What pollutes the air in the city? What substances pollute the air? Air pollution from industrial enterprises.

Pollution of the Earth's atmosphere is a change in the natural concentration of gases and impurities in the air envelope of the planet, as well as the introduction of substances alien to it into the environment.

They first started talking about it at the international level forty years ago. In 1979, the Long Range Transboundary Convention appeared in Geneva. The first international agreement to reduce emissions was the 1997 Kyoto Protocol.

Although these measures are bringing results, air pollution remains a serious problem for society.

Air pollutants

Main components atmospheric air– nitrogen (78%) and oxygen (21%). The share of the inert gas argon is slightly less than one percent. The carbon dioxide concentration is 0.03%. The following are also present in the atmosphere in small quantities:

ozone,
neon,
methane,
xenon,
krypton,
nitrous oxide,
sulfur dioxide,
helium and hydrogen.

In clean air masses, carbon monoxide and ammonia are present in trace form. In addition to gases, the atmosphere contains water vapor, salt crystals, and dust.

Main air pollutants:

Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that affects the heat exchange between the Earth and the surrounding space, and therefore the climate.
Carbon monoxide or carbon monoxide, entering the human or animal body, causes poisoning (even death).
Hydrocarbons are toxic chemicals that irritate the eyes and mucous membranes.
Sulfur derivatives contribute to the formation and drying of plants, provoke respiratory diseases and allergies.
Nitrogen derivatives lead to pneumonia, cereals, bronchitis, frequent colds, and aggravate the course of cardiovascular diseases.
, accumulating in the body, cause cancer, gene changes, infertility, and premature death.

Air containing heavy metals poses a particular danger to human health. Pollutants such as cadmium, lead, and arsenic lead to oncology. Inhaled mercury vapor does not act immediately, but, deposited in the form of salts, destroys nervous system. In significant concentrations they are harmful and volatile organic matter: terpenoids, aldehydes, ketones, alcohols. Many of these air pollutants are mutagenic and carcinogenic.

Sources and classification of atmospheric pollution

Based on the nature of the phenomenon, the following types of air pollution are distinguished: chemical, physical and biological.

In the first case, an increased concentration of hydrocarbons, heavy metals, sulfur dioxide, ammonia, aldehydes, nitrogen and carbon oxides is observed in the atmosphere.
With biological pollution, the air contains waste products of various organisms, toxins, viruses, spores of fungi and bacteria.
Large amounts of dust or radionuclides in the atmosphere indicate physical contamination. This type also includes the consequences of thermal, noise and electromagnetic emissions.

The composition of the air environment is influenced by both man and nature. Natural sources of air pollution: volcanoes during activity, forest fires, soil erosion, dust storms, decomposition of living organisms. A tiny share of the influence also comes from cosmic dust formed as a result of the combustion of meteorites.

Anthropogenic sources of air pollution:

enterprises of the chemical, fuel, metallurgical, engineering industries;
agricultural activities (aerial pesticide spraying, livestock waste);
thermal power plants, heating of residential premises with coal and wood;
transport (the dirtiest types are planes and cars).

How is the degree of air pollution determined?

When monitoring the quality of atmospheric air in a city, not only the concentration of substances harmful to human health is taken into account, but also the time period of their exposure. Air pollution in the Russian Federation is assessed according to the following criteria:

Standard index (SI) is an indicator obtained by dividing the highest measured single concentration of a polluting material by the maximum permissible concentration of an impurity.
The index of pollution of our atmosphere (API) is a complex value, when calculating it, the coefficient of harmfulness of the pollutant is taken into account, as well as its concentration - the average annual and maximum permissible average daily.
Highest frequency (MR) – the percentage frequency of exceeding the maximum permissible concentration (maximum one-time) during a month or year.

The level of air pollution is considered low when the SI is less than 1, the API ranges from 0–4, and the NP does not exceed 10%. Among the major Russian cities, according to Rosstat materials, the most environmentally friendly are Taganrog, Sochi, Grozny and Kostroma.

At elevated level emissions into the atmosphere SI is 1–5, IZA – 5–6, NP – 10–20%. Regions with a high degree of air pollution have the following indicators: SI – 5–10, IZA – 7–13, NP – 20–50%. Very high level atmospheric pollution is observed in Chita, Ulan-Ude, Magnitogorsk and Beloyarsk.

