Human economic activity over the last century has led to serious pollution of the planet with various industrial wastes. In such a relatively short period of time, a large number of chemical compounds were introduced into the biosphere, of which about 4 million were potentially hazardous to the environment and over 180 thousand were hazardous.

Toxic to living organisms.
The air basin, water bodies and soils in areas of large industrial centers contain toxic substances, the concentrations of which often significantly exceed permissible values. It can be stated that to date, human activity has acquired the scale of geo-ecological processes leading to changes in natural biogeochemical cycles on Earth, which in turn negatively affects human health. The latter circumstance has led to a growing trend in environmental research to shift priority from the protection of natural resources to the protection of human health.
Environmental pollution is understood as any undesirable anthropogenic changes for ecosystems and is classified into biocenotic impacts, causing disturbances in the composition and structure of populations, stationary-destructive, leading to disruption and transformation of landscapes and ecosystems in the process of environmental management, parametric, changing the qualitative parameters of the natural environment, for example thermal, light, radiation.
Environmental pollution is classified into natural, associated with natural disasters (in particular, volcanic eruptions, dust storms, forest fires), and anthropogenic, arising in the process of human economic activity.
The level of natural pollution is considered as background, which varies slightly over time.
In terms of scale, environmental pollution can be global, regional, local (local). Pollution, depending on the type, can be biological, physical and chemical.
Chemical compounds that are bioavailable, i.e. the ability to interact non-mechanically with living organisms are of primary interest from the point of view of medical and environmental safety.
Some bioavailable compounds are utilized by living organisms, participating in the processes of their plastic and energy exchange with the environment, acting as habitat resources. Others, entering the body, are not used as a source of energy or plastic material, but, acting in sufficient doses and concentrations, are able to interfere with the biochemical processes of the body. Such compounds are called foreign or xenobiotics.
The totality of alien substances contained in an aggregate state in the environment, allowing them to enter into chemical and physicochemical interactions with biological objects of the ecosystem, constitutes the xenobiotic profile of the biogeocenosis.
The xenobiotic profile (along with temperature, illumination, humidity, trophic conditions, etc.) is one of the most important environmental factors, which can be described by qualitative and quantitative characteristics. Biocenoses existing in different regions are, to one degree or another, adapted to the corresponding natural (formed during evolutionary processes) xenobiotic profiles. Various natural collisions, and in recent years, human economic activity, have significantly changed the natural xenobiotic profile of many regions (especially urbanized ones).
Chemical substances that accumulate in the environment in quantities unusual for it and cause changes in the natural xenobiotic profile act as ecopollutants (pollutants).
Chemical pollutants (pollutants, ecopollutants) include substances that have a harmful effect on living organisms due to a direct or indirect effect on the state of populations and biocenoses.
In table Table 1.3 provides data characterizing global emissions of chemical pollutants of natural and anthropogenic origin.
Table 1.3
Global emissions from natural sources and human activities

Ecopollutants are divided into two groups. The first includes substances produced in quantities that do not have a direct negative effect on living organisms, but initiate a violation of the chemical and physical parameters of the environment, which under certain conditions can affect the survival of biological species. The second group is substances that can, in sufficient quantities, have a harmful effect on a living organism.
Sources of anthropogenic (technogenic) environmental pollution are various objects of industrial and domestic activity (Table 1.4).
Technogenic sources of pollution are characterized by high crowding, which, as a rule, leads to local air pollution. However, a number of pollutants, due to physicochemical and biological processes occurring in the environment, are capable of active inclusion in the biosphere cycle of substances. Environmental pollutants that move from one environment to another are classified as persistent pollutants.

