It is known that a person can live without food for more than one month, without water - only a few days, but without air - only a couple of minutes. So it is necessary for our body! Therefore, the question of how to protect the air from pollution should be at the forefront of the problems of scientists, politicians, statesmen and officials of all countries. In order not to kill itself, humanity must take urgent measures to prevent this pollution. Citizens of any country are also obliged to take care of the cleanliness of the environment. It just seems that practically nothing depends on us. There is hope that by joint efforts we can all protect the air from pollution, animals from extinction, forests from deforestation.

Earth's atmosphere

Earth is the only known modern science planets on which life exists, made possible by the atmosphere. It ensures our existence. The atmosphere is primarily air, which must be breathable for people and animals, not containing harmful impurities and substances. How to protect air from pollution? This is very important question to be resolved in the near future.

human activities

AT recent centuries we often behave very unreasonably. Minerals are being squandered. Forests are cut down. The rivers are drying up. As a result, the natural balance is disturbed, the planet gradually becomes uninhabitable. The same thing happens with air. It is constantly polluted with all sorts of things that get into the atmosphere. Chemical compounds contained in aerosols and antifreeze destroy the Earth, threatening global warming and catastrophes associated with it. How to protect the air from pollution so that life on the planet continues?

The main causes of the current problem

• Gaseous waste from plants and factories, emitted into the atmosphere in countless volumes. In the past, this has happened out of control. And on the basis of the waste of enterprises that polluted the environment, it was possible to organize entire plants for their processing (as they do now, for example, in Japan).
• Cars. Gasoline and diesel fuels that are burned are released into the atmosphere, seriously polluting it. And if we take into account that in some countries there are two or three cars for each average family, one can imagine the global nature of the problem under consideration.
• Combustion of coal and oil in thermal power plants. Electricity, of course, is essential for human life, but to extract it in a similar way- real barbarism. When fuel is burned, many harmful emissions highly polluting air. All impurities rise into the air with smoke, concentrate in clouds, spill onto the soil in the form. Trees, which are intended to purify oxygen, suffer greatly from this.

How to protect air from pollution?

Measures to prevent the current catastrophic situation have long been developed by scientists. It remains only to follow the prescribed rules. Humanity has already received serious warnings from nature itself. Especially in last years the world literally shouting to people that consumer attitude to the planet must be changed, otherwise - the death of all living things. What do we have to do? How to protect the air from pollution (pictures of our amazing nature are presented below)?

According to environmentalists, such measures will contribute to a significant improvement in the current situation.

The materials given in the article can be used in the lesson on the topic "How to protect air from pollution" (Grade 3).

One of the significant global problems- This atmospheric pollution Earth. The danger of this is not only that people experience a shortage of clean air, but also that air pollution leads to climate change planets.

Causes of Air Pollution

Enter the atmosphere various elements and substances that change the composition and concentration of the air. The following sources contribute to air pollution:

• emissions and activities of industrial facilities;
• car exhausts;
• radioactive objects;
• Agriculture;
• household and.

During the combustion of fuel, waste and other substances, combustion products enter the air, which significantly worsen the state of the atmosphere. The dust generated at the construction site also pollutes the air. Fuel is burned at thermal stations, and a significant concentration of elements polluting the atmosphere is released. How more inventions commits humanity, the more sources of air pollution and the biosphere as a whole appear.

Consequences of air pollution

During combustion various kinds fuel releases carbon dioxide into the air. Along with others greenhouse gases, it generates dangerous phenomenon our planet, like. This leads to the destruction of the ozone layer, which in turn protects our planet from intense impact. ultraviolet rays. All this leads to global warming and climate change of the planet.

One of the consequences of the accumulation of carbon dioxide and global warming is the melting of glaciers. As a result, the water level of the World Ocean rises, and in the future, islands and coastal zones of the continents may be flooded. Floods will be a constant occurrence in some areas. Plants, animals and people will die.

