Groundwater pollution solutions. Environmental pollution: environmental problems of nature

Water is one of the most important natural resources, and it is in our power to prevent its pollution. Small changes in habits, such as using natural cleaning products instead of toxic chemicals at home, growing trees and flowers in the garden, can make a huge difference. For larger-scale changes, try not to hush up the facts of discharges of dirty effluents from enterprises into local water bodies. Any action can lead to a positive result.

Steps

Changing household habits

Use as few chemicals as possible when cleaning your home. This simple step can make a big difference. The use of toxic chemicals like bleach or ammonia is not only bad for the water supply, it's simply not necessary. Natural cleaning products are also effective for household care, but they do not harm the environment and the planet's water resources.

Dispose of waste properly. Never dispose of waste that does not decompose down the drain. When you use toxic substances such as paint or ammonia, take steps to dispose of them properly. If you are unsure how to properly dispose of them, consult a hazardous waste collection point or search the Internet for information. Here is a list of some substances that should never be dumped down the drain:

• Paints
• Motor oil
• Solvents and cleaners
• Ammonia
• Pool chemicals

1. Do not flush medicines down the drain. Medicines are made from substances that may be harmful to the environment. If you have expired medicines, take them to a hazardous waste collection point, such as mobile collection points - Ecomobiles. So the medicines will not get into the reservoir, they will not harm people and animals.

   Do not flush trash down the drain. Flushing items such as diapers, wet wipes, and plastic tampon applicators down the toilet can create sewage problems. In addition, these items will litter rivers and lakes, and this can kill fish and other river and marine life. Instead of flushing such items down the toilet, respectively, just throw them in the trash.

   • You can use cloth diapers, recycled toilet paper, biodegradable tampons to minimize the items that end up in the landfill.

2. Save as much water as possible. Conserving water is very important to conserve the planet's water resources. Purifying drinking and household water requires a lot of effort and energy, so conserve as much water as possible, especially during times of drought. Here are some good habits that will help you conserve water:

   Try not to use plastic. Since plastic is not biodegradable, it accumulates in rivers, lakes, seas, because it has nowhere else to go. For example, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, or the Eastern Garbage Continent, or the Pacific "garbage swirl" - garbage that has accumulated in the Pacific Ocean. Garbage that pollutes rivers, seas and lakes harms marine life and people. Whenever possible, use glass containers or cloth bags instead of plastic.

3. Collect and compost garden waste. If the waste is stored in any way, they can get into sewers, ditches, drains. Even if your waste does not contain herbicides and pesticides, a large number of branches, leaves, and cut grass can oversaturate the water with nutrients.

   • Store the compost in a bin or barrel so that the compost doesn't wash out over the area. In some countries, these boxes are provided free of charge or at a low cost.
   • Use a lawn mower with a mulch instead of a lawn mower with a grass bag. A lawnmower with mulching adds a natural layer of compost to your lawn, plus you don't have to deal with the disposal of grass clippings.
   • Properly dispose of garden waste and grass clippings. If you don't have compost, find out if there are recycling centers in your area.

4. Monitor the condition of your car. If gasoline or other liquids leak in the machine, remember that they enter through the soil. Regularly inspect the machine, eliminate all faults in a timely manner.

   • In addition to the above, remember to properly dispose of your engine oil instead of just dumping it down the drain.

   Sharing your ideas and achievements

   1. Be active at school or at work. At school or at work, you can take the same steps as at home. Review the rules of the school or office and determine what areas need to be changed to improve water and environmental health in general. Involve friends, teachers, colleagues in this process, tell them about the possibilities of keeping water clean.

      • For example, you can recommend environmentally friendly cleaning products for your school or office, and tell you which of these products are most effective.
      • You can put up signs to remind people to save water in the kitchen and bathroom.

   2. Help clean up trash around waterways. If you live near a local water source, there are many things you can do to protect it from pollution. Find out if subbotniks are organized to clean the areas adjacent to the reservoir, be sure to participate in such cleaning as a volunteer to clean the banks of the river, lake, sea.