Main types of anthropogenic pollution and their sources

Type of pollution	Industry sector characterized by the specified type of pollution
Air
Halogen-containing compounds	Chemical, refrigeration
Metal particles	Metallurgical, mining
Hydrocarbons
CO2, SO2, NO, NO2	Thermal energy, transport
The soil
Activated sludge	Urban biological treatment stations
Ash, slag	Energy, metallurgical
Metals	Metallurgical, chemical
Garbage	Communal services, urban services
Plastics, organics	Chemical
Radionuclides	Nuclear energy, military
Pulp and paper	Pulp and paper, municipal services
Water
Suspended particles	Communal services
Heavy metal ions	Mining, mechanical engineering
Dyes, phenols	Textile
Easily digestible and biogenic substances, pesticides	Agriculture, urban agriculture
Mineral salts, Organic solvents	Chemical
Petroleum products	Oil production, oil refining
Radionuclides	Nuclear energy, military
Synthetic surfactants	Urban wastewater
Warm	Energy

When assessing anthropogenic environmental pollution, it is important to take into account the possible environmental consequences that they may cause (Table 1.5)
The UN countries participating in activities to improve and protect the environment have agreed on a list of the most important substances that pollute the biosphere and are dangerous to human health. These include heavy metal compounds, pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, organochlorine compounds, petroleum products, phenols, detergents, and nitrates.
Heavy metals are metals with high density: lead, cadmium, mercury, nickel, cobalt, chromium, copper, zinc, arsenic, antimony and selenium. Their intake into the body in excess quantities leads to the development of natural and man-made microelementoses. In small quantities (from 10-3 to 10-12%) they are necessary for the normal functioning of the body.
The special place of metals among other chemical pollutants is due to the following reasons:
the rate of extraction of metals from the earth's crust by humans is higher than the geological rate of their extraction;
unlike most organic pollutants that undergo decomposition processes, metals are only capable of redistribution between individual components of the geosphere;
metals accumulate relatively easily in soils and are difficult to remove from it (the half-life of zinc from soil is up to 500 years, copper - 1500 years, lead - up to several thousand years);
metals are well accumulated by the organs and tissues of warm-blooded animals and hydrobionts;
metals are highly toxic to various biological objects.
In terms of medical and environmental safety of heavy metals, the greatest importance is attached to the so-called big four: cadmium, lead, mercury and arsenic.
Cadmium is widely distributed in the environment. Sources of anthropogenic pollution are: release of cadmium into wastewater, production and use of phosphate fertilizers, burning of waste, coal, gasoline, etc. An additional source of cadmium entering the body is smoking and food products containing cadmium. Cadmium is excreted very slowly from the body: its half-life from the human body is about 25-30 years.

Table 1.5
Ecological characteristics of the main sources of biosphere pollution

polluter	Environmental characteristics
Carbon dioxide	Formed during the combustion of all types of fuel. An increase in its content in the atmosphere leads to an increase in its temperature
Carbon monoxide	Formed during incomplete combustion of fuel. Disturbs the thermal balance of the upper atmosphere. Causes oxygen deficiency
Sulphur dioxide	Contained in smoke-producing industrial plants. Causes exacerbation of respiratory diseases
Nitrogen oxides	Creates smog, causes respiratory diseases and bronchitis
Nitrates and nitrites	Contained in nitrogen fertilizers. High concentrations in food and drinking water cause changes in the structure of hemoglobin
Phosphates	Contained in fertilizers. One of the main pollutants of water bodies
Mercury	One of the dangerous food contaminants that affects the nervous system
Lead	Added to gasoline, affects enzyme systems and metabolism in living cells, causes anemia and mental disorders
Oil	Leads to harmful environmental consequences, causing the death of plankton, fish, seabirds and mammals
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons	Formed during incomplete combustion of wood, coal, and petroleum products, they initiate the development of cancerous tumors
Organochlorine pesticides	Dissolves in the fatty tissues of organisms and bioaccumulates in trophic chains, causing toxic effects on biota and humans
Polychlorinated biphenyls, dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans	Accumulate in biotic and abiotic components of the natural environment; Possessing the properties of polytropic hormone-like ecosystem poisons, they have a pronounced and long-lasting effect on many components of ecosystems
Radiation	When permissible doses increase, it leads to malignant formations and genetic mutations