Polluting the air, various elements fall to the ground in the form of. These sediments enter water bodies, change the composition of water, and this causes the death of flora and fauna in rivers and lakes.

Today, air pollution is a local problem in many cities, which has grown into a global one. It's hard to find a place in the world where you stayed fresh air. Except negative impact on the environment, atmospheric pollution leads to diseases in people that develop into chronic diseases and shorten the life expectancy of the population.

The air we breathe today is full of toxic and hazardous substances. Environmental pollution has a negative impact on many factors, including human health. Every year, millions of people around the world die due to air pollution problems. Therefore the key to healthy life- this is the identification of sources that cause damage to the environment.

If you want to help the planet and yourself, try doing your part to reduce air pollution in the region and around the world.

1. Use public transport: the less often you use your personal car, the less combustion products will enter the atmosphere. In addition, you will help reduce traffic jams.

2. Hold car tires inflated: Poorly inflated tires increase fuel consumption and consequently exhaust emissions.

3. Plant a tree: even one tree will help you breathe easier, and the whole garden will be able to clean great amount toxic air. Houseplants also save from an excess of carbon dioxide.

4.Turn off the light: don't hold the light and electrical devices enabled if not needed. The more electricity you use, the more you pollute the air.

5. Use paper on both sides: wasteful use of paper is not only deforestation, but also toxic production. Using unnecessary sheets as drafts or printing documents on both sides, you will save not only the forest, but also reduce the amount of hazardous emissions into the atmosphere.

6. Choose products with minimal packaging: try to give preference in stores and supermarkets to products with minimal packaging, or packaging that can be reused.

7. Buy things made from recycled materials: this will reduce the need for new raw materials to produce new items.

8. Use cold water instead of hot: preferring cold water for washing, washing the floor or washing dishes - you save fuel and reduce the amount of hazardous emissions into the atmosphere.

9. Eat Local Foods: try to buy local vegetables and meat, don't encourage long hauls.

10. Use water-based paints: the less oil you use in your home, the better for your health and the environment.

11. Avoid plastic bags: they pollute the atmosphere and contain toxic substances. Remember, the period of decomposition of a package that is familiar and convenient for us is more than 60 years.

12. Use a blanket when it is cold outside: at the first sign of a drop in temperature, do not immediately turn on the heater or independent heating. Instead of wasting valuable resources You can just cover yourself with a blanket or dress warmer.

13. Use batteries: Billions of batteries are bought every year, and only 30% of them are handed over to recycling points. Batteries will not only reduce the amount of hazardous waste, but also significantly save your budget.

It's not that difficult. Truth?

Any unwanted change in composition earth's atmosphere as a result of the entry into it of various gases, water vapor and particulate matter(under influence natural processes or as a result of human activity).

Approximately 10% of pollutants enter the atmosphere due to natural processes such as volcanic eruptions, which are accompanied by emissions of ash, sprayed acids, including sulfuric, and many poisonous gases. In addition, the main sources of sulfur in the atmosphere are spray sea ​​water and decaying plant remains. It should also be noted Forest fires, as a result of which dense clouds of smoke are formed, enveloping large areas, and dust storms. Trees and shrubs emit a lot of volatile organic compounds(LOS), forming a blue haze that covers b

most of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the United States (translated as "blue ridge"). Microorganisms present in the air (pollen, fungi, bacteria, viruses) cause allergy attacks and infectious diseases in many people.

The remaining 90% of pollutants are of anthropogenic origin. Their main sources are: the combustion of fossil fuels in power plants (smoke emissions) and in car engines; production processes, not associated with fuel combustion, but leading to atmospheric dusting, for example, due to soil erosion, coal mining open way, blasting and leakage of VOCs through valves, pipe joints in oil refineries and chemical plants and from reactors; solid waste storage; as well as a variety of mixed sources.

Pollutants entering the atmosphere are transported over long distances from the source, and then return to the earth's surface in the form of solid particles, droplets or chemical compounds dissolved in precipitation.