      • Think big. Most likely, you think that a small gas leak in your car is not a problem at all. However, if we take such a small leak from thousands or even millions of cars, the damage can be compared to the accident of an oil tanker. You may not be able to fix every leak in the world, but you can fix it in your car. Get involved in solving a big problem.
      • If you are unsure whether a particular waste is hazardous, contact your local waste management or environmental committee, or search the Internet for information.
      • Some effluents from agricultural enterprises cause more environmental damage than effluents from industrial areas of the city. If you are involved in agricultural activities, please contact your local environmental protection office with a question about how to reduce the negative impact on the environment.
      • Talk to your family, friends, and neighbors about ways to reduce their contribution to water pollution. If there are no environmental education programs, pollution control regulations, or hazardous waste disposal facilities in your area, then it's time to take the lead.

Water pollution is a decrease in its quality as a result of various physical, chemical or biological substances entering rivers, streams, lakes, seas and oceans. Water pollution has many causes.

Wastewater

Industrial effluents containing inorganic and organic waste are often discharged into rivers and seas. Every year, thousands of chemicals enter water sources, the effect of which on the environment is not known in advance. Hundreds of these substances are new compounds. Although industrial effluents are pre-treated in many cases, they still contain toxic substances that are difficult to detect.

Domestic wastewater containing, for example, synthetic detergents ends up in rivers and seas. Fertilizers washed off the soil surface end up in drains leading to lakes and seas. All these reasons lead to severe water pollution, especially in closed pools, lakes and ponds.

solid waste.

If there is a large amount of suspended solids in the water, they make it opaque to sunlight and thus interfere with the process of photosynthesis in water basins. This in turn causes disturbances in the food chain in such pools. In addition, solid waste causes silting up of rivers and shipping channels, resulting in the need for frequent dredging.

Eutrophication.

In industrial and agricultural wastewater that enters water sources, the content of nitrates and phosphates is high. This leads to a supersaturation of closed reservoirs with fertilizing substances and causes an increased growth of the simplest algae microorganisms in them. Blue-green algae grows especially strongly. But, unfortunately, it is inedible for most species of fish. Algae growth causes more oxygen to be taken from the water than can be naturally produced in it. The result is an increase in the BOD of such water. Biological waste, such as wood pulp or untreated sewage, entering the water also increases BOD. Other plants and living beings cannot survive in such an environment. However, microorganisms that can decompose dead plant and animal tissues multiply strongly in it. These microorganisms absorb even more oxygen and form even more nitrates and phosphates. Gradually, in such a reservoir, the number of plant and animal species is significantly reduced. The most important victims of the ongoing process are fish. Ultimately, a decrease in oxygen concentration as a result of the growth of algae and microorganisms that decompose dead tissues leads to the aging of lakes and their waterlogging. This process is called eutrophication.

A classic example of eutrophication is Lake Erie in the United States. For 25 years, the nitrogen content in this lake has increased by 50%, and the phosphorus content by 500%. The reason was mainly the ingress of domestic wastewater containing synthetic detergents into the lake. Synthetic detergents contain a lot of phosphates.

Wastewater treatment does not give the desired effect, since it allows you to remove only solids from the water and only a small proportion of the nutrients dissolved in it.

Toxicity of inorganic waste.

The discharge of industrial wastewater into rivers and seas leads to an increase in the concentration of toxic heavy metal ions, such as cadmium, mercury and lead. A significant part of them is absorbed or adsorbed by certain substances, and this is sometimes called the process of self-purification. However, in enclosed pools, heavy metals can reach dangerously high levels.

The most famous case of this kind occurred in Minamata Bay in Japan. Industrial wastewater containing methylmercury acetate was discharged into this bay. As a result, mercury began to enter the food chain. It was absorbed by algae, which ate shellfish; fish ate shellfish, and fish was eaten by the local population. The mercury content of the fish was found to be so high that it led to birth defects and deaths in children. This disease is called Minamata disease.

Of great concern is also the increase in nitrate levels observed in drinking water. It has been suggested that high levels of nitrates in water can lead to stomach cancer and cause increased infant mortality.

Microbiological contamination of water.

