooperation of production, as well as the development and production of new types of products, taking into account the requirements of their reuse.

4. the principle of limited impact of production on the environment and social environment, taking into account the systematic and targeted growth of its volumes and environmental excellence. This principle is primarily associated with the conservation of such natural and social resources as atmospheric air, water, the Earth’s surface, and public health. It should be taken into account that the implementation of this principle is feasible only in combination with effective monitoring, developed environmental regulation and targeted environmental management.

5. rationality of organizing waste-free production. The determining factors here are the requirement for the reasonable use of all components of raw materials, the maximum reduction in energy, material and labor intensity of production, the search for new environmentally sound raw materials and energy technologies, which is largely due to the reduction of negative impacts on the environment and damage to it, including related industries farms.

Among the many directions for creating low- and waste-free production, the main ones are:

Integrated use of raw materials and energy resources;

Improvement of existing and development of fundamentally new technological processes and production and related equipment;

Introduction of water and gas circulation cycles;

Application of continuous processes that allow the most efficient use of raw materials and energy;

Intensification of production processes, their optimization and automation;

Creation of energy technical processes.

At the federal level, the protection of atmospheric air is regulated by Law No. 96-FZ “On the Protection of Atmospheric Air”. This law summarized the requirements developed in previous years and justified in practice. For example, the introduction of rules prohibiting the commissioning of any production facilities (newly created or reconstructed) if during operation they become sources of pollution or other negative impacts on the atmospheric air. The rules on standardization of maximum permissible concentrations of pollutants in the atmospheric air were further developed.

The law also provides for requirements for establishing standards for maximum permissible emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere. Such standards are established for each stationary source of pollution, for each model of transport and other mobile vehicles and installations. They are determined in such a way that the total harmful emissions from all sources of pollution in a given area do not exceed the standards for maximum permissible concentrations of pollutants in the air. Maximum permissible emissions are established only taking into account maximum permissible concentrations.

There are also architectural planning measures that are aimed at the construction of enterprises, planning urban development taking into account environmental considerations, greening cities, etc. When constructing enterprises, it is necessary to adhere to the rules established by law and prevent the construction of hazardous industries within the city. It is necessary to carry out mass greening of cities, since green spaces absorb many harmful substances from the air and help cleanse the atmosphere. Unfortunately, in the modern period in Russia, green spaces are not increasing, but decreasing. Not to mention the fact that the “dormitory areas” built in their time do not stand up to any criticism. Since in these areas, houses of the same type are located too densely (to save space) and the air between them is subject to stagnation.

The law provides not only for monitoring the implementation of its requirements, but also for liability for their violation. A special article defines the role of public organizations and citizens in the implementation of measures to protect the air environment, obliging them to actively assist government authorities in these matters, since only broad public participation will allow the provisions of this law to be implemented. Thus, it says that the state attaches great importance to maintaining the favorable state of atmospheric air, its restoration and improvement to ensure the best living conditions for people - their work, life, recreation and health protection.

Enterprises or their individual buildings and structures, the technological processes of which are a source of release of harmful and unpleasant-smelling substances into the atmospheric air, are separated from residential buildings by sanitary protection zones.

The sanitary protection zone for enterprises and facilities can be increased, if necessary and with proper justification, by no more than 3 times, depending on the following reasons:

a) the effectiveness of the methods for purifying emissions into the atmosphere provided or possible for implementation;

b) lack of methods for cleaning emissions;

c) placement of residential buildings, if necessary, on the leeward side in relation to the enterprise in the zone of possible air pollution;

d) wind roses and other unfavorable local conditions (for example, frequent calms and fogs);

e) construction of new, still insufficiently studied, hazardous industries.

Dimensions of sanitary protection zones for individual groups or complexes of large enterprises in the chemical, oil refining, metallurgical, engineering and other industries, as well as thermal power plants with emissions that create large concentrations of various harmful substances in the atmospheric air and have a particularly adverse effect on health and sanitary conditions. hygienic living conditions of the population are established in each specific case by a joint decision of the Ministry of Health and the State Construction Committee of Russia.