Cities and countries in the world with the dirtiest air

In May 2016, the World Health Organization published its annual ranking of cities with the dirtiest air. The leader of the list was the Iranian city of Zabol, a city in the southeast of the country that regularly suffers from sandstorms. This atmospheric phenomenon lasts about four months and repeats every year. The second and third positions were taken by the Indian million-plus cities of Gwaliyar and Prayag. WHO gave the next place to the capital Saudi Arabia- Riyadh.

Rounding out the top five cities with the dirtiest atmosphere is Al-Jubail, a relatively small place in terms of population on the shores of the Persian Gulf and at the same time a large industrial oil-producing and refining center. The Indian cities of Patna and Raipur again found themselves on the sixth and seventh steps. The main sources of air pollution there are industrial enterprises and transport.

In most cases, air pollution is a pressing problem for developing countries. However, the deterioration of the condition environment causes not only rapidly growing industry and transport infrastructure, but also man-made disasters. A striking example of this is Japan, which experienced a radiation accident in 2011.

The top 7 states where the air condition is considered depressing is as follows:

China. In some regions of the country, the level of air pollution exceeds the norm by 56 times.
India. The largest state of Hindustan leads in the number of cities with the worst ecology.
SOUTH AFRICA. The country's economy is dominated by heavy industry, which is also the main source of pollution.
Mexico. The environmental situation in the capital of the state, Mexico City, has improved markedly over the past twenty years, but smog is still not uncommon in the city.
Indonesia suffers not only from industrial emissions, but also from forest fires.
Japan. The country, despite widespread landscaping and the use of scientific and technological achievements in the environmental sphere, regularly faces the problem of acid rain and smog.
Libya. The main source of environmental woes in the North African state is the oil industry.

Consequences

Air pollution is one of the main reasons for the increase in the number of respiratory diseases, both acute and chronic. Harmful impurities contained in the air contribute to the development of lung cancer, heart disease, and stroke. According to WHO estimates, air pollution causes 3.7 million premature deaths worldwide each year. Most such cases are recorded in the countries of Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific region.

In large industrial centers, such an unpleasant phenomenon as smog is often observed. The accumulation of dust, water and smoke particles in the air reduces visibility on the roads, which leads to an increase in the number of accidents. Aggressive substances increase corrosion metal structures, negatively affect the state of flora and fauna. Smog poses the greatest danger to asthmatics, people suffering from emphysema, bronchitis, angina pectoris, hypertension, and VSD. Even healthy people who inhale aerosols may experience severe headaches, watery eyes and a sore throat.

Saturation of air with sulfur and nitrogen oxides leads to the formation of acid rain. After precipitation with a low pH level, fish die in reservoirs, and surviving individuals cannot give birth to offspring. As a result, the species and numerical composition of populations is reduced. Acidic precipitation leaches nutrients, thereby depleting the soil. They leave chemical burns on the leaves and weaken the plants. Such rains and fogs also pose a threat to human habitats: acidic water corrodes pipes, cars, building facades, and monuments.

An increased amount of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, ozone, methane, water vapor) in the air leads to an increase in the temperature of the lower layers of the Earth's atmosphere. The direct consequence is the warming of the climate that has been observed over the past sixty years.

Weather conditions are significantly affected by and formed under the influence of bromine, chlorine, oxygen and hydrogen atoms. In addition to simple substances, ozone molecules can also destroy organic and inorganic compounds: freon derivatives, methane, hydrogen chloride. Why is weakening the shield dangerous for the environment and people? Due to the thinning of the layer, solar activity increases, which, in turn, leads to an increase in mortality among representatives of marine flora and fauna, and an increase in the number of cancer diseases.

How to make the air cleaner?

The introduction of technologies in production that reduce emissions can reduce air pollution. In the field of thermal power engineering, one should rely on alternative energy sources: build solar, wind, geothermal, tidal and wave power plants. The state of the air environment is positively affected by the transition to combined energy and heat generation.

