Environmental protection and environmental protection. Environment protection

The main direction of environmental protection is the prevention of the formation of harmful substances by changing production.

According to scientific research, approximately 10 13 kg of gaseous, liquid and solid pollutants enter the earth's atmosphere every year. Anthropogenic emissions make up about 10% of this amount, of which 90% are gaseous substances and 10% are particles of solid and liquid suspensions. It should be borne in mind that the growth of anthropogenic contaminants is constantly growing, and they are much more concentrated and more dangerous than biological ones.

Sources of pollution can be divided into mobile and stationary. Mobile sources include vehicles that move by land, water and air, including construction, agricultural and military equipment. Stationary sources are industrial facilities, heating of buildings. Most sources of air pollution emit solid particles of non-combustible residues and unburned fuels into the atmosphere, as well as gaseous substances (sulfur dioxide and trioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, aldehydes and ketones). When burned, many hazardous elements present in very small quantities in fuel are converted to solid, condensable and gaseous emissions such as arsenic, fluorine, lead, cadmium, nickel, mercury, beryllium, chromium, copper, manganese and chlorine. All highly developed countries, including our country, have already developed laws and programs for environmental protection. They are based on long-term forecasts and on the national concept of nature protection.

The complex of measures for the protection of the atmosphere is called the "Strategy for the protection of the atmosphere." The following directions of its protection in relation to pollution sources can be distinguished: reduction or elimination of emissions; source localization; chimney height adjustment.

Technical measures to improve technological processes, the introduction of treatment facilities are a key aspect of environmental protection. Applying equipment regulation methods also results in reduced air pollution. This applies to the use of raw materials, fuel and the production process. The main technical measures can be considered in three directions.

1. Absolute reduction of pollutant emissions: replacement of energy sources with more harmless ones - gasification, nuclear energy and fuel disulfurization and other modern methods of energy production, transition to equipment with high efficiency;

use of raw materials containing less pollutants, replacement of solid fuels with liquid and gaseous ones, optimization of the combustion process;

pretreatment of fuel and raw materials - disulfurization of fuel, separation of ash from coal, production of coke, application of additives;

change in production technology;

separation of solid particles, neutralization of gaseous products, including desulfurization of waste flue gases.

2. Regulation of emissions over time, replacement of maximum emissions with a large number of small ones under extreme meteorological conditions:

limitation of processes or their temporary stop in unfavorable conditions;

constant monitoring of the quality of combustion;

short-term substitution for cleaner fuels and raw materials (with lower sulfur content);

application of temporary special measures for cleaning off gases (wet scrubbers).

3. Regional (local) modulation of the amount of emissions in order to eliminate local maxima:

relocation of energy production from areas with unfavorable conditions during periods of extreme meteorological situations;

exclusion of the placement of new sources of pollution in areas that are critical for the state of the atmosphere;

control of the distribution and use of various types of fuel according to its quality, in order to limit the emissions of pollutants in certain areas unfavorable from the point of view of the purity of the atmosphere;

increasing the distribution of pollutants over a large area by using higher chimneys (the technical limit for the height of the chimney is currently 300 m), taking into account safety issues, for example for air transport, and international agreements.

These measures should be taken into account both at the design stage and at the operational stage. In this case, a special role is assigned to the inspection of organizations that control the maximum permissible concentrations of harmful substances. To optimize the protection of the atmosphere, each of these measures must be studied, validated and monitored. For all significant sources of pollution, decisions to minimize emissions should be sought individually, based on studies of regional and technological distribution of emissions. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the results of scientific research and the level of technical progress in this area of knowledge. In protecting the environment, the main role is assigned to measures that lead to the minimization of emissions. This does not detract from the role of control and monitoring, which depend on quantitative criteria, source types and agreements between actual and acceptable emission limits.

Protection of the atmosphere. Improving or at least maintaining the required quality of atmospheric air requires measuring the content of pollutants in it in order to:

to obtain data on the influence of various factors on the atmosphere;

to reveal the presence of global changes in the pollution of the surface air layer;

predict atmospheric pollution depending on weather conditions;

assess sources of emissions and determine their compliance with legal requirements.