Typical diseases of city residents associated with cadmium intake include hypertension, coronary heart disease, renal failure, respiratory system diseases, genital dysfunction, nervous system disorders, damage to the musculoskeletal system, and decreased immune status. Massive chronic human injuries (in the form of "itai-itai" disease - the Japanese equivalent of the interjection "oh-oh") occurred in Japan among the population who consumed cadmium-contaminated water used to irrigate rice fields. The name of the disease comes from unbearable bone pain in the back and legs, accompanying the process of skeletal decalcification initiated by cadmium due to a violation of phosphorus-calcium metabolism.
Cadmium contamination of atmospheric air, soil, water, and food products as a result of industrial activities is steadily increasing. Its harmful effects (from hypertension to carcinogenesis), along with its widespread and increasing use and accumulation in the environment, suggest that this metal as an environmental pollutant poses one of the greatest dangers to humanity.
The widespread use of lead in economic activities (production of batteries, rubber, plastics, dyes, gasoline additives, printing industry, etc.) leads to a gradual accumulation of the metal in the environment. Currently, global lead production is about 9 million tons/year. Lead is found in various environments (soil, air, reservoirs and drinking water) and in food products (dairy and flour products, meat, fish, etc.).
Acute lead poisoning is rare. The main danger is the chronic exposure of the population to lead compounds through contaminated air, water, soil and food. Exposure to lead and its compounds in humans leads to pathology of the nervous and endocrine systems, reproductive dysfunction, kidney damage, hematological and cardiovascular disorders.
In previous centuries, lead was the dominant cause of chronic poisoning. According to some experts, the deterioration of the health of the population of the Roman Empire is largely due to chronic intoxication with lead, which was widely used for the manufacture of water pipes and dishes.
Mercury has found application in the electronics industry, the production of fungicides, etc. Previously, epidemics of mercury poisoning (mercuriosis) occurred in the pulp and paper industry; Currently, the use of grain treated with mercury fungicides and the consumption of fish caught in water bodies contaminated with mercury are the main causes of mass poisoning.
The most well-known case of mass mercury poisoning is an illness caused by eating fish poisoned with methylmercury off the coast of Minamata Bay (Japan). There were 292 cases of the disease, of which 62 were fatal. Subsequently, this form of the disease was called “Minamata disease.”
Substances containing arsenic are used in the metallurgical industry, used as pesticides, etc. In case of arsenic poisoning, damage to the gastrointestinal tract, blood system, kidneys, liver, and nervous system is observed. Cases of widespread skin cancer have been described among residents of the province of Cordoba in Argentina and on the island of Taiwan, where the population for many years used water with high levels of arsenic. In Japan in 1972, more than 12 thousand children were poisoned by canned milk contaminated with arsenic.

Environmental pollution is a global problem of our time, which is regularly discussed in the news and in scientific circles. Many international organizations have been created to combat the deterioration of natural conditions. Scientists have long been sounding the alarm about the inevitability of an environmental disaster in the very near future.

At the moment, a lot is known about environmental pollution - a large number of scientific papers and books have been written, numerous studies have been conducted. But humanity has made very little progress in solving the problem. Pollution of nature still remains an important and pressing issue, the postponement of which can turn tragic.

History of biosphere pollution

Due to the intensive industrialization of society, environmental pollution has become particularly acute in recent decades. However, despite this fact, natural pollution is one of the oldest problems in human history. Even in the primitive era, people began to barbarously destroy forests, exterminate animals and change the landscape of the earth to expand their territory of residence and obtain valuable resources.

Even then, this led to climate change and other environmental problems. The growth of the planet's population and the progress of civilizations was accompanied by increased mining, drainage of water bodies, as well as chemical pollution of the biosphere. The Industrial Revolution marked not only a new era in social order, but also a new wave of pollution.