However, the problem of water pollution and its unsanitary condition is not limited to developing countries. A quarter of the entire Mediterranean coast is considered dangerously polluted. According to a 1983 United Nations Environment Program report on the pollution of the Mediterranean Sea, eating shellfish and lobster caught there is unsafe for health. Typhus, paratyphoid, dysentery, poliomyelitis, viral hepatitis and food poisoning are common in this region, and outbreaks of cholera occur periodically. Most of these diseases are caused by the discharge of raw sewage into the sea. It is estimated that 85% of waste from 120 coastal cities is dumped into the Mediterranean Sea, where tourists and locals swim and fish. Between Barcelona and Genoa, approximately 200 tons of waste is dumped per mile of coastline per year.

oil leak

In the US alone, there are approximately 13,000 oil spills each year. Up to 12 million tons of oil enter the sea water every year. In the UK, more than 1 million tons of used engine oil is poured into the sewers every year.

Oil spilled into seawater has many adverse effects on marine life. First of all, birds die - drowning, overheating in the sun or deprived of food. Oil blinds animals living in the water - seals, seals. It reduces the penetration of light into closed water bodies and can increase the temperature of the water. This is especially detrimental to organisms that can only exist in a limited temperature range. Oil contains toxic components, such as aromatic hydrocarbons, which are detrimental to some forms of aquatic life, even at concentrations as low as a few parts per million.

Other forms of water pollution

These include radioactive and thermal pollution. The main source of radioactive pollution of the sea is low-level waste removed from nuclear power plants. One of the most important problems arising from this contamination is that marine organisms such as algae accumulate, or concentrate, radioactive isotopes.

Thermal water pollution is caused by thermal or nuclear power plants. Thermal pollution is introduced into the surrounding water bodies by waste cooling water. As a result, an increase in water temperature in these reservoirs leads to the acceleration of some biochemical processes in them, as well as to a decrease in the oxygen content dissolved in water. This causes rapid and often very significant changes in the biological environment in the vicinity of power plants. There is a violation of the finely balanced cycles of reproduction of various organisms. In conditions of thermal pollution, as a rule, there is a strong growth of algae, but the extinction of other organisms living in the water.

Throughout his life, a person consumes water, the volume of which can be expressed in mass as a figure of 75 tons. According to data published by the World Health Organization, the annual discharge of household and industrial waste into the world's rivers reaches 450 billion cubic meters, so it is not surprising that the water contains, according to WHO experts, at least 13,000 toxic elements. Even Louis Pasteur suggested that 80% of diseases enter the human body with water.

Water is an amazing, priceless and irreplaceable gift of nature. A paradoxical question arises on this occasion - “Why do we not want to notice its values ​​​​and do not protect it?”. Perhaps we are mistaken, counting its volumes, which was the reason for such a dismissive attitude. Or a momentary desire to achieve the benefits of civilization by any means, without taking into account the laws of Nature, makes us forget that the boomerang of thoughtless waste water resources will return in the form of global environmental disasters?

Water Facts:

• Today, more than one billion people do not have access to quality drinking water.
• By 2025, about half of the world's population will face a serious problem of severe water shortage.
• 97.5% of the world's water reserves are salty waters of the oceans and seas, while freshwater reserves account for only 2.5%.
• 75% of the Earth's fresh water is concentrated in the polar caps and mountain glaciers, 24% is underground groundwater and only a small part of 0.5% is in the soil. The terrestrial sources of fresh water in the form of rivers, lakes and reservoirs account for the smallest share - 0.01%, which clearly confirms the statement of environmentalists - water is a precious treasure.
• 1000 liters of fresh water is used to grow one kilogram of wheat. 15,000 liters of water are used to produce one kilogram of beef. 2,400 liters of water is required to produce one hamburger, if you include the cost of raising cattle and wheat. The consumption of meat by an average European and US citizen consumes 5,000 liters of fresh water per day.
• About 80% of fresh water consumption comes from agriculture, and such waste is inherent in all countries of the world. The perfection of irrigation systems would save 30% of fresh water consumption.
• 500 million inhabitants of the Earth live in deserts, where water is paid for in gold, and the use of contaminated drinking water leads to a daily reduction in the world's population by 5,000 people.

This list of disturbing facts is far from complete, and it is a clear indication of our opposition to nature. Enjoying the illusion of independence from it, we inevitably come into conflict with it, and water ecology problems most clearly demonstrate the sad results of this confrontation.