The problem of protecting the atmosphere includes a set of technical and administrative measures, directly or indirectly aimed at stopping or reducing the increasing pollution of the atmosphere. Real results can be obtained only with a multilateral integrated approach to control, determining the causes of pollution and specific sources and identifying opportunities to limit these emissions. There is a need for independent sources of information with information on the degree of air pollution and the technological and administrative measures taken.

On the basis of constant and regular control, called monitoring, quantitative and qualitative assessments of situations, forecasts and programs of protective measures are drawn up.

Forecasts can be made taking into account two directions of the expected development of the economy: a pessimistic assessment - an assumption about the preservation of the existing level of pollution and an optimistic assessment - an assumption about a decrease in their amount, which, in fact, should be aimed at.

It is estimated that the investment in protecting the atmosphere and the total damage from possible but avoided pollution are in the ratio of 3:10.

Territorial and technological problems include both the location of sources of air pollution and the limitation or elimination of a number of negative effects. The search for optimal solutions to limit atmospheric pollution from this source has intensified in parallel with the increase in the level of technical knowledge and industrial development - a number of special measures have been developed to protect the atmosphere. In addition, the integration of the process of finding optimal solutions to limit the effects of air pollution with an integrated approach to atmospheric protection, which considers the relationship between individual components of the environment, begins.

The fight against atmospheric pollution, especially industrial pollution, as well as from vehicles and other sources, should be focused on research on the protection of the atmosphere. They cannot be carried out, for example, only for the sake of setting goals, but should indicate ways to improve the existing situation. Thus, this area of research cannot passively comment on the current situation and make predictions based on the data of the pollution suppliers themselves. It should develop concepts, intermediate and long-term plans, as well as specific programs aimed at actively limiting the adverse course of events, using short-term local tactics and long-term national strategy.

Substances that pollute the atmosphere. Heavy metals and hazardous trace elements are considered to be the most serious contaminants. These include: lead (Pb), arsenic (As), manganese (Mn), mercury (Hg), antimony (Sb), nickel (Ni), beryllium (Be), boron (B), vanadium (V), cadmium (Cd), lithium (Li), zinc (Zn), selenium (Se), thallium (Tl), chlorine (Cl), cobalt (Co), bismuth (Bi), fluorine (F), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu).

At present, dust from human activities (dust, ash, soot, smoke) accounts for only about 10% of global dust emissions.

To assess the quality of the environment, sanitary and hygienic standards and criteria have been developed: maximum permissible concentrations of harmful substances (MPC) and maximum permissible levels of physical environmental factors (MPL).

The values of the parameters of harmful pollutants that are allowed as harmless components of the environment are given in table. 12.

Table 1.

Pollutant	MPC, mg / m 3, in the atmospheric air of populated areas
Pollutant	maximum one-time	average daily
Nitrogen dioxide


Methyl methacrylate
Dust non-toxic
Metallic mercury
Soot (soot)
Lead and its compounds
Sulfur dioxide
Hydrogen sulfide
Carbon disulfide
Carbon oxide

Gaseous fluorides
connections

Acrolein

Table 2.

Pollutant	MPC, mg / m 3, in the air closed spaces
Pollutant	average daily	Hazard Class
Carbon monoxide
Nitrogen oxides
Formaldehyde



Hydrogen sulfide
Methyl methacrylate
Dimethylamine

Dichloroethane
Acetaldehyde
Acetophenol


Ethylbenzene

Butyl acetate
Naphthalene
Ethyl acetate

Maximum Allowable Concentrations such a content of a harmful substance in a unit volume of gas (m 3) or liquid (l) is called, which does not have a direct or indirect harmful and unpleasant effect on a person, does not reduce his working capacity, does not worsen his well-being and mood, and in addition does not adversely affect on vegetation, fauna, local climate and living conditions of the population. For all harmful substances, in this regard, a "threshold for the harmfulness of the action of the substance" has been established, i.e. its content in the volume of the surrounding sequence, which does not lead to physical disorders and latent pathology. The most tangible indicators are smell, light sensitivity of the eyes, harmful effects on the body and the environment.