In the fight for clean air, a comprehensive waste management program is an important element of the strategy. It should be aimed at reducing the amount of waste, as well as sorting, recycling or reusing it. Urban planning aimed at improving the environment, including the air environment, involves improving the energy efficiency of buildings, building cycling infrastructure, and developing high-speed urban transport.

Man has been polluting the atmosphere for thousands of years, but the consequences of the use of fire, which he used throughout this period, were insignificant. I had to put up with the fact that smoke interfered with breathing, and that soot lay a black cover on the ceiling and walls of the home. The resulting heat was more important to humans than clean air and smoke-free cave walls. This initial air pollution was not a problem, since people then lived in small groups, occupying an immeasurably vast, untouched natural environment. And even a significant concentration of people in a relatively small area, as was the case in classical antiquity, was not yet accompanied by serious consequences.

This was the case until the beginning of the nineteenth century. Only over the last hundred years, the development of industry has “gifted” us with such production processes, the consequences of which at first people could not yet imagine. Millionaire cities have emerged whose growth cannot be stopped. All this is the result of great inventions and conquests of man.

There are basically three main sources of air pollution: industry, domestic boilers, and transport. The contribution of each of these sources to total air pollution varies greatly depending on location. It is now generally accepted that industrial production produces the most air pollution. Sources of pollution are thermal power plants, which, along with smoke, emit sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide into the air; metallurgical enterprises, especially non-ferrous metallurgy, which emit nitrogen oxides, hydrogen sulfide, chlorine, fluorine, ammonia, phosphorus compounds, particles and compounds of mercury and arsenic into the air; chemical and cement plants. Harmful gases enter the air as a result of burning fuel for industrial needs, heating homes, operating transport, burning and processing household and industrial waste. Atmospheric pollutants are divided into primary, which enter directly into the atmosphere, and secondary, which are the result of the transformation of the latter. Thus, sulfur dioxide gas entering the atmosphere is oxidized to sulfuric anhydride, which reacts with water vapor and forms droplets of sulfuric acid. When sulfuric anhydride reacts with ammonia, ammonium sulfate crystals are formed. Similarly, as a result of chemical, photochemical, physicochemical reactions between pollutants and atmospheric components, other secondary characteristics are formed. The main sources of pyrogenic pollution on the planet are thermal power plants, metallurgical and chemical enterprises, and boiler plants, which consume more than 170% of the annually produced solid and liquid fuel. The main harmful impurities of pyrogenic origin are the following:

a) Carbon monoxide. It is produced by incomplete combustion of carbonaceous substances. It enters the air as a result of the combustion of solid waste, exhaust gases and emissions from industrial enterprises. Every year, at least 1250 million tons of this gas enter the atmosphere. Carbon monoxide is a compound that reacts actively with components atmosphere and contributes to an increase in temperature on the planet and the creation of a greenhouse effect.
b) Sulfur dioxide. Released during the combustion of sulfur-containing fuel or processing of sulfur ores (up to 170 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 65 percent of global emissions.
c) Sulfuric anhydride. Formed by the oxidation of sulfur dioxide. The final product of the reaction is an aerosol or solution of sulfuric acid in rainwater, which acidifies the soil and aggravates diseases of the human respiratory tract. Fallout of sulfuric acid aerosol from smoke flares chemical plants are observed under low clouds and high air humidity. Leaf blades of plants growing at a distance of less than 11 km. from such enterprises are usually densely dotted with small necrotic spots formed in places where drops of sulfuric acid settled. Pyrometallurgical enterprises of non-ferrous and ferrous metallurgy, as well as thermal power plants, annually emit tens of millions of tons of sulfuric anhydride into the atmosphere.
d) Hydrogen sulfide and carbon disulfide. They enter the atmosphere separately or together with other sulfur compounds. The main sources of emissions are enterprises producing artificial fiber, sugar, coke plants, oil refineries, and oil fields. In the atmosphere, when interacting with other pollutants, they undergo slow oxidation to sulfuric anhydride.
e) Nitrogen oxides. The main sources of emissions are enterprises producing nitrogen fertilizers, nitric acid and nitrates, aniline dyes, nitro compounds, viscose silk, and celluloid. The amount of nitrogen oxides entering the atmosphere is 20 million tons. in year.
f) Fluorine compounds. Sources of pollution are enterprises producing aluminum, enamels, glass, ceramics, steel, and phosphate fertilizers. Fluorine-containing substances enter the atmosphere in the form of gases different connections- hydrogen fluoride or sodium and calcium fluoride dust. The compounds are characterized by a toxic effect. Fluorine derivatives are strong insecticides.
g) Chlorine compounds. They enter the atmosphere from chemical plants producing hydrochloric acid, chlorine-containing pesticides, organic dyes, hydrolytic alcohol, bleach, and soda. In the atmosphere they are found as impurities of chlorine molecules and hydrochloric acid vapors. The toxicity of chlorine is determined by the type of compounds and their concentration. In the metallurgical industry, when smelting cast iron and processing it into steel, various heavy metals and toxic gases are released into the atmosphere. So, per 11 tons of pig iron, 12.7 kg is released. 0 sulfur dioxide and 14.5 kg. 0dust particles that determine the amount of compounds of arsenic, phosphorus, antimony, lead, mercury vapor and rare metals, resin substances and hydrogen cyanide.

