The most dangerous water pollution. Natural sources of clogging

The danger of water pollution for humans

test

2. Pollution of the hydrosphere

To begin with, I want to give a brief definition of such a concept as pollution of water bodies. Pollution of water bodies is understood as a decrease in their biospheric functions and ecological significance as a result of the entry of harmful substances into them.

Water pollution is manifested in a change in physical and organoleptic properties (violation of transparency, color, smell, taste), an increase in the content of sulfates, chlorides, nitrates, toxic heavy metals, a reduction in air oxygen dissolved in water, the appearance of radioactive elements, pathogenic bacteria and other pollutants.

Our country has one of the highest water potentials in the world - each inhabitant of Russia has over 30 thousand m 3 /year of water. However, at present, due to pollution or clogging, which is the same in total, about 70% of the rivers and lakes of Russia have lost their qualities as sources of drinking water supply, as a result, about half of the population consumes polluted poor-quality water, which is naturally one of the main reasons reducing the survival of each person. In 1998 alone, industrial, municipal and agricultural enterprises discharged 60 km 3 of wastewater into the surface water bodies of Russia, 40% of which were classified as polluted. Only a tenth of them underwent regulatory clearance. The historical balance in the water environment of Lake Baikal, the most unique lake on our planet, which, according to scientists, could provide clean water to all mankind for almost half a century, has been disturbed. Over the past 15 years alone, more than 100 km 3 of Baikal water has been polluted. More than 8500 tons of oil products, 750 tons of nitrates, 13 thousand tons of chlorides and other pollutants were annually supplied to the water area of the lake. Scientists believe that only the size of the lake and the huge volume of water mass, as well as the ability of biota to participate in self-purification processes, save the Baikal ecosystem from complete degradation.

It has been established that more than 400 types of substances can cause water pollution. If the permissible norm is exceeded by at least one of the three indicators of harmfulness: sanitary-toxicological, general sanitary or organoleptic, the water is considered contaminated.

There are chemical, biological and physical pollutants. Among the chemical pollutants, the most common are oil and oil products, surfactants (synthetic surfactants), pesticides, heavy metals, dioxins. Biological pollutants, such as viruses and other pathogens, and physical pollutants, radioactive substances, heat, etc., pollute water very dangerously.

Anthropogenic pollution of the environment of Sevastopol

The ecological situation of coastal cities directly depends on the state of coastal waters. Scientists of the Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas note that at present the Sevastopol bays have become much cleaner than 15 years ago...

The impact of the production of fodder yeast from wood and agricultural waste (sunflower husks, straw, etc.) by hydrolysis on the environment and the development of measures to improve the environmental situation

In accordance with the Rules for the Protection of Surface Waters, all water bodies are divided into two types of water use: 1. Household and drinking and cultural and household water use; 2...

Environmental impact of agriculture

The influence of agricultural machinery on natural environments In the course of agricultural activities, a person uses a large arsenal of special equipment ...

Geoecological problems of the Norilsk industrial complex

With regard to water pollution, a complex picture is observed, due to strong anthropogenic changes in the relief, the influence of permafrost and other natural and climatic conditions ...

Global environmental problems of our time

One of the most valuable resources of the Earth is the hydrosphere - oceans, seas, rivers, lakes, glaciers of the Arctic and Antarctic. There are 1385 million kilometers of water reserves on Earth and very little, only 25% of fresh water suitable for human life ...

Water pollution is manifested in a change in its properties (violation of transparency, color, odors, taste), an increase in the content of toxic heavy metals, a reduction in oxygen dissolved in water, the appearance of radioactive elements ...

Pollution of the hydrosphere. Causes, sources, solutions

Wastewater is divided into three groups: fan, or fecal; household, including drains from the galley, showers, laundries, etc.; subsoil, or oil-containing. Fan wastewater is characterized by high bacterial contamination...

Change in the quality of the environment as a result of anthropogenic activities

Key problems of global ecology

Human economic activity is largely associated with the extraction and processing of minerals, chemical synthesis and use for these purposes ...

The danger of water pollution for humans

Estimation of waste generation volumes

When calculating the predicted volume of surface runoff (drawing up limits and licenses for water use, developing draft standards for MPD pollutants into water bodies ...

The problem of pollution of the biosphere

Pollution of water bodies is understood as a decrease in their biospheric functions and ecological significance as a result of the entry of harmful substances into them ...