Designed for air (atmospheric and work area) and natural waters. Remote controls are designed for radiation and electromagnetic radiation.

The maximum permissible concentration of a hazardous substance in the working area is the concentration of a hazardous substance that does not cause harmful effects during the daily working week during the entire working experience.

MPCs for atmospheric air were set according to two parameters: maximum one-time and average daily. In this case, each hazardous substance is assigned a hazard class (from the first - extremely dangerous - to the fourth). With the joint presence of several substances in the atmospheric air, the sum of their concentration should not exceed 1 when calculated by the formula

where С 1, С 2, ..., С n - actual concentrations of substances in the atmospheric air; MPC 1, MPC 2, MPC n - the maximum permissible concentration of the same substances.

The purity of natural waters, as well as the atmosphere, are under control. Maximum permissible concentrations for natural waters are calculated in milligrams per liter.

For industrial sources, there are restrictions on harmful one-time emissions into the atmosphere - maximum permissible emissions (MPE), and into water bodies - maximum permissible discharge (MPD), i.e. the mass of the pollutant in wastewater, permissible without harm to the reservoir, the maximum agreed discharge (MSS) and the maximum agreed emission (MWD).

Many substances classified as pollutants are found in the natural environment in very low (background) concentrations, which are harmless. Their presence is characterized by an indicator called the natural background of pollutants.

Mirkin B.M., Naumova L.G., Ibatullin U.G. Ecology of Bashkortostan (Document)

Tests - Ecology (Document)

Abstract - Anthropoecology and ecology of cities (Abstract)

Population ecology, community ecology (synecology) (Document)

Ecology and ecological safety. Test (Document)

Podkolzin M.M. Human Ecology (Document)

Maglysh S.S. General Ecology (Document)

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Section V. Environmental protection. Environmental protection
Chapter 19. The interaction of nature and society at the present stage
19.1. The main forms of interaction between nature and society

In the history of the formation of environmental protection, the following main forms of interaction between nature and society can be distinguished: species and reserved nature protection  resource protection  nature protection  rational use of natural resources  protection of the human habitat  environmental protection. Accordingly, the very concept of environmental protection expanded and deepened.

Protection of Nature a set of state and public events aimed at preserving the atmosphere, flora and fauna, soil, water and the earth's interior.

Intensive exploitation of natural resources has led to the need for a new type of environmental protection  rational use of natural resources, in which the requirements of protection are included in the very process of economic activity for the use of natural resources (Petrov, 1990).

At the turn of the 50s. XX century there is another form of protection  protection of human habitat... This concept is close in meaning to nature protection, puts a person in the center of attention, the preservation and formation of such natural conditions that are most favorable for his life, health and well-being.

Environmental protection a new form in the interaction of man and nature, born in modern conditions, it represents a system of state and public measures (technological, economic, administrative-legal, educational, international) aimed at the harmonious interaction of society and nature, the preservation and reproduction of existing ecological communities and natural resources for the sake of living and future generations.

The term “ biosphere protection". The protection of the biosphere is a system of measures carried out at the national and international levels and aimed at eliminating undesirable anthropogenic or spontaneous influences on functionally interconnected blocks of the biosphere (atmosphere, hydrosphere, soil cover, lithosphere, the sphere of organic life), to maintain its evolutionary organization and ensure normal functioning.

Environmental protection is closely related to the use of natural resources, one of the branches of applied ecology.

Nature management social production activities aimed at meeting the material and cultural needs of society through the use of various types of natural resources and natural conditions.

According to N.F. Reimers (1992), nature management includes:

A) protection, renewal and reproduction of natural resources, their extraction and processing;

B) use and protection of natural conditions of human life environment;

C) preservation, restoration and rational change of the ecological balance of natural systems;

D) regulation of human reproduction and the number of people.