Chemical compounds, the source of which is at ground level, quickly mix with the air of the lower atmosphere (troposphere). They are called primary pollutants. Some of them enter chemical reactions with other pollutants or with the main components of the air (oxygen, nitrogen and water vapor), forming secondary pollutants. As a result, phenomena such as photochemical smog, acid rain and the formation of ozone in the surface layer of the atmosphere are observed. The source of energy for these reactions is solar radiation. Secondary pollutants - photochemical oxidants and acids contained in the atmosphere - represent a major threat to human health and global environmental change.

Hazardous impact

Air pollution has harmful effect on living organisms in several ways: 1) delivering aerosol particles and poisonous gases into the respiratory system of humans and animals and into the leaves of plants; 2) increasing the acidity of precipitation, which, in turn, affects the change chemical composition soil and water; 3) by stimulating such chemical reactions in the atmosphere that lead to an increase in the duration of exposure of living organisms to harmful sunbeams; 4) changing to global scale composition and temperature of the atmosphere and thus creating conditions unfavorable for the survival of organisms.

The human respiratory system. Through the respiratory system, oxygen enters the human body, which is carried by hemoglobin (red pigments of erythrocytes) to vital organs, and waste products, in particular carbon dioxide, are excreted. The respiratory system consists of the nasal cavity, larynx, trachea, bronchi and lungs. In each healthy lung, there are approximately 5 million alveoli (air sacs), in which gas exchange occurs. Oxygen enters the blood from the alveoli, and carbon dioxide is removed from the blood through them and released into the air.

The respiratory system has a number defense mechanisms protecting against exposure to pollutants in the air. Nose hairs filter out large particles. The mucous membrane of the nasal cavity, larynx and trachea retains and dissolves small particles and some harmful gases. If pollutants enter the respiratory system, the person sneezes and coughs. In this way, polluted air and mucus are evacuated. In addition, the top Airways lined with hundreds of thin cilia of ciliated epithelium located in in constant motion and moving mucus up the larynx along with dirt that has entered the respiratory system, which are either swallowed or removed outside.

Permanent long-term exposure to by-products tobacco smoke and polluted air leads to an overload and overflow of human protective systems, as a result, diseases develop respiratory system: allergic asthma, lung cancer and emphysema, chronic bronchitis.

Acid precipitation. Contact with soil or water bodies of various acids, such as sulfuric (H2SO4) or nitric (HNO3), as a result of acid precipitation (abnormally acid rain and snow) causes harm to living organisms and contributes to the destruction various designs. Similar phenomena are often observed in areas of significant concentration industrial enterprises that use fossil fuels.

The damage caused to biota by acid precipitation is most pronounced in forests and lakes. Certain types trees, in particular pines, are especially sensitive to changes in soil acidity. From acid rain hit hard large areas forests in New England, Canada and the Scandinavian countries. In some cases, plants serve as indicators of such effects: the leaves become stained or discolored. Acid overload associated with spring runoff to lakes and rivers melt water may be harmful to fish and other aquatic organisms.

The composition and structure of the atmosphere

atmosphere, or air ocean", consists of gases necessary to support life on Earth. According to its height, it can be divided into five layers, or shells, surrounding Earth: troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere and exosphere. Their boundaries are determined by drastic changes temperature due to differences in absorption solar radiation. Air density also changes with height. In the upper layers of the atmosphere, the air is cold and rarefied, and near the Earth's surface, due to gravity, it is denser. The two lower layers of the atmosphere are mainly polluted.

Troposphere. The composition and structure of the lower layer - the troposphere - is determined by the flow of gases from earth's crust and the presence of life on the earth's surface. Upper bound troposphere is located at altitudes of approximately 17 km above sea level at the equator and approx. 8 km at the poles. This thin layer contains two important gaseous components, nitrogen (N2) and oxygen (O2), which make up 78% and 21% of the volume of the atmosphere, respectively.