Regional environmental problems and ways to solve them

The aquatic environment is land waters (rivers, lakes, reservoirs, ponds, canals), the World Ocean, glaciers, groundwater containing natural and man-made and man-made formations, which, being affected by exogenous, endogenous and man-made forces ...

Ecology of the Amur

Human economic activity is largely associated with the extraction and processing of minerals, chemical synthesis and use for these purposes ...

Introduction

Water and life are inseparable concepts. Therefore, the abstract of this topic is immense, and I consider only some, especially topical problems.

The existence of the biosphere and man has always been based on the use of water. Mankind has constantly sought to increase water consumption, exerting a huge multilateral impact on the hydrosphere.

At the current stage of development of the technosphere, when the human impact on the hydrosphere is increasing in the world, and natural systems have largely lost their protective properties, new approaches are obviously needed, ecologolization of thinking, “awareness of the realities and trends that have appeared in the world in relation to nature in as a whole and its components. This fully applies to the awareness of such a terrible evil as pollution and depletion of waters in our time.

Hydrosphere pollution

For a long time, the problem of water pollution was not acute for most countries. The available resources were sufficient to meet the needs of the local population. With the growth of industry, the increase in the amount of water used by man, the situation has changed dramatically. Now the issues of its purification and preservation of quality are being dealt with at the international level.

Methods for determining the degree of pollution

Water pollution is commonly understood as a change in its chemical or physical composition, biological characteristics. This defines restrictions on further use of the resource. The pollution of fresh waters deserves great attention, because their purity is inextricably linked with the quality of life and human health.

In order to determine the state of water, a number of indicators are measured. Among them:

chromaticity;
degree of turbidity;
smell;
pH level;
the content of heavy metals, trace elements and organic substances;
coli titer;
hydrobiological indicators;
the amount of oxygen dissolved in water;
oxidizability;
the presence of pathogenic microflora;
chemical oxygen demand, etc.

In almost all countries, there are supervisory authorities that must, at certain intervals, depending on the degree of importance of a pond, lake, river, etc., determine the quality from the contents. If deviations are found, the reasons that could provoke water pollution are identified. Then steps are taken to eliminate them.

What causes resource pollution?

There are many reasons that can cause water pollution. It is not always associated with human activities or industrial enterprises. Natural disasters that occur periodically in different areas can also disrupt environmental conditions. The most common reasons are considered to be:

Domestic and industrial waste water. If they do not pass the system of purification from synthetic, chemical elements and organic substances, then, getting into water bodies, they are capable of provoking a water-environmental catastrophe.
. This problem is not spoken about so often, so as not to provoke social tension. But the exhaust gases that enter the atmosphere after the emissions of road transport, industrial enterprises, along with rains, end up on the ground, polluting the environment.
Solid waste, which can not only change the state of the biological environment in the reservoir, but also the flow itself. Often this leads to flooding of rivers and lakes, obstruction of the flow.
Organic pollution associated with human activities, natural decomposition of dead animals, plants, etc.
Industrial accidents and man-made disasters.
Floods.
Thermal pollution associated with the production of electricity and other energy. In some cases, water is heated up to 7 degrees, which causes the death of microorganisms, plants and fish, which require a different temperature regime.
Avalanches, mudflows, etc.

In some cases, nature itself is able to clean up water resources over time. But the period of chemical reactions will be long. Most often, the death of inhabitants of reservoirs and pollution of fresh water cannot be prevented without human intervention.

The process of moving pollutants in water

If we are not talking about solid waste, then in all other cases, pollutants can exist:

in a dissolved state;
in a balanced state.

They may be droplets or small particles. Biocontaminants are observed in the form of live microorganisms or viruses.

If solid particles get into the water, they will not necessarily settle to the bottom. Depending on the current, storm events, they are able to rise to the surface. An additional factor is the composition of the water. In the sea, it is almost impossible for such particles to sink to the bottom. As a result of the current, they easily move over long distances.

Experts draw attention to the fact that due to the change in the direction of the current in coastal areas, the level of pollution is traditionally higher.

Regardless of the type of pollutant, it can enter the body of fish that live in a reservoir, or birds that are looking for food in the water. If this does not lead to the direct death of the creature, then it can affect the further food chain. There is a high probability that this is how water pollution poisons people and worsens their health.

The main results of the impact of pollution on the environment

Regardless of whether the pollutant enters the body of a person, fish, animal, a protective reaction is triggered. Some types of toxins can be neutralized by immune cells. In most cases, a living organism needs help in the form of treatment so that the processes do not become serious and do not lead to death.