Nature management can be irrational and rational.

Irrational use of natural resources does not ensure the preservation of natural resource potential, leads to depletion and deterioration of the quality of the natural environment, is accompanied by pollution and depletion of natural systems, violation of the ecological balance and destruction of ecosystems.

Rational use of natural resources means an integrated scientifically grounded use of natural resources, in which the maximum possible preservation of natural resource potential is achieved, with a minimum disruption of the ability of ecosystems to self-regulation and self-recovery.

According to Yu. Odum (1975), rational nature management pursues the following main goals:

 to ensure such a state of the environment in which it could satisfy, along with material needs, the needs of aesthetics and recreation;

 to ensure the possibility of continuous harvest of useful plants, production of animals and various materials by establishing a balanced cycle of use and renewal.

In the current, modern stage of development of the problem of environmental protection, a new concept is being born  environmental Safety, which is understood as the state of protection of the natural environment and the vital ecological interests of a person, first of all, his rights to a favorable environment.

The scientific basis for all measures for environmental protection and rational use of natural resources is theoretical ecology, the most important principles of which are focused on maintaining the homeostasis of ecosystems and maintaining the existential potential.

Ecosystems have the following limiting boundaries such existence(existence, functioning), which must be taken into account during anthropogenic impact (Saiko, 1985):

 limit anthropoletarian resistance to negative anthropogenic impact, for example, the effect of pesticides, harmful to mammals and avifauna, etc .;

 limit stochetolerance resilience against natural disasters, for example, the impact on forest ecosystems of hurricane winds, avalanches, landslides, etc .;

 limit homeostasis ability to self-regulation;

 limit potential regeneration, i.e., the ability to heal itself.

Environmentally sound rational nature management should consist in the maximum possible increase of these limits and the achievement of high productivity of all links of the trophic chains of natural ecosystems. In other words, ecologically balanced nature management is possible only when using “an ecosystem approach that takes into account all types of relationships and interactions between environments, ecocenoses, and humans” (Borozin and Tsitzer, 1996).

Unsustainable use of natural resources ultimately leads to an ecological crisis, and ecologically balanced use of natural resources creates the preconditions for a way out of it.
19.2. The most important environmental principles and objects of environmental protection

Universal interconnections and interdependencies, objectively existing both in nature itself and in interaction with society, determine the basic principles of environmental protection and rational use of natural resources.

Compliance with these principles is necessary when performing any economic and other activity that has an impact on ecological communities and natural resources.

According to Art. 3 of the Federal Law "On Environmental Protection" (2002), these include:

 observance of the human right to a healthy environment;

 protection, reproduction and rational use of natural resources as necessary conditions for ensuring a favorable environment and ecological safety;

 a scientifically grounded combination of environmental, economic and social interests of a person, society and the state in the context of ensuring sustainable development and a favorable environment;

 presumption of environmental hazard of the proposed economic activity;

 the obligation to assess the impact on the environment when making decisions on the implementation of economic activities;

 the obligation to conduct a state environmental review of design and other documentation in the event of a possible negative impact of the planned economic and other activities;

 priority of preserving natural ecological systems, natural landscapes and complexes;

 conservation of biological diversity.

The most general principle, or rule, of environmental protection should be considered the following (Reimers, 1994): the global initial natural resource potential is continuously depleted in the course of historical development, which requires from humanity scientific and technical improvement aimed at a broader and fuller use of this potential.

Another fundamental principle of the protection of nature and the environment follows from this rule: “ eco-friendly economically”, That is, the more prudent the approach to natural resources and the environment, the less energy and other costs are required. Reproduction of natural resource potential and efforts to implement it should be comparable with the economic results of the exploitation of nature.

Another important ecological rule  all components of the natural environment  atmospheric air, water, soil, etc.  should not be protected individually, but as a whole, as a single natural ecosystem of the biosphere. Only with such an ecological approach is it possible to ensure the preservation of landscapes, mineral resources, and the gene pool of animals and plants.