Ecology of drinking water

Quality drinking water- home ecological problem humanity, which directly affects the health of the population and the environmental friendliness of consumed products.

Natural sources of fresh water are distinguished by a rich variety of living organisms, which are often extremely dangerous to health. With degrading quality drinking water The number of various diseases is increasing, which can be divided into four types:

• diseases arising from the consumption of contaminated water (cholera, typhoid, poliomyelitis, hepatitis, gastroenteritis);
• diseases of the mucous membranes and skin that occur when water is used for hygienic purposes in the process of washing and bathing (starting with trachoma and ending with leprosy);
• diseases caused by mollusks living in water (guinea worm, schistosomiasis);
• diseases caused by insects that live and breed in the aquatic environment and are carriers of infections (yellow fever, malaria, etc.).

Should water be chlorinated?

Many diseases explain the forced choice fresh water treatment method- chlorination. You can put up with the presence in the water of a variety of bacteria that cause serious diseases, or chlorinate natural waters and allow the formation of chlorine-containing toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic substances. According to the US Law Enforcement Research Center, chlorine reacts with carbon particles and fatty acids to form toxic compounds that make up 30% of the volume of chlorinated water.

According to Dr. N. Water, chlorine gas was used during the Second World War as a murder weapon and only later chlorine was used to kill bacteria in water. Meanwhile, compounds of chlorine and animal fats cause atherosclerosis, heart attack and other heart diseases, dementia and cancer. The US Environmental Quality Council published the results of studies from which it follows that consumers of chlorinated water have a 93% higher risk of getting cancer.

A professor at the University of Pittsburgh, who researches the chemical composition of water, claims that taking a shower or bath exposes the human body to evaporating chemical compounds a hundred times stronger than drinking water.

Substances dissolved in water in the vapor state easily penetrate the human body. Prolonged hot showers are dangerous, as high concentrations of toxic substances are inhaled by the person. Poor quality water accelerates the aging process of the human body by 30%. In addition to the detrimental effect on the human body, such water treatment method harms the environment and severely affects the state of any living organism.

Water pollution is an environmental problem

water ecology, which suffers from human activities, boomerang affects the state of all life on earth, because water is life itself. All chemical elements and compounds that enter the water lead to serious diseases. For example, lead in water causes changes in the central nervous system, blood, metabolism and causes kidney damage. Paralyzes the immune and nervous systems of aluminum, especially detrimental to the child's body. An increased concentration of copper in water affects the mucous membranes of the liver and kidneys, nickel - leads to skin lesions, zinc - affects the kidneys, arsenic - leads to lesions of the central nervous system.

Ecological balance of natural water does not contain such a deadly amount of chemical elements. All this is the result of pollution of drinking water sources by industrial effluents. For example, studies of nine cities in the Siberian region clearly showed that polluted water affects the growth of human morbidity from 7 to 41%. An annual increase in epidemic outbreaks of intestinal diseases associated with water is noted. Water ecology is broken, and this is confirmed by the statistics of many Russian regions, where drinking water quality very low.

Ecology of the Russian water basin

Ecology of water resources Dagestan, Buryatia and Kalmykia, Primorsky Krai, Kaliningrad, Arkhangelsk, Kemerovo, Tomsk, Yaroslavl, Kurgan regions are in critical condition, which is confirmed by the data of the State Sanitary and Epidemiological Supervision. The bacteriological laboratory of the city of Ulyanovsk found at least a hundred types of various viruses in the Zavolzhsky water intake, which with a high degree of probability can lead to an environmental disaster.

There is a sharp deterioration water resources ecology in the Amur Region, which is closely related to level of water pollution environment. It can be considered catastrophic, because. it is 20 times higher than normal. The catastrophe of the ecology of the aquatic environment threatens both Yaroslavl and the Volga cities, where tar ponds near the Volga banks feed the water of the river.

Ecology of the water basin Astrakhan is in critical condition, and this is directly related to the huge flow of mud flowing down to the lower reaches of the Volga, which has already lost the ability to naturally cleanse itself. water purification method again, deep chlorination has been chosen, which all civilized mankind has long abandoned.