The concept of "atmospheric resources"

Atmospheric air as a resource. Atmospheric air is a natural mixture of gases in the surface layer of the atmosphere outside residential, industrial and other premises, which developed during the evolution of our planet. It is one of the main vital elements of nature.

Atmospheric air performs a number of complex environmental functions, namely:

1) regulates the thermal regime of the Earth, promotes the redistribution of heat around the globe;

2) serves as an irreplaceable source of oxygen necessary for the existence of all life on Earth. When characterizing the special importance of air in human life, it is emphasized that a person can live without air for only a few minutes;

3) is a conductor of solar energy, serves as protection from harmful cosmic radiation, and forms the basis of climatic and weather conditions on Earth;

4) intensively exploited as a transport communication;

5) saves everything living on Earth from destructive ultraviolet, x-rays and cosmic rays;

6) protects the Earth from various celestial bodies. The overwhelming majority of meteorites are no larger than a pea. With enormous speed (from 11 to 64 km/s), under the influence of gravity, they crash into the planet’s atmosphere, heat up due to friction with the air, and at an altitude of about 60-70 km they mostly burn out;

7) determines the light regime of the Earth, breaks the sun's rays into millions of small rays, scatters them and creates the uniform illumination to which a person is accustomed;

8) is the medium where sounds propagate. Without air, the Earth would be silent;

9) has the ability to self-clean. It occurs when aerosols are washed out of the atmosphere by precipitation, turbulent mixing in the ground layer of air, and the deposition of contaminated substances on the surface of the earth.

Atmospheric air and the atmosphere in general have many other environmental and socially beneficial properties. For example, atmospheric air is widely used as a natural resource in the national economy. Mineral nitrogen fertilizers, nitric acid and its salts are produced from atmospheric nitrogen. Argon and nitrogen are used in metallurgy, chemical and petrochemical industries (for a number of technological processes). Oxygen and hydrogen are also obtained from atmospheric air.

Air pollution from industrial enterprises

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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If we consider ecological problems, then 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? IN 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:

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.
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.
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 phenomenon Tons of dust rise, causing air pollution.

Artificial sources

To air pollution in Russia and others developed countries often cites 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 pollution air 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 complex process, involving huge emissions from 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 machines that have the most significant impact on it. negative impact, since there are much 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. All large quantity 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 and have a long period decomposition and emit vapors that have an extremely unfavorable 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.

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. It's worth starting with the environment.

Firstly, due to polluted air, Greenhouse effect, 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.
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.
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. Emissions enter the lungs and cause malfunctions respiratory system, 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:

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.
To avoid air pollution from cars, you should switch to alternative and less harmful energy sources, e.g. solar panels or electricity.
Replacing combustible fuels with more accessible and less dangerous ones, such as water, wind, will help protect the atmospheric air from pollution. sunlight and others that do not require combustion.
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.
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.
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.