The most important environmental principle is and scientifically based combination of environmental and economic interests , which corresponds to the spirit of the UN international conference in Rio de Janeiro (1992), where a course was taken on a model of sustainable development of society, on a reasonable combination of ecological and economic components, on the preservation of the natural environment alongside, together with economic growth.

Objects of environmental protection from pollution, depletion, degradation, damage, destruction and other negative impacts are lands, bowels, soils, surface and underground waters, forests and other vegetation, animals and other organisms and their genetic fund, atmospheric air, the ozone layer of the atmosphere and near-earth space (Article 4 of the Federal Law "On Environmental Protection" 2002).

State nature reserves, national and dendrological parks, botanical gardens, places of traditional residence of indigenous peoples, continental shelves and some other objects are subject to special protection.

Natural legislation determines that natural ecological systems, natural landscapes and complexes that are not subject to anthropogenic impact are subject to protection as a matter of priority.
19.3. Environmental crisis and ways out of it

Ecological crisis this is a stage of interaction between society and nature, at which the contradictions between economics and ecology are aggravated to the limit, and the possibilities of maintaining potential homeostasis, i.e., the ability of self-regulation of ecosystems under anthropogenic impact, are seriously undermined.

The ecological crisis is not an inevitable and natural product of scientific and technological progress, it is caused both in our country and in other countries of the world by a complex of reasons of an objective and subjective nature, among which not the last place is taken by the consumer, and often predatory attitude towards nature. disregard for fundamental environmental laws.

A way out of the global ecological crisis is the most important scientific and practical problem of our time. Thousands of scientists, politicians, practitioners in all countries of the world are working on its solution. The task is to develop a set of reliable anti-crisis measures that will actively counteract further degradation of the natural environment and achieve sustainable development of society. Attempts to solve this problem by only some means, for example, technological (treatment facilities, waste-free technologies, etc.), are fundamentally wrong and will not lead to the necessary results. Overcoming the ecological crisis is possible only under the condition of the harmonious development of nature and man, the removal of the antagonism between them. This is achievable only on the basis of the implementation of the "trinity of natural nature, society and humanized nature" (Zhdanov, 1995) on the paths of sustainable development of society (UN Conference, Rio de Janeiro, 1992), an integrated approach to solving environmental problems.

An analysis of both the ecological and socio-economic situation in Russia makes it possible to identify five main directions in which Russia should get out of the ecological crisis (Petrov, 1995, Fig. 19.1). At the same time, an integrated approach is required in solving this problem, that is, all five directions should be used simultaneously.

Rice. 19.1. Ways to get Russia out of the environmental crisis
(after V.V. Petrov, 1995)

The first direction is named improvement of technology creation of environmentally friendly technology, introduction of waste-free, low-waste production facilities, renewal of fixed assets, etc.

The second direction is the development and improvement of the economic mechanism for environmental protection.

The third area is the application of measures of administrative restraint and measures of legal responsibility for environmental offenses (administrative and legal direction).

The fourth direction  harmonization of ecological thinking ( environmental education direction).

Fifth direction  harmonization of environmental international relations ( international law direction).

Certain steps are being taken to overcome the ecological crisis in all of the above five areas in Russia, however, ahead of us all we have to go through the most difficult and responsible sections of the path. It is they who will decide whether Russia will emerge from the ecological crisis or perish, plunging into the abyss of ecological ignorance and unwillingness to be guided by the fundamental laws of the biosphere's development and the restrictions arising from them.
Control questions

1. What is the meaning of the concept of "environmental protection"?

2. What is the difference between rational use of natural resources and irrational ones?

3. What is meant by "environmental safety"?

4. What are the general principles and rules of environmental protection?

5. Name the main directions in which Russia should get out of the environmental crisis.

Chapter 20. Engineering environmental protection
20.1. Fundamental directions of engineering environmental protection

The main directions of engineering environmental protection from pollution and other types of anthroogenic impacts  the introduction of resource-saving, waste-free and low-waste technology, biotechnology, recycling and detoxification of waste, and most importantly  greening all production, which would ensure the inclusion of all types of interaction with the environment in the natural cycles of the cycle of substances.