With the development of science and technology, scientists have received tools with which an accurate and detailed analysis of the ecological state of the planet has become possible. Weather reports, monitoring of the chemical composition of air, water and soil, satellite data, as well as ubiquitous smoking pipes and oil spills on the water indicate that the problem is rapidly worsening with the expansion of the technosphere. It is not for nothing that the emergence of man is called the main environmental disaster.

Classification of nature pollution

There are several classifications of natural pollution based on their source, direction, and other factors.

So, the following types of environmental pollution are distinguished:

• Biological – the source of pollution is living organisms; it can occur due to natural causes or as a result of anthropogenic activities.
• Physical – leads to changes in the corresponding characteristics of the environment. Physical pollution includes thermal, radiation, noise and others.
• Chemical – an increase in the content of substances or their penetration into the environment. Leads to a change in the normal chemical composition of resources.
• Mechanical – pollution of the biosphere with garbage.

In reality, one type of pollution may be accompanied by another or several at once.

The gaseous shell of the planet is an integral participant in natural processes, determines the thermal background and climate of the Earth, protects against harmful cosmic radiation, and influences relief formation.

The composition of the atmosphere has changed throughout the historical development of the planet. The current situation is such that part of the volume of the gas shell is determined by human economic activity. The composition of the air is heterogeneous and differs depending on the geographical location - in industrial areas and large cities there is a high level of harmful impurities.

The main sources of chemical pollution of the atmosphere:

• chemical plants;
• enterprises of the fuel and energy complex;
• transport.

These pollutants cause the presence of heavy metals in the atmosphere, such as lead, mercury, chromium, and copper. They are permanent components of air in industrial areas.

Modern power plants emit hundreds of tons of carbon dioxide, as well as soot, dust and ash, into the atmosphere every day.

The increase in the number of cars in populated areas has led to an increase in the concentration of a number of harmful gases in the air, which are part of car exhaust. Anti-knock additives added to transportation fuels release large quantities of lead. Cars produce dust and ash, which pollute not only the air, but also the soil, settling on the ground.

The atmosphere is also polluted by very toxic gases emitted by the chemical industry. Waste from chemical plants, for example, nitrogen and sulfur oxides, causes acid rain and can react with components of the biosphere to form other dangerous derivatives.

As a result of human activity, forest fires regularly occur, during which colossal amounts of carbon dioxide are released.

Soil is a thin layer of the lithosphere, formed as a result of natural factors, in which most of the exchange processes between living and nonliving systems take place.

Due to the extraction of natural resources, mining operations, the construction of buildings, roads and airfields, large areas of soil are destroyed.

Irrational human economic activity has caused the degradation of the fertile layer of the earth. Its natural chemical composition changes and mechanical contamination occurs. Intensive agricultural development leads to significant land loss. Frequent plowing makes them vulnerable to flooding, salinity and wind, which causes soil erosion.

The abundant use of fertilizers, insecticides and chemical poisons to destroy pests and clear weeds leads to the release of toxic compounds that are unnatural for it into the soil. As a result of anthropogenic activities, chemical pollution of lands with heavy metals and their derivatives occurs. The main harmful element is lead, as well as its compounds. When processing lead ores, about 30 kilograms of metal are released from every ton. Car exhaust containing large amounts of this metal settles in the soil, poisoning the organisms living in it. Liquid waste discharges from mines contaminate the ground with zinc, copper and other metals.

Power plants, radioactive fallout from nuclear explosions, and research centers for the study of atomic energy cause radioactive isotopes to enter the soil, which then enter the human body with food.

Metal reserves concentrated in the bowels of the earth are dissipated as a consequence of human production activity. Then they concentrate in the top layer of soil. In ancient times, man used 18 elements found in the earth's crust, and today - all of them are known.

Today, the water shell of the earth is much more polluted than one can imagine. Oil slicks and bottles floating on the surface are just what can be seen. A significant part of pollutants is in a dissolved state.