To increase the efficiency of sanitary protection zones, trees, shrubs and herbaceous vegetation are planted on their territory, which reduces the concentration of industrial dust and gases. In the sanitary protection zones of enterprises that intensively pollute the atmospheric air with gases harmful to vegetation, the most gas-resistant trees, shrubs and grasses should be grown, taking into account the degree of aggressiveness and concentration of industrial emissions. Emissions from chemical industry enterprises (sulfur and sulfuric anhydride, hydrogen sulfide, sulfuric, nitric, fluoric and bromous acids, chlorine, fluorine, ammonia, etc.), ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, coal and thermal power industries are especially harmful to vegetation.

Conclusion

In the modern world, the problem of environmental pollution, in particular atmospheric air, has become global. The task of preserving the environment, first of all, faces the state, which at the federal level, with the help of state control instruments, takes all necessary measures (establishing standards, issuing laws and regulations). The introduction of low- and waste-free production also contributes to the rational use of resources and the reduction of emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere.

However, an equally important task is to educate Russians about environmental consciousness. The lack of elementary ecological thinking is especially noticeable at the present time. If in the West there are programs through the implementation of which the foundations of environmental thinking are laid in children from childhood, then in Russia there has not yet been significant progress in this area. Until a generation with a fully formed environmental consciousness appears in Russia, significant progress in understanding and preventing the environmental consequences of human activity will not be noticeable.

List of used literature

1. Federal Law of May 4, 1999 No. 96-FZ “On the Protection of Atmospheric Air”

2. Yu.L. Khotuntsev "Man, technology, environment" - M.: Sustainable World (Library of the journal "Ecology and Life"), 2001 - 224 p.

3. http://easytousetech.com/37-fotohimicheskiy-smog.html

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Substances that degrade the quality of the environment are called pollutants. Environmental pollutants are any foreign inputs (material, energy) that are not characteristic of a given environment: these can be various substances, thermal energy, electromagnetic vibrations, vibrations, radiation that enter the environment in quantities sufficient to have a harmful effect to biota.

The entry of various pollutants into the environment is called pollution of the natural environment. Any human activity is accompanied by greater or lesser pollution of the environment.

Global sources of environmental pollution are industrial and domestic human activities, as well as natural phenomena leading to emergency situations.

The most important material pollutants of the environment are industrial waste and by-products (if the latter enter the environment). In the previous section, production and consumption wastes were considered as sources of secondary raw materials, but, unfortunately, these wastes are not always disposed of as secondary raw materials. Consequently, industrial waste and by-products are the main source of environmental pollution with various chemical compounds.

Classification of pollutants

Pollutants have several classifications based on different criteria. According to their state of aggregation, pollutants are divided into gaseous (carbon dioxide, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrous gases, etc.), liquid (waste containing heavy salts in a dissolved state, methanol, ethanol, benzene, etc.) and solid (waste rock after coal mining, ash after burning solid fuel during the operation of thermal power plants, calcium chloride during the production of soda, etc.).

Brief description of air pollution

Brief description of lithosphere pollution and destruction processes of lithosphere elements occupied by the biosphere

In the lithosphere, the biosphere occupies the surface layers. The main part of the lithosphere occupied by the biosphere is soil, the most important quality of which is fertility. Soil plays a huge role in human economic activity and in the life of soil organisms. Soil is the basis of agricultural production and creates the basis for human well-being. Thanks to the presence of soils, it is possible to solve humanity's food problem.

Soils are negatively affected by both natural and anthropogenic factors. Thus, tornadoes, squalls, dust storms, floods, landslides, and snow avalanches disrupt the structure of soils, often destroying soil covers. They reduce the size of areas occupied by soil and the processes of ravine formation.

However, human activities make a significant contribution to the process of soil pollution and reduction of their areas. Thus, in pursuit of large yields with minimal economic investments, people use excessive amounts of fertilizers and pesticides, leading to soil salinization, changes in the reaction of the environment in soil solutions, and soil contamination with pesticides.