These fundamental directions are based on the cyclical nature of material resources and are borrowed from nature, where, as you know, closed cyclical processes operate.

Technological processes in which all interactions with the environment are fully taken into account and measures are taken to prevent negative consequences are called green.

Like any ecological system, where matter and energy are spent sparingly and the wastes of some organisms are an important condition for the existence of others, an ecologized production process controlled by humans must follow biospheric laws and, first of all, the law of the circulation of substances.

Another way, for example, the creation of all kinds, even the most perfect treatment facilities, does not solve the problem, since this is a struggle with the effect, not with the cause. The main reason for the pollution of the biosphere is resource-intensive and polluting technologies for the processing and use of raw materials. It is these so-called traditional technologies that lead to a huge accumulation of waste and to the need for wastewater treatment and solid waste disposal. Suffice it to note that the annual accumulation on the territory of the former USSR in the 80s. amounted to 12 - 15 billion tons of solid waste, about 160 billion tons of liquid and over 100 million tons of gaseous waste.

Low-waste and non-waste technologies and their role in protecting the environment

A fundamentally new approach to the development of all industrial and agricultural production  the creation of low-waste and non-waste technology.

The concept of zero-waste technology, in accordance with the Declaration of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (1979), means the practical application of knowledge, methods and means in order to ensure the most rational use of natural resources and protect the environment within the framework of human needs.

In 1984, the same UN Commission adopted a more specific definition of this concept: "Waste-free technology this is a method of production (process, enterprise, territorial-production complex), in which raw materials and energy are most efficiently and comprehensively used in the cycle of raw materials  production  consumer  secondary resources  in such a way that any impact on the environment does not violate its normal functioning ”.

Waste-free technology is also understood as such a production method that ensures the fullest possible use of the processed raw materials and the resulting waste.

The term “low-waste technology” should be considered more accurate than “waste-free technology”, since, in principle, “waste-free technology” is impossible, because any human technology cannot but produce waste, at least in the form of energy. Achieving complete zero-waste is unrealistic (Reimers, 1990), since it contradicts the second law of thermodynamics, therefore the term “waste-free technology” is conventional (metaphorical).

The technology that allows you to get a minimum of solid, liquid and gaseous waste is called low-waste and at the present stage of development of scientific and technological progress, it is the most real.

Reuse of material resources is of great importance for reducing the level of environmental pollution, saving raw materials and energy, i.e. recirculation... Thus, the production of aluminum from scrap metal requires only 5% of energy consumption from smelting from bauxite, and remelting 1 ton of secondary raw materials saves 4 tons of bauxite and 700 kg of coke, while simultaneously reducing the emissions of fluoride compounds into the atmosphere by 35 kg (Vronsky, 1996).

The set of measures to reduce to a minimum the amount of hazardous waste and reduce their impact on the environment, on the recommendation of various authors, includes:

 development of various types of drainless technological systems and water circulation cycles based on wastewater treatment;

 development of systems for processing production waste into secondary material resources;

 creation and release of new types of products, taking into account the requirements of its reuse;

 Creation of fundamentally new production processes, allowing to exclude or reduce technological stages at which waste is generated.

The initial stage of these complex measures aimed at creating waste-free technologies in the future is the introduction of circulating, up to completely closed, water use systems.

Circulating water supply This is a technical system, which provides for multiple use in the production of waste water (after its purification and treatment) with a very limited discharge (up to 3%) into water bodies (Fig. 20.1, according to Ivanov, 1991).