The nitrogen cycle in nature (nitrogen cycle) plays a very important role in plant nutrition. Atmospheric nitrogen is bound by nodule bacteria contained in the root thickenings of leguminous plants, with the formation of numerous organic compounds, especially proteins. After that, other specialized bacteria, in the process of mineralization, decompose and process nitrogen-rich organic residues into simpler ones. inorganic substances, for example to ammonia (NH4). Finally, nitrifying bacteria convert them back into nitrogen oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), which are returned to the atmosphere. Then the cycle resumes.

Oxygen is produced during plant photosynthesis and, in turn, is used by micro- and macro-organisms during respiration, by-product which is carbon dioxide.

In addition to nitrogen and oxygen, the atmosphere includes argon (Ar - 0.93%) and carbon dioxide (CO2 - 0.036%), as well as negligible amounts of neon (Ne), helium (He), methane (CH4), krypton (Kr ), hydrogen (H2), xenon (Xe) and anthropogenic chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

source and necessary component of life on Earth, contributing, in particular, to maintaining the temperature of its surface, is water vapor (H2O), which enters the troposphere mainly as a result of evaporation of water from the surface of the ocean. Its content in the atmosphere varies significantly depending on the time of year and geographical location. For living organisms, consisting mainly of organic compounds of carbon with hydrogen and oxygen, oxygen, water and carbon dioxide play a primary role. Water and carbon dioxide are essential for heating the earth's surface due to their ability to absorb solar radiation.

Stratosphere. Directly above the troposphere at altitudes from 18 to 48 km above earth's surface is the stratosphere. Although these shells are very similar in composition, the water vapor content in the stratosphere is about 1000 times less, and the ozone content is about 1000 times greater than in the troposphere. Ozone is formed in the stratosphere when oxygen molecules interact with lightning and ultraviolet irradiation Sun.

The composition of air pollutants changed significantly after the Second World War. In the 1950s, coal was replaced by diesel fuel, and soon by natural gas. By 2000 most of houses were heated natural gas, the cleanest of all fossil fuels. On the other hand, the exhaust gases generated during the operation of internal combustion engines began to pollute the atmosphere more and more.

Main pollutants

Sulfur dioxide, or sulfur dioxide (sulphurous gas). Sulfur enters the atmosphere as a result of many natural processes, including the evaporation of seawater spray, the dispersal of sulfur-containing soils in arid regions, the emission of gases from volcanic eruptions, and the release of biogenic hydrogen sulfide (H2S).

Air pollution is a very serious problem faced by our entire planet. First of all, the person himself suffers from polluted air, because such an environment contributes to the development of all kinds of diseases, especially cancer, and the entire animal and plant world also suffers greatly from pollution.

There are several factors that cause air pollution: natural factor and consequences of human activities. To natural phenomena that pollute the environment include: forest and steppe fires, dust storms, poisonous plant pollen, active volcanoes. But the biggest harm environment causes human activities and inventions.

All vehicles that run on gasoline are a source of air pollution; a lot of harmful gases and soot enter our air from its exhaust pipe. Even the dust from the rubber tires of cars is also a strong source of air pollution.

Industry causes enormous harm to the environment; dust and harmful gases are emitted into the air during the production process. Thermal power plants when coal is burned, ash, nitrogen, and sulfuric gas are emitted into the atmosphere. As a result of work nuclear power plants radiation enters our air. Huge and disastrous consequences for the atmosphere are set by accidents at nuclear power plants.

Every day, to cook food and heat people's homes, you need to burn a lot of fuel, and this leads to the release of harmful substances into the air. Landfills with household waste cause great harm to the air; when they are burned, very dangerous gases Therefore, they cannot be burned, but must be recycled.

Air pollution leads to the heating of our planet, thereby triggering the so-called " the greenhouse effect”, in which glaciers are melting at the poles, and the level of the world ocean is rising. It seems to me that the people of our entire planet need to direct all their efforts to pollute the air as little as possible, this will significantly reduce the development of all kinds of diseases, the ecology will gradually recover, which will undoubtedly extend the life of all life on our planet.

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