Violation of the rules for transporting various substances (in particular, oil) leads to the entry of these substances into the soil and disruption of the biological balance in natural biocenoses. Wastewater containing toxic substances (chromates, chlorides and other salts) can also enter the soil. When internal combustion engines operate, vapors of lead compounds are released along with exhaust gases, which settle in roadside soils and are accumulated by plants (for example, mushrooms), enter into water, accumulate and can have a harmful effect on humans if they get into their food. Synthetic detergents enter soil horizons, changing the processes occurring in the soil absorption complex.

During the operation of agricultural machines used to cultivate the soil, pollutants (fuel, oils, corrosion products) penetrate into it. Violation of soil cultivation technology and the use of heavy machinery leads to the destruction of soils and a decrease in their fertility.

Soils can become polluted by substances that are first released into the atmosphere and then settle (this applies to solid and liquid substances).

Acid rain is often neutralized by soils, but in acidic podzolic soils such neutralization does not occur and their quality decreases.

Soil properties deteriorate not only due to pollution, but also as a result of other types of human activity, which are not considered in this subsection. However, the above human impact on soils makes it necessary to introduce and implement measures to protect them.

Features of the impact on the natural environment of light industry and the service sector

The most important sectors of the national economy that currently require development in our country are light industry and the sphere of consumer services (CSS), which in pre-perestroika times were underdeveloped due to the predominance of the development of heavy industries. Light industry as a complex industry consists of a number of different types of industry: textiles, fur, footwear, leather. Each of the named sub-sectors, in turn, is divided into a number of industries. Thus, the textile industry is divided into cloth production, carpet and clothing production; the leather industry consists of production of patent and artificial leather and leather goods cardboard; The fur industry includes the production of artificial astrakhan fur, processing of natural fur; shoe industry - production of shoes, sole rubber, shoe cardboard, etc. The consumer services sector includes baths, laundries, dry cleaners, hairdressers, photo studios and darkrooms, gas stations and service stations. The service sector includes workshops for sewing and repairing clothes and shoes, collection points for recycled materials, crematoria and cemeteries. Many of these enterprises are combined into consumer service factories (baths with hairdressing salons and laundries, hairdressing salons with workshops for sewing and repairing shoes, clothes, etc.).

Textile industry as a source of environmental pollution

The textile industry processes natural fibrous materials - cotton, flax, hemp, wool and artificial (including synthetic) fibers into other products. Fibrous materials undergo spinning, weaving and finishing. During spinning, materials are loosened, cleaned of foreign impurities, formed into yarn, impregnated, dried and sent to the weaving workshop. The processes listed above are accompanied by the formation of a large amount of dust, the composition of which depends on the composition of the feedstock. In addition to dust, products of thermal destruction of fibers, the composition of which also depends on the source raw material, enter the atmosphere. Dust can form aerosols or settle in the form of gels on the surface of equipment and other parts of the production facility.

In other workshops (bleaching, printing, engraving, dyeing, finishing), the atmosphere, in addition to dust, is additionally polluted by harmful gaseous substances or vapors of highly volatile compounds. These are vapors and aerosols of dyes (printing shop), nitrogen oxides, hydrogen chloride, chromium(III) oxide (engraving shop), ammonia, oxides of nitrogen, sulfur, vapors of sulfuric and acetic acids (dying shop), ammonia, formaldehyde and acetic acid vapors ( finishing shop). These substances are also included in the wastewater from these workshops. Wastewater is also contaminated with lubricants used to reduce the electrification of fibers.

In addition to these pollutants, textile production is a source of noise, vibration pollution and various electromagnetic radiation emitted during the operation of production equipment.

The role of leather and shoe production in environmental pollution

The tanning industry produces different types of leather, and the shoe industry produces shoes from various leathers and other necessary materials. There are natural and artificial leathers (leather substitutes), therefore, in the tanning industry, natural leathers are obtained by processing animal skins, and leather substitutes are made from synthetic materials.