Rice. 20.1. Circulating industrial and urban water supply scheme:
1  workshop; 2  intrashop circulating water supply; 3  local (shop) treatment plant,
including recycling of secondary waste; 4  off-site treatment facilities; 5  city;
6  city sewage treatment plants; 7  tertiary treatment facilities;
8  injection of treated wastewater into underground sources; 9  supply of treated water to the city
water supply system; 10  dispersive discharge of waste water into a body of water (sea)

Closed cycle of water use It is a system of industrial water supply and sewerage, in which multiple use of water in the same production process is carried out without discharging waste and other waters into natural water bodies.

One of the most important directions in the field of creating waste-free and low-waste industries is the transition to a new environmental technology with the replacement of water-intensive processes with anhydrous or low-water ones.

The progressiveness of new technological water supply schemes is determined by how much water consumption and the amount of wastewater and their pollution have decreased in comparison with the previously existing ones. The presence of a large amount of wastewater at an industrial facility is considered an objective indicator of the imperfection of the technological schemes used.

The development of waste-free and water-free technological processes is the most rational way to protect the environment from pollution, which can significantly reduce the anthropogenic load.

However, research in this direction is still just developing, therefore, in various areas of industry and agriculture, the level of greening production is far from the same.

Currently, our country has achieved certain successes in the development and implementation of elements of environmentally friendly technology in a number of branches of ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, heat power engineering, mechanical engineering, and the chemical industry. However, the complete transfer of industrial and agricultural production to waste-free and water-free technologies and the creation of completely ecologized industries are associated with very complex problems of a different nature  organizational, scientific, technical, financial and others, and therefore modern production will consume a huge amount of water for its needs for a long time. have waste and harmful emissions.

Biotechnology in environmental protection

In recent years, in environmental science, more and more interest has been shown in biotechnological processes based on the creation of products, phenomena and effects necessary for humans with the help of microorganisms.

With regard to the protection of the natural environment surrounding man, biotechnology can be considered as the development and creation of biological objects, microbial cultures, communities, their metabolites and preparations, by including them in the natural cycles of substances, elements, energy and information (V.P. Zhuravlev et al., 1995).

Biotechnology has found wide application in environmental protection, in particular, when solving the following applied issues:

 disposal of the solid phase of wastewater and solid domestic waste using anaerobic digestion;

 biological treatment of natural and waste waters from organic and inorganic compounds;

 microbial recovery of contaminated soils, obtaining microorganisms capable of neutralizing heavy metals in wastewater sludge;

 composting (biological oxidation) of vegetation waste (leaf litter, straw, etc.);

 creation of biologically active sorbent material for purification of polluted air.
20.2. Environmental quality regulation

Under environmental quality understand the degree to which its characteristics meet the needs of people and technological requirements. All environmental protection measures are based on the principle environmental quality regulation... This term means the establishment of standards (indicators) of the maximum permissible human impact on the environment.

Compliance environmental standards, i.e. standards that determine the quality of the environment, provides:

 environmental safety of the population;

 preservation of the genetic fund of humans, plants and animals;

 rational use and reproduction of natural resources in conditions of sustainable development.

The lower the threshold value of environmental standards, the higher the quality of the environment. However, higher quality requires correspondingly higher costs, efficient technologies and highly sensitive controls. Therefore, as the level of development of society rises, environmental quality standards tend to become more stringent.

The main environmental standards for quality and environmental impact:

 sanitary and hygienic:

 maximum permissible concentration of harmful substances (MPC);

 permissible level of physical influences (noise, vibration, radiation, etc.);

 production and economic:

 permissible emission of harmful substances;

 permissible withdrawal of components of the natural environment;

 permissible discharge of hazardous substances;

 standard of production and consumption waste generation;

 ecological capacity of the territory.

Maximum allowable concentration (MPC)  these are the concentrations of harmful substances in the soil, air and water environment that do not have a negative impact on the health of humans and their offspring. Recently, when determining the MPC, not only the degree of influence of pollution on human health is taken into account, but also the impact of this pollution on wild animals, plants, fungi, microorganisms, as well as on natural communities in general.