Ecology of fresh waters, among the 184 studied large cities of Russia, in the most deplorable state in St. Petersburg - the city that ranks first in serious metabolic diseases and congenital anomalies, and second in oncological diseases. The data is terrifying and will take up more than one page of a small text, but the facts that are illuminated loudly ask - "How long will humanity self-destruct?"

The purest drinking water... Where is it?

In Russia? The paradox of Russia is that in a huge country, which is among the ten countries with the most clean drinking water, every second inhabitant consumes water that does not meet hygienic standards. In 2003 UN experts published a report on drinking water quality research. Research was conducted in 122 countries, and Finland took the leading position in the ranking.

In this list, experts positively assessed the water of Canada, New Zealand, Great Britain and Japan. Russia got the seventh place.

For many, the last place of Belgium turned out to be strange, which was bypassed even by India, Sudan and Rwanda. A similar study is necessary for Russia, and the most important thing for such a huge country is a careful attitude to.

Preservation ecological water balance should not only be limited to the celebration of 22 March as World Water Day. It is no longer possible to ignore the reckless and destructive intervention of man in all spheres of nature.

Without decisive and constructive measures, it will be impossible to predict the future of mankind. Nature gives us all the blessings for existence, and it requires a reasonable and careful attitude towards itself, towards its riches, which are not unlimited.

Continuous technological progress, the continuing enslavement of nature by man, industrialization, which has changed the surface of the Earth beyond recognition, have become the causes of the global environmental crisis. Currently, the population of the planet is particularly acute environmental problems such as atmospheric pollution, ozone depletion, acid rain, greenhouse effect, soil pollution, pollution of the world's oceans and overpopulation.

Global Environmental Issue #1: Air Pollution

Every day, the average person inhales about 20,000 liters of air, which contains, in addition to vital oxygen, a whole list of harmful suspended particles and gases. Air pollutants are conditionally divided into 2 types: natural and anthropogenic. The latter prevail.

The chemical industry is not doing well. Factories emit such harmful substances as dust, oil ash, various chemical compounds, nitrogen oxides and much more. Air measurements showed the catastrophic state of the atmospheric layer, polluted air causes many chronic diseases.

Atmospheric pollution is an environmental problem, familiar to the inhabitants of absolutely all corners of the earth. It is especially acutely felt by representatives of cities where ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, energy, chemical, petrochemical, construction and pulp and paper industries operate. In some cities, the atmosphere is also heavily poisoned by vehicles and boilers. These are all examples of anthropogenic air pollution.

As for the natural sources of chemical elements that pollute the atmosphere, they include forest fires, volcanic eruptions, wind erosion (dispersal of soil and rock particles), the spread of pollen, evaporation of organic compounds and natural radiation.

Consequences of atmospheric pollution

Atmospheric air pollution adversely affects human health, contributing to the development of heart and lung diseases (in particular, bronchitis). In addition, atmospheric pollutants such as ozone, nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide destroy natural ecosystems, destroying plants and causing the death of living creatures (particularly river fish).

The global environmental problem of atmospheric pollution, according to scientists and government officials, can be solved in the following ways:

• limiting population growth;
• reduction in energy use;
• improving energy efficiency;
• waste reduction;
• transition to environmentally friendly renewable energy sources;
• air purification in highly polluted areas.

Global Environmental Issue #2: Ozone Depletion

The ozone layer is a thin strip of the stratosphere that protects all life on Earth from the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun.

Causes of the environmental problem

Back in the 1970s. environmentalists have discovered that the ozone layer is destroyed by exposure to chlorofluorocarbons. These chemicals are found in coolants in refrigerators and air conditioners, as well as solvents, aerosols/sprays, and fire extinguishers. To a lesser extent, other anthropogenic influences also contribute to the thinning of the ozone layer: the launch of space rockets, the flights of jet aircraft in high layers of the atmosphere, nuclear weapons testing, and the reduction of the planet's forest lands. There is also a theory that global warming contributes to the thinning of the ozone layer.

Consequences of ozone depletion

As a result of the destruction of the ozone layer, ultraviolet radiation passes unhindered through the atmosphere and reaches the earth's surface. Exposure to direct UV rays adversely affects people's health by weakening the immune system and causing diseases such as skin cancer and cataracts.