Water spoilage can occur naturally. As a result of mudflows and floods, magnesium is washed out of the continental soil, which enters water bodies and harms fish. As a result of chemical transformations, aluminum penetrates into fresh waters. But natural pollution makes up a negligibly small proportion compared to anthropogenic pollution. Due to human fault, the following gets into the water:

• surfactants;
• pesticides;
• phosphates, nitrates and other salts;
• medicines;
• petroleum products;
• radioactive isotopes.

Sources of these pollutants include farms, fisheries, oil platforms, power plants, chemical plants, and sewage.

Acid rain, which is also the result of human activity, dissolves the soil and washes away heavy metals.

In addition to chemical pollution of water, there is physical, namely thermal. The largest use of water is in the production of electricity. Thermal stations use it to cool turbines, and the heated waste liquid is discharged into reservoirs.

Mechanical deterioration of water quality due to household waste in populated areas leads to a reduction in the habitats of living beings. Some species are dying.

Polluted water is the main cause of most diseases. As a result of liquid poisoning, many living beings die, the ocean ecosystem suffers, and the normal course of natural processes is disrupted. The pollutants ultimately enter the human body.

Anti-pollution

To avoid environmental disaster, combating physical pollution must be a top priority. The problem must be solved at the international level, because nature has no state borders. To prevent pollution, it is necessary to impose sanctions on enterprises that discharge waste into the environment, and impose large fines for placing waste in the wrong place. Incentives to comply with environmental safety standards can also be achieved through financial methods. This approach has proven effective in some countries.

A promising direction to combat pollution is the use of alternative energy sources. The use of solar panels, hydrogen fuel and other energy-saving technologies will reduce the emission of toxic compounds into the atmosphere.

Other methods of combating pollution include:

• construction of treatment facilities;
• creation of national parks and reserves;
• increasing the amount of green space;
• population control in third world countries;
• attracting public attention to the problem.

Environmental pollution is a large-scale global problem, which can only be solved with the active participation of everyone who calls planet Earth home, otherwise an environmental disaster will be inevitable.

In the process of its development, humanity is constantly faced with environmental pollution.

Despite the fact that the improvement of technology improves the quality of our lives, such rapid progress inevitably leads to noise, light, biological and even radioactive pollution.

As a result, with increasing living comfort, a person worsens the quality of his own health. This is why environmental protection is so important.

Physical pollution of the environment

This concept is quite voluminous and therefore it is divided into several subspecies, each of which characterizes a particular physical phenomenon.

Any pollution of the natural environment in which humans participate is called anthropogenic.

Anthropogenic impact suppresses nature's ability to renew itself.

Thermal

It occurs for various reasons, and the source of this type of pollution can be:

• underground construction;
• laying communications;
• activity of some types of microorganisms.

These factors can significantly increase the temperature of the soil, which releases heat into the environment; as a result, the temperature of the environment also changes. In addition, any petrochemical enterprise where production waste is constantly burned can be a serious source of thermal pollution.

As a result of thermal pollution in large industrial cities, the average temperature changes, and this affects water bodies. Due to thermal pollution in water bodies, some species of flora and fauna disappear and others appear in their place, fish spawning conditions are disrupted, and the amount of oxygen in the water decreases. An example would be .

Light

At first glance, this type of pollution seems completely harmless, since, in fact, light pollution is a violation of the natural light of the environment.

However, experts say the opposite, and as a result of light pollution, water bodies suffer the most.

The turbidity of the water changes in them, and artificial light blocks the possibility of access to the depth of natural light. As a result, the conditions for photosynthesis of plants in water bodies change.

There are four main sources of light pollution:

• illumination of the night sky in cities;
• deliberately pointing light in the wrong direction;
• lighting directed to the sky;
• a cluster of bright, unsystematic redundant illuminations.