Atmospheric pollution The atmosphere is the air envelope of the Earth. The quality of the atmosphere is understood as the totality of its properties that determine the degree of influence of physical, chemical and biological factors on people, plants and animal world, as well as on materials, structures and the environment in general. Atmospheric pollution is understood as the introduction of impurities into it that are not found in natural air or that change the ratio between the ingredients of the natural composition of air. The size of the Earth's population and the rate of its growth are predetermining factors in increasing the intensity of pollution of all geospheres of the Earth, including the atmosphere, since with their increase the volumes and rates of everything that is mined, produced, consumed and sent to waste increase. The main pollutants of atmospheric air: Carbon monoxide Nitrogen oxides Sulfur dioxide Hydrocarbons Aldehydes Heavy metals (Pb, Cu, Zn, Cd, Cr) Ammonia Atmospheric dust

Impurities Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless gas also known as carbon monoxide. It is formed as a result of incomplete combustion of fossil fuels (coal, gas, oil) under conditions of lack of oxygen and at low temperatures. At the same time, 65% of all emissions come from transport, 21% from small consumers and the household sector, and 14% from industry. When inhaled, carbon monoxide, due to the double bond present in its molecule, forms strong complex compounds with hemoglobin in human blood and thereby blocks the flow of oxygen into the blood. Carbon dioxide (CO2) - or carbon dioxide, is a colorless gas with a sour odor and taste, a product of the complete oxidation of carbon. It is one of the greenhouse gases.

Impurities The greatest air pollution is observed in cities, where the usual pollutants are dust, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, etc. In some cities, due to the characteristics industrial production the air contains specific harmful substances, such as sulfur and hydrochloric acid, styrene, benzopyrene, carbon black, manganese, chromium, lead, methyl methacrylate. There are several hundred different air pollutants in cities.

Impurities Sulfur dioxide (SO2) (sulfur dioxide, sulfur dioxide) is a colorless gas with a pungent odor. It is formed during the combustion of sulfur-containing fossil fuels, mainly coal, as well as during the processing of sulfur ores. It is primarily involved in the formation of acid rain. Global SO2 emissions are estimated at 190 million tons per year. Long-term exposure to sulfur dioxide in humans first leads to loss of taste, constricted breathing, and then to inflammation or swelling of the lungs, interruptions in cardiac activity, impaired circulation and respiratory arrest. Nitrogen oxides (nitrogen oxide and dioxide) are gaseous substances: nitrogen monoxide NO and nitrogen dioxide NO2 are combined by one general formula NOx. During all combustion processes, nitrogen oxides are formed, mostly in the form of oxide. The higher the combustion temperature, the more intense the formation of nitrogen oxides. Another source of nitrogen oxides are enterprises producing nitrogen fertilizers, nitric acid and nitrates, aniline dyes, and nitro compounds. The amount of nitrogen oxides entering the atmosphere is 65 million tons per year. Of the total amount of nitrogen oxides emitted into the atmosphere, transport accounts for 55%, energy – 28%, industrial enterprises – 14%, small consumers and the household sector – 3%.

Impurities Ozone (O3) is a gas with a characteristic odor, a stronger oxidizing agent than oxygen. It is considered one of the most toxic of all common air pollutants. In the lower atmospheric layer, ozone is formed as a result of photochemical processes involving nitrogen dioxide and volatile organic compounds. Hydrocarbons – chemical compounds carbon and hydrogen. These include thousands of different air pollutants contained in unburned gasoline, liquids used in dry cleaning, industrial solvents, etc. Lead (Pb) is a silvery-gray metal that is toxic in any known form. Widely used in the production of paints, ammunition, printing alloy, etc. About 60% of the world's lead production is spent annually on the production of acid batteries. However, the main source (about 80%) of air pollution with lead compounds is the exhaust gases of vehicles that use leaded gasoline. Industrial dusts, depending on the mechanism of their formation, are divided into the following 4 classes: mechanical dust - formed as a result of grinding the product during technological process; sublimates - are formed as a result of volumetric condensation of vapors of substances during cooling of gas passed through a technological apparatus, installation or unit; fly ash - a non-combustible fuel residue contained in the flue gas in suspension, formed from its mineral impurities during combustion; industrial soot is a solid, highly dispersed carbon that is part of industrial emissions and is formed during incomplete combustion or thermal decomposition of hydrocarbons. The main sources of anthropogenic aerosol air pollution are thermal power plants (TPPs) consuming coal. Coal combustion, cement production and iron smelting produce a total dust emission into the atmosphere equal to 170 million tons per year.