Scientists determine, depending on the source of pollution and its influence, the following indicators of poisoning:

Genotoxicity. Heavy metals and other trace elements are ways to damage and change the structure of DNA. As a result, serious problems are observed in the development of a living organism, the risk of diseases increases, etc.
Carcinogenicity. The problems of oncology are closely related to what kind of water a person or animals consumes. The danger lies in the fact that a cell, having turned into a cancer cell, is able to quickly regenerate the rest in the body.
neurotoxicity. Many metals, chemicals can affect the nervous system. Everyone knows the phenomenon of the release of whales, which is provoked by such pollution. The behavior of sea and river inhabitants becomes inadequate. They are not only able to kill themselves, but also begin to devour those who were previously uninteresting to them. Getting into the human body with water or food from such fish and animals, chemicals can provoke a slowdown in the reaction of the brain, destruction of nerve cells, etc.
Violation of energy exchange. By acting on mitochondrial cells, pollutants are able to change the processes of energy production. As a result, the body ceases to carry out active actions. Lack of energy can cause death.
reproductive insufficiency. If water pollution causes the death of living organisms not so often, then it can affect the state of health in 100 percent of cases. Scientists are especially concerned that their ability to reproduce a new generation is being lost. Solving this genetic problem is not easy. Requires artificial renewal of the aquatic environment.

How does water control and treatment work?

Realizing that pollution of fresh water endangers human existence, government agencies at the national and international levels create requirements for the implementation of enterprises and people's behavior. These frameworks are reflected in the documents regulating the procedures for water control and the operation of purification systems.

There are the following cleaning methods:

Mechanical or primary. Its task is to prevent large objects from entering the reservoirs. To do this, special gratings and filters are installed on the pipes through which the drains go. It is required to clean the pipes in a timely manner, otherwise the blockage can cause an accident.
Specialized. Designed to capture pollutants of a single type. For example, there are traps for fats, oil slicks, flocs, which are deposited with the help of coagulants.
Chemical. It implies that wastewater will be reused in a closed cycle. Therefore, knowing their composition at the outlet, they select chemicals that are able to return water to its original state. Usually this is technical water, not drinking water.
Tertiary cleaning. In order for water to be used in everyday life, agriculture, and in the food industry, its quality must be impeccable. To do this, it is treated with special compounds or powders that are capable of retaining heavy metals, harmful microorganisms and other substances in the process of multi-stage filtration.

In everyday life, more and more people are trying to install powerful filters that eliminate pollution caused by old communications and pipes.

Diseases that dirty water can provoke

Until it became clear that pathogens and bacteria can enter the body with water, humanity was faced with. After all, epidemics observed periodically in a particular country claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.

The most common diseases that bad water can lead to include:

cholera;
enterovirus;
giardiasis;
schistosomiasis;
amoebiasis;
congenital deformities;
mental anomalies;
intestinal disorders;
gastritis;
skin lesions;
mucous burns;
oncological diseases;
decrease in reproductive function;
endocrine disorders.

The purchase of bottled water and the installation of filters is a means of preventing diseases. Some use silver items, which also partially disinfect the water.

Water pollution has the power to change the planet and make the quality of life completely different. That is why the issue of water conservation is constantly raised by environmental organizations and research centers. This makes it possible to draw the attention of enterprises, the public, and government agencies to existing problems and stimulate the start of active actions to prevent a catastrophe.

Water is the most valuable natural resource. Its role is participation in the process of metabolism of all substances that are the basis of any life form. It is impossible to imagine the activity of industrial, agricultural enterprises without the use of water, it is indispensable in human everyday life. Everyone needs water: people, animals, plants. For some, it is a habitat.

The rapid development of human life, the inefficient use of resources has led to the fact that e environmental problems (including water pollution) have become too acute. Their solution is in the first place for humanity. Scientists, environmentalists around the world are sounding the alarm and trying to find a solution to the world problem

Sources of water pollution

There are many reasons for pollution, and not always the human factor is to blame. Natural disasters also harm clean water bodies and disrupt the ecological balance.

The most common sources of water pollution are:

Industrial, domestic waste water. Having not passed the system of purification from chemical harmful substances, they, getting into the reservoir, provoke an ecological catastrophe.

Tertiary cleaning. Water is treated with powders, special compounds, filtered in many stages, killing harmful organisms and destroying other substances. It is used for domestic needs of citizens, as well as in the food industry, in agriculture.

- radioactive contamination of water

The main sources that pollute the oceans include the following radioactive factors:

nuclear weapons testing;
dumping of radioactive waste;
major accidents (ships with nuclear reactors, Chernobyl);
burial at the bottom of the oceans, seas of radioactive waste.