Noise

The main components of noise pollution are excessively loud noises and sounds that have an extremely harmful effect on the human body, therefore noise pollution is considered one of the most dangerous for humanity. Excessively loud sounds, which include sounds with a noise level above 130 decibels, can lead to consequences such as:

• diseases of the hearing aid;
• nervous disorders (including shock reactions);
• mental disorders;
• visual impairment and disturbances in the functioning of the vestibular apparatus (this is especially true for people who work in noisy industries).

In recent years, noise pollution has become quite a serious problem, and doctors have even coined a new term - noise disease. This disease is accompanied by disruption of the nervous system under the influence of too loud sounds.

Vibration

As is known, very strong vibrations negatively affect surrounding buildings and structures: such vibrations and vibrations can cause uneven settlement of foundations and entire buildings, which can subsequently lead to their deformation, as well as partial or complete destruction.

Such vibrations and oscillations of different frequencies are called vibration pollution of the environment, but it is dangerous not only due to its impact on buildings and structures, but also due to its negative impact on the human body. At the same time, vibration pollution not only causes irritation and interferes with rest or work, but can also have a serious impact on health.

Particularly susceptible to vibration pollution are areas where the following objects are located:

• compressor and pumping stations;
• vibration platforms;
• turbines of diesel power plants;
• cooling towers (devices for cooling large volumes of water).

Electromagnetic

Electromagnetic pollution arises as a result of the operation of power devices, electronics and radio equipment, while ordinary household electrical appliances have nothing to do with this.

We are talking about radar stations, electric vehicles, high-voltage power lines and television stations.

These objects create electromagnetic fields that cause field strength, and in the area of ​​increased field strength, a person may experience problems such as irritation, fatigue, insomnia, persistent headaches and nervous system disorders.

Ionizing

Ionizing radiation is divided into three types:

1. Gamma radiation.
2. Beta radiation.
3. Alpha radiation.

All three species pose a huge danger to living organisms. Under the influence of such radiation, changes occur in the body at the molecular level. Depending on the strength of the radiation, irreversible changes occur in the cell nuclei, disrupting the normal functioning of the cells.

Just half a century ago, ionizing radiation was not considered particularly dangerous; only deposits of uranium ores, radioactive shale and crystalline rocks were considered serious sources; the sun was and remains a serious source of ionizing radiation.

Currently, there are a large number of sources of ionizing radiation created by man: these are nuclear reactors, particle accelerators, artificial radionuclides.

This type of pollution is also called

Mechanical

One of the most insidious types of environmental pollution is mechanical pollution. It would seem that there is nothing irreversible or dangerous about it: the release of dust into the atmosphere, siltation of water bodies with soil, and waste dumps. In fact, the danger is not so much the phenomenon of mechanical pollution itself, but its scale. It is precisely because of this enormous scale that in recent years various environmental problems have increasingly arisen, the elimination of which sometimes requires huge financial costs.

Biological

Experts divide this type of pollution into bacterial and organic.

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

Bacterial contamination is the most dangerous for humans, since it produces many pathogens of serious infectious diseases.

Geological

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

• mining;
• construction;
• vibration impact of transport;
• impact of waste and sewage water on the soil.

Chemical

This is another serious type of pollution that occurs due to the release of various pollutants, and these pollutants can range from heavy metals to synthetic and organic compounds.

Environmental pollution is the process of unwanted losses of matter, energy, labor and resources applied by man to the extraction and procurement of raw materials and materials, turning into irrevocable waste dissipated into the biosphere.

Pollution results in irreversible destruction of both individual ecological systems and the biosphere as a whole, including the impact on global physical and chemical parameters of the environment.

As a result of pollution, fertile lands are lost, the productivity of ecological systems and the biosphere as a whole is reduced.

Pollution directly or indirectly leads to the deterioration of the physical and moral condition of man as the main productive force of society.