World Environmental Issue #3: Global Warming

Like the glass walls of a greenhouse, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and water vapor allow the sun to heat our planet and at the same time prevent infrared radiation reflected from the earth's surface from escaping into space. All these gases are responsible for maintaining the temperature acceptable for life on earth. However, an increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen oxide and water vapor in the atmosphere is another global environmental problem, called global warming (or the greenhouse effect).

Causes of global warming

During the 20th century, the average temperature on earth increased by 0.5 - 1?C. The main cause of global warming is considered to be an increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere due to an increase in the volume of fossil fuels burned by people (coal, oil and their derivatives). However, according to the statement Alexey Kokorin, head of climate programs WWF(WWF) Russia, “the largest amount of greenhouse gases is generated by the operation of power plants and methane emissions during the extraction and delivery of energy resources, while road transport or the burning of associated petroleum gas in flaring causes relatively little environmental damage”.

Other prerequisites for global warming are overpopulation of the planet, deforestation, ozone depletion and littering. However, not all ecologists place the responsibility for the increase in average annual temperatures entirely on anthropogenic activities. Some believe that the natural increase in the abundance of oceanic plankton also contributes to global warming, leading to an increase in the concentration of the same carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Consequences of the greenhouse effect

If the temperature during the 21st century increases by another 1 ? C - 3.5 ? C, as scientists predict, the consequences will be very sad:

• the level of the world ocean will rise (due to the melting of polar ice), the number of droughts will increase and the process of land desertification will intensify,
• many species of plants and animals adapted to existence in a narrow range of temperatures and humidity will disappear,
• hurricanes will increase.

Solving an environmental problem

To slow down the process of global warming, according to environmentalists, the following measures will help:

• rising prices for fossil fuels,
• replacement of fossil fuels with environmentally friendly ones (solar energy, wind energy and sea currents),
• development of energy-saving and waste-free technologies,
• taxation of emissions into the environment,
• minimization of methane losses during its production, transportation through pipelines, distribution in cities and villages and use at heat supply stations and power plants,
• introduction of carbon dioxide absorption and binding technologies,
• tree planting,
• reduction in family size
• environmental education,
• application of phytomelioration in agriculture.

Global Environmental Issue #4: Acid Rain

Acid rain, containing fuel combustion products, also poses a threat to the environment, human health, and even to the integrity of architectural monuments.

The effects of acid rain

Solutions of sulfuric and nitric acids, aluminum and cobalt compounds contained in polluted precipitation and fog pollute the soil and water bodies, adversely affect vegetation, causing dry tops of deciduous trees and oppressing conifers. Due to acid rain, crop yields are falling, people are drinking water enriched with toxic metals (mercury, cadmium, lead), marble architectural monuments are turning into gypsum and eroding.

Solving an environmental problem

In order to save nature and architecture from acid rain, it is necessary to minimize the emissions of sulfur and nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere.

Global Environmental Issue #5: Soil Pollution

Every year people pollute the environment with 85 billion tons of waste. Among them are solid and liquid waste from industrial enterprises and transport, agricultural waste (including pesticides), household waste and atmospheric fallout of harmful substances.

The main role in soil pollution is played by such components of industrial waste as heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, thallium, bismuth, tin, vanadium, antimony), pesticides and petroleum products. From the soil, they penetrate into plants and water, even spring water. In a chain, toxic metals enter the human body and are not always quickly and completely removed from it. Some of them tend to accumulate over many years, provoking the development of serious diseases.

Global Environmental Issue #6: Water Pollution

Pollution of the oceans, underground and surface waters of land is a global environmental problem, the responsibility for which lies entirely with man.

Causes of the environmental problem

The main pollutants of the hydrosphere today are oil and oil products. These substances penetrate into the waters of the oceans as a result of the collapse of tankers and regular discharges of wastewater from industrial enterprises.

In addition to anthropogenic oil products, industrial and domestic facilities pollute the hydrosphere with heavy metals and complex organic compounds. Agriculture and the food industry are recognized as the leaders in poisoning the waters of the oceans with minerals and biogenic elements.