Atmospheric pollution Impurities enter the atmosphere in the form of gases, vapors, liquid and solid particles. Gases and vapors form mixtures with air, and liquid and solid particles form aerosols (dispersed systems), which are divided into dust (particle sizes greater than 1 micron), smoke (solid particle sizes less than 1 micron) and fog (liquid particle size less than 10 microns ). Dust, in turn, can be coarse (particle size more than 50 microns), medium dispersed (50-10 microns) and fine (less than 10 microns). Depending on their size, liquid particles are divided into superfine fog (up to 0.5 microns), fine fog (0.5-3.0 microns), coarse fog (3-10 microns) and splashes (over 10 microns). Aerosols are often polydisperse, i.e. contain particles of different sizes. The second source of radioactive impurities is the nuclear industry. Impurities enter the environment during the extraction and enrichment of fossil raw materials, their use in reactors, and the processing of nuclear fuel in installations. Constant sources of aerosol pollution include industrial dumps - artificial embankments of redeposited material, mainly overburden rocks formed during mining or from waste from processing industry enterprises and thermal power plants. Production of cement and others building materials It is also a source of dust pollution in the atmosphere. Coal combustion, cement production and iron smelting produce a total dust emission into the atmosphere equal to 170 million tons/year. 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. Dangerous anthropogenic factors that contribute to a serious deterioration in the quality of the atmosphere include its contamination with radioactive dust. The residence time of small particles in the lower layer of the troposphere is on average several days, and in the upper layer – days. As for particles that enter the stratosphere, they can stay there for up to a year, and sometimes more.

Atmospheric pollution The main sources of anthropogenic aerosol air pollution are thermal power plants (TPPs) consuming high-ash coal, enrichment plants, metallurgical, cement, magnesite and other plants. Aerosol particles from these sources are characterized by great chemical diversity. 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, petrochemical and other similar enterprises.

INFLUENCE OF ATMOSPHERE POLLUTION ON HUMANS All substances polluting the atmospheric air to a greater or lesser extent have bad influence on human health. These substances enter the human body primarily through the respiratory system. The respiratory organs are directly affected by pollution, since about 50% of impurity particles with a radius of 0. microns that penetrate the lungs are deposited in them. Statistical analysis made it possible to fairly reliably establish the relationship between the level of air pollution and diseases such as damage to the upper respiratory tract, heart failure, bronchitis, asthma, pneumonia, emphysema, and eye diseases. A sharp increase in the concentration of impurities, which persists for several days, increases the mortality rate of elderly people from respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. In December 1930, the Meuse Valley (Belgium) experienced severe air pollution for 3 days; as a result, hundreds of people became ill and 60 people died—more than 10 times the average death rate. In January 1931, in the Manchester area (Great Britain), there was heavy smoke in the air for 9 days, which caused the death of 592 people. Widely known There were cases of severe air pollution in London, accompanied by numerous deaths. In 1873 there were 268 unexpected deaths in London. Heavy smoke combined with fog between 5 and 8 December 1852 resulted in the deaths of over 4,000 residents of Greater London. In January 1956, about 1,000 Londoners died as a result of prolonged smoke. Most of those who died unexpectedly suffered from bronchitis, emphysema or cardiovascular disease.

EFFECT OF ATMOSPHERE POLLUTION ON HUMANS Nitrogen oxides and some other substances Nitrogen oxides (primarily toxic nitrogen dioxide NO2), combined with the participation of ultraviolet solar radiation with hydrocarbons (oleophins are the most reactive), form peroxylacetyl nitrate (PAN) and other photochemical oxidizers, including peroxybenzoyl nitrate (PBN), ozone (O3), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and nitrogen dioxide. These oxidizers are the main components of photochemical smog, the frequency of which is high in heavily polluted cities located at low latitudes of the northern and southern hemispheres (Los Angeles, which experiences smog about 200 days a year, Chicago, New York and other US cities; a number of cities Japan, Turkey, France, Spain, Italy, Africa and South America).