Environmental problems and water pollution are directly related to radioactive waste contamination. For example, French and British nuclear plants have infected almost the entire North Atlantic. Our country has become the culprit of the pollution of the Arctic Ocean. Three nuclear underground reactors, as well as the production of Krasnoyarsk-26, clogged the largest river, the Yenisei. It is obvious that radioactive products got into the ocean.

Pollution of world waters with radionuclides

The problem of pollution of the waters of the oceans is acute. Let us briefly list the most dangerous radionuclides that fall into it: cesium-137; cerium-144; strontium-90; niobium-95; yttrium-91. All of them have a high bioaccumulative capacity, move along food chains and concentrate in marine organisms. This creates a danger for both humans and aquatic organisms.

The water areas of the Arctic seas are heavily polluted by various sources of radionuclides. People carelessly dump hazardous waste into the ocean, thereby turning it into a dead one. Man must have forgotten that the ocean is the main wealth of the earth. It has powerful biological and mineral resources. And if we want to survive, we must urgently take measures to save him.

Solutions

Rational consumption of water, protection from pollution are the main tasks of mankind. Ways to solve environmental problems of water pollution lead to the fact that, first of all, much attention should be paid to the discharge of hazardous substances into rivers. On an industrial scale, it is necessary to improve wastewater treatment technologies. In Russia, it is necessary to introduce a law that would increase the collection of fees for discharges. The proceeds should be directed to the development and construction of new environmental technologies. For the smallest emissions, the fee should be reduced, this will serve as a motivation for maintaining a healthy environmental situation.

An important role in solving environmental problems is played by the upbringing of the younger generation. From an early age, it is necessary to teach children to respect, love for nature. To inspire them that the Earth is our big house, for the order in which each person is responsible. Water must be protected, not poured thoughtlessly, try not to get foreign objects and harmful substances into the sewer.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I would like to say that Russian environmental problems and water pollution concern, perhaps, everyone. The thoughtless waste of water resources, the littering of rivers with various garbage has led to the fact that there are very few clean, safe corners left in nature.Ecologists have become much more vigilant, multiple measures are being taken to restore order in the environment. If each of us thinks about the consequences of our barbaric, consumer attitude, the situation can be corrected. Only together will humanity be able to save water bodies, the World Ocean and, possibly, the lives of future generations.

Among the most important problems facing us, a special place is occupied by water pollution in Russia and around the world. Without this liquid, the existence of life as such is impossible. A person can live without food for up to 100 days, but without water he will last no more than 10 days. And this is not surprising. After all, water is a significant part of the human body. It is known that it is she who makes up more than 60% of the body of an adult.

Quick article navigation

Main sources of hydrosphere pollution

All sources of water pollution in the world can be divided into two categories:

natural;
anthropogenic.

Natural sources of water pollution

Natural pollution of the hydrosphere is caused by the following reasons:

volcanic activity;
washing out of coastal soil;
excretion of waste products of organisms;
the remains of dead plants and animals.

Volcanic eruption in the Hawaiian Islands

Ways to solve the problem nature has determined for itself, without outside help. There are natural water purification mechanisms that have been operating flawlessly for thousands of years.

We know that there is a water cycle. Moisture evaporates from the surface of water bodies and enters the atmosphere. In the process of evaporation, water is purified, which then falls into the soil in the form of precipitation, forming groundwater. A large part of them again ends up in rivers, lakes, seas and oceans. Part of the precipitation enters water bodies immediately, bypassing intermediate stages.

As a result of such a cycle, water returns in a purified form, so the environmental problem of water pollution is solved by itself.

Human water pollution

We can say that people pollute water more than all other living organisms combined. The consequences of water pollution are detrimental to the entire environment. The harm caused daily by man to the aquatic environment is comparable only to a catastrophe on a global scale. That is why it is impossible to pollute the hydrosphere, and solving the problem of pollution of the aquatic environment is a paramount task.

The consequences of pollution of water bodies are such that now almost all the water present in one form or another on the planet cannot be called clean. Human water pollution falls into three categories:

industrial;
agricultural;
household.

Water pollution by industrial enterprises

Pollution of the hydrosphere is steadily increasing. However, in recent years there has been a trend towards its reduction.

Human water pollution can be primary or secondary. In the primary, harmful substances have a direct negative effect on the human body, flora or fauna. Secondary pollution is considered to be water pollution that is not directly related to a harmful substance that has entered the hydrosphere. Water pollutants cause the extinction of organisms and cause an increase in the number of animal or plant remains, which are also sources of water pollution.