In the technological process of processing hides to obtain leather, waste is generated consisting of hair, bristles, subcutaneous fat, and dust of various sizes resulting from sanding leather. Especially a lot of dust is generated during the production of artificial leather. The leather industry produces wastewater contaminated with fats, suspended solids and dissolved chemicals used in the industry. When producing leather, slaked lime, hydrochloric and sulfuric acids, various tanning agents (including aluminum and iron salts), sodium sulfite, various polymers, and sodium silicofluoride (as a preservative) are used. These substances in a vapor, gaseous state or in the form of fog and dust can enter the indoor atmosphere, natural waters (as part of wastewater) and the soil. The peculiarity of dust in leather and shoe production is that it contains a lot of organic substances and microorganisms, including pathogens, which contributes to the development of respiratory tract and lung diseases among specialists involved in this area of ​​production.

Other pollutants in the shoe industry include benzene, acetone, gasoline, ammonia, and carbon monoxide (P).

In the production of artificial leather, aniline, acetone, gasoline, butyl acetate, turpentine (organic compounds), inorganic and some organic acids (sulfuric, hydrochloric, formic, acetic), as well as ammonia, sulfur oxides, chromium and other substances are used. All these compounds pollute the atmosphere and hydrosphere, and through them the lithosphere.

The pollution in the fur industry is similar to that in the tanning industry.

Noise and energy pollution in these sub-sectors are similar to those in all areas of industrial production.

Review of the impact of service sector enterprises on the environment

During the operation of consumer service enterprises, dust pollution of the atmosphere occurs, a large amount of wastewater is generated containing organic substances that enter them from the surface of the body or during washing and chemical cleaning of clothes, linen, shoes, various organic solvents used in shoe care products, various detergents, including synthetic ones, waste oxidizers (hair lighteners), hair dyes and other compounds.

Pollutants are also substances released during the decomposition of corpses (cemeteries) or during the burning of corpses (crematoriums).

A large amount of solid waste is also generated (hair in hairdressing salons, textile waste in the form of fabric scraps, leather scraps in shoe workshops, etc.).

The operation of mechanical equipment and transport contributes to the pollution of Nature in the sphere of consumer services.

The considered influence of SBO on the human environment makes the problem of its protection urgent.

Review of environmental activities at light industry enterprises and in the consumer services sector

All principles and measures for the protection of the human environment are applicable to the organization of environmental activities in the sphere of consumer services and light industry enterprises, and their specificity is related to the materials used in these sectors of the national economy and the processes that take place there.

The main way to implement environmental protection during the operation of cemeteries, crematoria and collection points for secondary raw materials is the creation of sanitary protection zones, which should be located at a distance of at least 300 m from residential and public buildings and recreation areas - for cemeteries and crematoria and at least 50 m - for recycling collection points. It is important that collected secondary raw materials are quickly and systematically transported to processing points.

For most public service enterprises, the basis for environmental protection is wastewater treatment and solid waste disposal. Such service enterprises include bathhouses, laundries, dry cleaners, hairdressers and photographic laboratories. Wastewater generated as a result of the activities of the above-mentioned enterprises must be collected in collectors, settling tanks and treated using the methods described in Chapter. 9. Simple dilution of such waters cannot be considered an environmental protection measure, since this does not free the natural environment from pollutants and, in addition, leads to excessive consumption of valuable drinking water.

Solid waste generated during the activities of these enterprises must be collected, sorted, and, if possible, disposed of or destroyed by burning in incinerators (which is not very desirable, why).

For light industry enterprises, a consistent policy in applying the principle of integrated use of raw materials and waste and the creation of low-waste production is important. To do this you need:

1. Develop and implement processes and technologies that reduce the generation of production waste (for example, more rational cutting methods, etc.).

2. Create conditions for the most complete extraction of various compounds from wastewater, for their disposal either at a given enterprise or in other production areas.

3. Systematic and consistent application of the water recycling system.

4. Creation of more advanced methods of air purification for specific enterprises and workshops with subsequent disposal of substances released during purification.

5. Systematic implementation of environmental education for all workers employed in the field of consumer services and light industry enterprises.

The problem of environmental pollution is becoming increasingly urgent. Every city has at least several factories that emit harmful substances into the environment. Some enterprises install cleaning filters and the emission of harmful substances is significantly reduced. Moreover, the choice of funds directly depends on the type of activity of the enterprise: metallurgical, chemical or construction plant. It would be a good idea to study the legislation on hazardous waste passports.