The hydrosphere does not bypass such a global environmental problem as radioactive contamination. The prerequisite for its formation was the disposal of radioactive waste in the waters of the oceans. From the 1949s to the 1970s, many powers with a developed nuclear industry and nuclear fleet purposefully stockpiled harmful radioactive substances into the seas and oceans. In the places of burial of radioactive containers, the level of cesium often goes off scale even today. But "underwater polygons" are not the only radioactive source of pollution of the hydrosphere. The waters of the seas and oceans are enriched with radiation as a result of underwater and surface nuclear explosions.

Consequences of radioactive contamination of water

Oil pollution of the hydrosphere leads to the destruction of the natural habitat of hundreds of representatives of oceanic flora and fauna, the death of plankton, seabirds and mammals. For human health, the poisoning of the waters of the oceans also poses a serious danger: fish and other seafood “infected” with radiation can easily get on the table.

Jan 31.05.2018 10:56
To avoid all this, it is necessary to solve everything not for the state budget, but for free!
And besides, you need to add environmental protection laws to your constitution of your country.
namely, strict laws that should make at least 3% of environmental pollution not
only of their homeland but also of all countries of the world!

24werwe 21.09.2017 14:50
The cause of air pollution soil water crypto-Jews. There are degenerates with signs of Jews on the streets. Greenpeace and environmentalists vile kriptoreyskie TV-ri. They are engaged in eternal criticism according to the Catechism of the Jew in the USSR (according to the Talmud). Promote dosed poisoning. They do not name the reason - the deliberate destruction of all living things by the Jews hiding under the labels of "peoples". There is only one way out: the destruction of the Jews with their agriculture and the cessation of production.

Water pollution

Any actions performed by a person with water lead to a change in both its physical properties (for example, when heated) and its chemical composition (in places of industrial effluents). Over time, the substances that have fallen into the water are grouped and remain in it already in the same state. The first category includes domestic and most industrial effluents. The second group includes various types of salts, pesticides, dyes. Let's take a closer look at some of the polluting factors.

Settlements

This is one of the main factors affecting the state of water. Liquid consumption per person per day in America is 750 liters. Of course, this is not the amount that you need to drink. A person consumes water when washing, using it for cooking, using the toilet. The main drain goes to the sewer. At the same time, water pollution increases depending on the number of inhabitants living in the settlement. Each city has its own treatment facilities, in which sewage is cleaned from bacteria and viruses that can seriously harm the human body. The purified liquid is dumped into the rivers. Pollution of water with domestic wastewater is also enhanced because, in addition to bacteria, it contains food residues, soap, paper and other substances that negatively affect its condition.

Industry

Any developed state should have its own plants and factories. This is the largest factor in water pollution. The liquid is used in technological processes, it serves both for cooling and for heating the product, various aqueous solutions are used in chemical reactions. More than 50% of all discharges come from the four main consumers of the liquid: oil refineries, steel and blast furnace shops, and the pulp and paper industry. Due to the fact that the disposal of hazardous waste is often an order of magnitude more expensive than their primary treatment, in most cases, along with industrial effluents, a large amount of a wide variety of substances is discharged into water bodies. Chemical pollution of water leads to a violation of the entire ecological situation in the whole region.

thermal effect

Most power plants operate using steam energy. Water in this case acts as a coolant, after passing through the process, it is simply discharged back into the river. The temperature of the current in such places can rise by several degrees. Such an impact is called thermal water pollution, but there are a number of objections to this term, since in some cases an increase in temperature can lead to an improvement in the environmental situation.

Oil pollution of water

Hydrocarbons are one of the main sources of energy on the entire planet. The collapse of tankers, gusts on oil pipelines form a film on the water surface through which air cannot enter. Spilled substances envelop marine life, which often leads to their death. Both volunteers and special equipment are involved in the elimination of pollution. Water is a life-giving resource. It is she who gives life to almost every creature on our planet. A negligent and irresponsible attitude towards it will lead to the fact that the Earth will simply turn into a desert scorched by the sun. Already, some countries are experiencing water shortages. Of course, there are projects to use the Arctic ice, but the best solution to the problem is to reduce the overall water pollution.