THE EFFECT OF ATMOSPHERE POLLUTION ON HUMANS Let's name some other air pollutants that have a harmful effect on humans. It has been established that people who professionally deal with asbestos have an increased likelihood of cancer of the bronchi and diaphragms that separate the chest and abdominal cavity. Beryllium has a harmful effect (up to the occurrence of cancer) on Airways, as well as on the skin and eyes. Mercury vapor causes disruption of the central upper system and kidneys. Since mercury can accumulate in the human body, its exposure ultimately leads to mental impairment. In cities, due to constantly increasing air pollution, the number of patients suffering from diseases such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema, various allergic diseases and lung cancer is steadily increasing. In the UK, 10% of deaths are due to chronic bronchitis, with 21; aged population suffers from this disease. In Japan, in a number of cities, up to 60% of residents suffer from chronic bronchitis, the symptoms of which are a dry cough with frequent expectoration, subsequent progressive difficulty breathing and heart failure (in this regard, it should be noted that the so-called Japanese economic miracle of the 50s - 60s years was accompanied by severe pollution of the natural environment of one of the most beautiful areas of the globe and serious damage caused to the health of the population of this country). In recent decades, the number of cases of bronchial and lung cancer, caused by carcinogenic hydrocarbons, has been growing at an alarming rate. The influence of radioactive substances on flora and fauna Spreading through the food chain (from plants to animals), radioactive substances enter the human body with food and can accumulate in such quantities that can harm human health.

INFLUENCE OF ATMOSPHERE POLLUTION ON HUMANS Radiation from radioactive substances has the following effects on the body: weaken the irradiated body, slow down growth, reduce resistance to infections and the body’s immunity; reduce life expectancy, reduce natural growth rates due to temporary or complete sterilization; different ways affects genes, the consequences of which appear in the second or third generations; have a cumulative (accumulating) effect, causing irreversible effects. The severity of the effects of radiation depends on the amount of energy (radiation) emitted by the radioactive substance absorbed by the body. The unit of this energy is row 1 - this is the radiation dose at which 1 g of living matter absorbs 10-5 J of energy. It has been established that at a dose exceeding 1000 rads, a person dies; at a dose of 7000 and 200 rad, death is observed in 90 and 10% of cases, respectively; in the case of a dose of 100 rad, the person survives, but the likelihood of cancer increases significantly, as well as the likelihood of complete sterilization.

THE EFFECT OF ATMOSPHERE POLLUTION ON HUMANS It is not surprising that people have adapted well to the natural radioactivity of the environment. Moreover, there are known groups of people living in areas with high radioactivity, significantly higher than the average for the globe (for example, in one of the regions of Brazil, residents receive about 1600 mrad per year, which is several times more than the usual radiation dose). On average, the dose of ionizing radiation received per year by every inhabitant of the planet ranges between 50 and 200 mrad, with natural radioactivity (cosmic rays) accounting for about 25 billion radioactivity rocks- about mrad. One should also take into account the doses that a person receives from artificial sources of radiation. In the UK, for example, every year a person receives about 100 mrad from fluoroscopic examinations. TV emissions are approximately 10 mrad. Nuclear industry waste and radioactive fallout - about 3 mrad.

Conclusion At the end of the 20th century, world civilization entered a stage of its development when the problems of survival and self-preservation of humanity, preservation of the natural environment and rational use of natural resources came to the fore. Modern stage development of mankind has revealed problems caused by the growth of the Earth's population, contradictions between traditional management and the increasing pace of use of natural resources, pollution of the biosphere with industrial waste and the limited capabilities of the biosphere to neutralize them. These contradictions hinder the further scientific and technological progress of mankind and become a threat to its existence. Only in the second half of the 20th century, thanks to the development of ecology and the dissemination of environmental knowledge among the population, it became obvious that humanity is an indispensable part of the biosphere, that the conquest of nature, the uncontrolled use of its resources and environmental pollution is a dead end in the development of civilization and in the evolution of man himself. That's why the most important condition development of humanity - careful attitude towards nature, comprehensive care for the rational use and restoration of its resources, and the preservation of a favorable environment. However, many do not understand the close relationship between economic activity people and the state of the environment. Broad environmental education should help people to acquire the environmental knowledge and ethical norms and values, attitudes and lifestyles that are necessary for sustainable development nature and society.