Industrial enterprises emit nitrogen oxides, dust, smoke and other harmful substances into the air. Many factories release production waste into water bodies and pollute rivers and seas. Significant amounts of money are required to clean them. Chemical waste that is buried in the ground is especially dangerous. They lead to global environmental pollution.

The most common filters are air filters. With their help, the indoor air is already purified, because they filter the air in ventilation systems. However, for many enterprises it is much cheaper to pay fines for environmental pollution than to bleed cleaning systems, because they are many times more expensive. Therefore, fines for environmental pollution should be at least doubled, because cleaning it up will require much more money.

Air pollution negatively affects not only human health, but also the planet itself as a whole. Irreparable harm is caused to animals and plants around us.

Metallurgical plants and factories that produce aluminum, steel, produce chemicals and most pollute the environment. Many industrial enterprises emit small amounts of pollution, but quite regularly.

Smog is one of the most common pollution from factories, which, in combination with various chemical processes and weather conditions, is extremely dangerous to human health. Smog negatively affects a person’s respiratory and circulatory systems and weakens their immunity.

Due to environmental pollution, the number of heart diseases and cancers is increasing every year.

Plants that process the chemical and nuclear industries can emit very toxic and even radioactive substances into the atmosphere. The harmful substances that these wastes release can cause the development of genetic diseases in people and can be deadly.

Each state regulates at the legislative level the amount of emissions and their disposal. Many factories simply bury waste in the ground, in containers. This should not be done due to the high risk of waste leakage.

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If we consider environmental problems, one of the most pressing is air pollution. Environmentalists are sounding the alarm and calling on humanity to reconsider its attitude to life and consumption of natural resources, because only protection from air pollution will improve the situation and prevent serious consequences. Find out how to solve such a pressing issue, influence the environmental situation and preserve the atmosphere.

Natural sources of clogging

What is air pollution? This concept includes the introduction and entry into the atmosphere and all its layers of uncharacteristic elements of a physical, biological or chemical nature, as well as changes in their concentrations.

What pollutes our air? Air pollution is caused by many reasons, and all sources can be divided into natural or natural, as well as artificial, that is, anthropogenic.

It’s worth starting with the first group, which includes pollutants generated by nature itself:

1. The first source is volcanoes. When they erupt, they emit huge quantities of tiny particles of various rocks, ash, poisonous gases, sulfur oxides and other equally harmful substances. And although eruptions occur quite rarely, according to statistics, as a result of volcanic activity, the level of air pollution increases significantly, because up to 40 million tons of hazardous compounds are released into the atmosphere every year.
2. If we consider natural causes of air pollution, then it is worth noting such as peat or forest fires. Most often, fires occur due to unintentional arson by a person who is negligent about the rules of safety and behavior in the forest. Even a small spark from a fire that is not completely extinguished can cause the fire to spread. Less often, fires are caused by very high solar activity, which is why the peak of danger occurs in the hot summer.
3. Considering the main types of natural pollutants, one cannot fail to mention dust storms, which arise due to strong gusts of wind and mixing of air currents. During a hurricane or other natural event, tons of dust rises, causing air pollution.

Artificial sources

Air pollution in Russia and other developed countries is often caused by the influence of anthropogenic factors caused by the activities carried out by people.

Let us list the main artificial sources causing air pollution:

• Rapid development of industry. It’s worth starting with chemical air pollution caused by the activities of chemical plants. Toxic substances released into the air poison it. Metallurgical plants also cause atmospheric air pollution with harmful substances: metal processing is a complex process that involves huge emissions as a result of heating and combustion. In addition, small solid particles formed during the manufacture of building or finishing materials also pollute the air.
• The problem of air pollution from motor vehicles is especially pressing. Although other types also provoke, it is cars that have the most significant negative impact on it, since there are many more of them than any other vehicles. The exhaust emitted by motor vehicles and generated during engine operation contains a lot of substances, including hazardous ones. It's sad that emissions are increasing every year. An increasing number of people are acquiring an “iron horse”, which, of course, has a detrimental effect on the environment.
• Operation of thermal and nuclear power plants, boiler plants. The life of humanity at this stage is impossible without the use of such installations. They supply us with vital resources: heat, electricity, hot water. But when any type of fuel is burned, the atmosphere changes.
• Household waste. Every year the purchasing power of people increases, and as a result, the volumes of waste generated also increase. Their disposal is not given due attention, but some types of waste are extremely dangerous, have a long decomposition period and emit fumes that have an extremely adverse effect on the atmosphere. Every person pollutes the air every day, but waste from industrial enterprises, which is taken to landfills and is not disposed of in any way, is much more dangerous.