The tourist map of the world is changing. Global warming leads to the melting of snow and glaciers, for example, in the Alpine mountains the ski season has been significantly shortened in recent years, and many popular ski slopes have been shortened or changed. And in the Mediterranean and North Africa, beach holidays suffer, because most people who prefer to spend their holidays in the summer with their children are forced to refuse trips to these regions at this time of year due to too much heat.

Tropical diseases spread in temperate regions. Already, doctors are stating that in many southern regions of the Mediterranean tropical bacteria have begun to survive well, and as a result, cases of malaria have become more frequent in areas where this had not previously been observed.

The number of allergy diseases is increasing. There are a huge number of chemicals in the air around us that have the most negative impact on health. They destroy the immune system and also cause various forms of allergies. Moreover, this has a particularly strong impact on the health of children!

Various species of animals and plants are dying out. Northern animals and plants suffer from melting glaciers, while more southern ones die from droughts. Many fish species are becoming extinct due to water pollution. Environmental degradation occurs; due to too rapidly changing conditions of existence, most species of animals and plants are not able to adapt to them, as a result they die out. Thus, the life cycle of all life on Earth is disrupted.

The population migrates. They occur due to climate change towards increased temperatures and droughts, coastal flooding and various man-made disasters. As a result, many areas of the world experience overpopulation, while others become lifeless deserts, which leads to an increase in various conflicts, an increase in crime and hunger.

Questions:

1. General information about pollution. Objects of pollution. Sources of pollution.

2. Ingredients of contamination. Types of pollutants.

3. Natural and anthropogenic types of environmental pollution. Types of anthropogenic environmental pollution. Physical and microbiological pollution of the environment.

4. Soil and space pollution.

5. Air and water pollution.

6. Consequences of environmental pollution

Man is inextricably linked with the environment that surrounds him. Pollution is a worldwide problem. Due to the development of industry, transport and scientific and technological progress, human intervention in the environment has become more significant. This sometimes leads to catastrophic consequences. The decision takes place at the highest level. But even in this case it is not possible to control this process.

The most destructive impact is caused by chemical pollution. They are released into the atmosphere in huge quantities by industrial enterprises, boiler houses and other organizations. In addition, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the air has increased, which can lead to an increase in temperature on the planet. This can be considered a global problem for humanity.

The oil refining industry causes great harm to the world's oceans. Waste from this area enters the environment and can cause disruption in the exchange of water and gases between the atmosphere and hydrosphere.

Agriculture also harms nature. Pesticides entering the soil destroy its structure, and, as a result, the ecological system is destroyed. All these factors are the main reasons why environmental pollution occurs.

There is also biological pollution of the environment. In this case, the ecological system characteristic of each individual region is destroyed. Atypical bacteria appear in it, which have a negative and even detrimental effect on the entire system. The cause of biological pollution is the release of industrial waste into nearby water bodies, landfills, irrigation activities, and sewage systems. It is from there that destructive microorganisms penetrate the soil and then into groundwater.

Humanity, engaging in new biotechnologies and experiments at the genetic level, can cause irreparable harm to nature and all living organisms. Neglect of basic safety rules leads to the release of hazardous substances and microorganisms into nature. In this case, the gene pool of humanity may suffer.

The environment is one of the most dangerous. The consequences of such a disaster could become irreparable. As a result, the radioactive background, which is natural for the atmosphere, increases. This occurs during accidents at sites with increased danger, as a result of coal mining (during explosions of deposits). And again, man becomes the initiator of these phenomena.

The development of science has led to the discovery of new sources of radiation that are created artificially. This has become a potential danger for the whole world. The capabilities of such sources are much greater than the natural ones to which the environment has adapted.

The increase was a consequence of the use of certain technical and scientific developments (X-rays, medical diagnostic devices, etc.) The development of new deposits and the extraction of certain minerals can also be cited as a reason. Reactions using radioactive substances lead to disruption of the general background. The use and production of nuclear weapons has become a problem for the entire world community.

Thus, environmental pollution occurs due to the fault of people. To prevent a disaster, we should be more careful about nature.