Water pollution kills fish

Types of pollution

There are five main types of hydrosphere pollution:

chemical;
biological;
mechanical;
radioactive;
thermal.

Discharges of pollutants in wastewater

Why is hydrosphere pollution dangerous for living organisms

Water pollution and its consequences pose a serious threat to the health and life of the organisms inhabiting our planet. There are the following types of such influence:

neurotoxic;
carcinogenic;
genotoxic;
failure of reproductive function;
energy disruption.

Neurotoxic effects

Heavy metal poisoning of the nervous system can harm the nervous system of humans and animals and cause mental disorders. They can cause inappropriate behavior. Such pollution of water bodies can cause unreasonable aggression or suicide of its inhabitants. For example, many cases are known when, for some unknown reason, whales were washed ashore.

About 200 black pilot whales have washed up on land near Cape Farewell in the north of the South Island of New Zealand

Carcinogenic effect

Drinking contaminated water is a cause of cancer. Under the influence of toxic substances, absolutely healthy cells of the body are able to degenerate into cancer cells, causing the formation of malignant tumors.

Genotoxicity of water pollutants

The genotoxic properties of pollutants lie in the ability to disrupt the structure of DNA. This can cause serious illness not only in a person whose body has got harmful substances, but also adversely affect the health of his descendants.

Reproductive Disorders

It often happens that toxic substances do not lead to death, but still cause the extinction of a population of living organisms. Under the influence of dangerous impurities contained in the water, they lose their ability to reproduce.

Violations of energy exchange

Some water pollutants have the ability to inhibit the mitochondria of body cells, resulting in a loss of the ability to produce energy. The consequences of water pollution can be such that many life processes of the inhabitants of water bodies slow down or stop, up to death.

What diseases threaten drinking water pollution

Polluted water can contain pathogens that cause the most dangerous diseases. In order to understand what the danger of pollution of water bodies is and what they can lead to, we briefly list some of these diseases:

cholera;
oncology;
congenital pathologies;
burn of mucous membranes;
amoebiasis;
schistosomiasis;
enterovirus infection;
gastritis;
psychical deviations;
giardiasis.

Cholera epidemic in Haiti

The danger of this situation began to be realized not only by specialists, but also by ordinary residents. This is evidenced by the increase in demand for purified bottled and bottled water around the world. People buy such water to ensure that dangerous pathogens do not enter the body.

Water purification

The main culprit of chemical water pollution is industrial activity. Although water is most actively polluted by industrial enterprises that actively discharge harmful substances into nearby water bodies. It may contain the entire periodic table. In addition to the release of chemical elements, thermal and radiation pollution occurs. The problem of sewage safety is given catastrophically little attention. All over the world, you can count on the fingers of manufacturers that completely clean their effluents, making them safe for the environment.

Discharge of a number of pollutants as part of wastewater was often carried out without an approved permit for the discharge of pollutants into the environment.

This is not due to the negligence of the management, but because of the extreme complexity of the cleaning technology. That is why it is impossible to pollute water bodies. After all, it is easier to prevent pollution than to organize cleaning.

Wastewater treatment plants partially help to solve the problem of pollution. Regardless of the cause of pollution, there are the following types of water treatment:

In general, there are ways to solve the problem.

The problem of water pollution and its solution at the state and global level

World statistics indicate a rapid increase in water consumption. The main reasons for this are the rapid development of production and the growth of the world's population.

For example, in the United States, the daily consumption of water is 3600 billion tons. Back in 1900, Americans needed 160 billion liters a day. Now the country is facing the need to clean up and reuse water resources.

Western Europe has already stepped over this threshold. For example, water taken from the Rhine is reused up to 30 times.

It is no longer possible to significantly reduce water consumption, because for this it will be necessary to reduce production and abandon many of the benefits of civilization. Pollution factors also influence, because the volume of water suitable for consumption is reduced. Therefore, more attention should be paid to maintaining the purity of water resources.

The problem is common to all mankind, because the movement of water masses does not know state borders. If in one country they do not take care of the purity of water resources, which is why the World Ocean is polluted, the ecology of our planet suffers from this.

Pollution of the oceans with plastic waste. Plastic waste sailed from densely populated areas of the continental coast as a result of dumping

The state of water in Russia worries the public no less than all over the world. And here our country has no disagreements with the rest of the world community. After all, it is possible to save water resources only by joint efforts.