What substances most often pollute the air?

There are an incredibly large number of air pollutants, and environmentalists are constantly discovering new ones, which is associated with the rapid pace of industrial development and the introduction of new production and processing technologies. But the most common compounds found in the atmosphere are:

• Carbon monoxide, also called carbon monoxide. It is colorless and odorless and is formed during incomplete combustion of fuel at low volumes of oxygen and low temperatures. This compound is dangerous and causes death due to lack of oxygen.
• Carbon dioxide is found in the atmosphere and has a slightly sour odor.
• Sulfur dioxide is released during the combustion of some sulfur-containing fuels. This compound provokes acid rain and depresses human breathing.
• Nitrogen dioxides and oxides characterize air pollution from industrial enterprises, since they are most often formed during their activities, especially during the production of certain fertilizers, dyes and acids. These substances can also be released as a result of fuel combustion or during operation of the machine, especially when it is malfunctioning.
• Hydrocarbons are one of the most common substances and can be contained in solvents, detergents, and petroleum products.
• Lead is also harmful and is used to make batteries, cartridges and ammunition.
• Ozone is extremely toxic and is formed during photochemical processes or during the operation of transport and factories.

Now you know which substances pollute the air most often. But this is only a small part of them; the atmosphere contains a lot of different compounds, and some of them are even unknown to scientists.

Sad consequences

The scale of the impact of air pollution on human health and the entire ecosystem as a whole is simply enormous, and many people underestimate it. Let's start with the environment.

1. Firstly, due to polluted air, a greenhouse effect has developed, which gradually but globally changes the climate, leads to warming and provokes natural disasters. It can be said that it leads to irreversible consequences in the state of the environment.
2. Secondly, acid rain is becoming more and more frequent, which has a negative impact on all life on Earth. Through their fault, entire populations of fish die, unable to live in such an acidic environment. A negative impact is observed when examining historical monuments and architectural monuments.
3. Thirdly, fauna and flora suffer, since dangerous fumes are inhaled by animals, they also enter plants and gradually destroy them.

A polluted atmosphere has an extremely negative impact on human health. The emissions enter the lungs and cause disruptions in the respiratory system and severe allergic reactions. Together with the blood, dangerous compounds are carried throughout the body and greatly wear it out. And some elements can provoke mutation and degeneration of cells.

How to solve the problem and save the environment

The problem of air pollution is very relevant, especially considering that the environment has deteriorated greatly over the past few decades. And it needs to be solved comprehensively and in several ways.

Let's consider several effective measures to prevent air pollution:

1. To combat air pollution, it is mandatory to install treatment and filtering facilities and systems at individual enterprises. And at particularly large industrial plants it is necessary to begin introducing stationary monitoring posts for monitoring air pollution.
2. To avoid air pollution from cars, you should switch to alternative and less harmful energy sources, such as solar panels or electricity.
3. Replacing combustible fuels with more accessible and less dangerous ones, such as water, wind, sunlight and others that do not require combustion, will help protect atmospheric air from pollution.
4. The protection of atmospheric air from pollution must be supported at the state level, and there are already laws aimed at protecting it. But it is also necessary to act and exercise control in individual constituent entities of the Russian Federation.
5. One of the effective ways that air protection from pollution should include is to establish a system for disposing of all waste or recycling it.
6. To solve the problem of air pollution, plants should be used. Widespread landscaping will improve the atmosphere and increase the amount of oxygen in it.

How to protect atmospheric air from pollution? If all of humanity fights it, then there is a chance of improving the environment. Knowing the essence of the problem of air pollution, its relevance and the main solutions, we need to jointly and comprehensively combat pollution.