Currently, our country has more than 1900 MPCs for harmful chemicals for water bodies, more than 500 for atmospheric air and more than 130 for soils.

MPCs are established on the basis of comprehensive studies and are constantly monitored by the bodies of the hydrometeorological service of the State Committee for Sanitary and Epidemiological Supervision.

MPCs do not remain constant, they are periodically reviewed and specified. Once approved, the standard becomes legally binding.

To standardize the content of harmful substances in the atmospheric air, two standards have been established - one-time and average daily MPC. Maximum one-time maximum permissible concentration (MPC m. r.) is such a concentration of a harmful substance in the air, which should not cause it to be inhaled for 30 minutes. reflex reactions in the human body (sense of smell, change in the light sensitivity of the eyes, etc.). Average daily maximum permissible concentration (MPC s. s.) is such a concentration of a harmful substance in the air, which should not have a direct or indirect harmful effect on a person with an indefinitely long (years) exposure.

The MPC values of the most common air pollutants are presented in table. 20.1.

Table 20.1

Maximum permissible concentration of harmful substances
in the atmospheric air of settlements, mg / m 3

Where WITH 1 , WITH 2 , … , WITH n actual concentrations of harmful substances in air or water;

MPC 1, MPC 2 ... MPC n maximum one-time maximum permissible concentration of harmful substances, which are established for their isolated presence, mg / m 3.

The maximum permissible concentration of a harmful substance in the soil (MPC, mg / kg) is understood as such a maximum concentration that cannot cause a direct or indirect effect on the environment, disrupt the self-cleaning ability of the soil and have a negative impact on human health (Environmental Protection ..., 1993).

For the aquatic environment, MPC of pollutants means such a concentration of these substances in water, above which it becomes unsuitable for one or several types of water use. MPCs for pollutants are set separately for drinking water (Table 20.2) and fishery water bodies.

Table 20.2

Maximum permissible concentration of harmful substances in drinking water, mg / l

Requirements for the quality of water in reservoirs used for fishery purposes are specific and in most cases more stringent than those for water bodies for domestic purposes. Thus, the fishery MPCs for a number of detergents are three times lower than sanitary standards, oil products  six times, and heavy metals (zinc)  even a hundred times (KP Mitryushkin et al., 1987). It is not difficult to explain this tightening of water quality requirements in fishery reservoirs, if we recall that when harmful substances move along the food (trophic) chain, their biological accumulation occurs to life-threatening quantities.

Permissible level of radiation exposure on the environment - this is a level that does not pose a threat to human health, the state of animals, plants, and their genetic fund. It is determined on the basis of radiation safety standards (NRB-76/87), basic sanitary rules (OSP-72/87) and sanitary design standards SN-254-71.

The permissible levels of exposure to noise, vibration, magnetic fields and other harmful physical influences have also been established.

Permissible discharge ,or reset ,  this is the maximum amount of pollutants that can be emitted by a given enterprise into the atmosphere or into a water body per unit of time, without causing them to exceed the maximum permissible concentrations of pollutants and adverse environmental consequences.

The regulations establish that if in the air of cities or other settlements where enterprises are located, the concentrations of harmful substances exceed the MPC, and the values of permissible emissions cannot be achieved for objective reasons, a gradual decrease in the emission of harmful substances to values that ensure the MPC is introduced. In this case, it can be installed provisionally agreed emissions (ВСВ) at the emission level of enterprises with the most advanced or similar technology.

By the beginning of 1988 in the former USSR, permissible emissions were established for more than 20 thousand enterprises. At present, in Russia, only 15-20% of polluting industries operate at permissible emission standards, 40-50% at ESP (temporarily agreed emissions of harmful substances), and the rest pollute the environment on the basis of limit emissions and discharges, which are determined by actual emissions per a certain period of time.

The main complex environmental quality standard is the maximum permissible anthropogenic load.

Permissible norms of load on the natural environment  these are the maximum possible anthropogenic impacts on natural resources or complexes that do not lead to a violation of the stability of ecological systems.

The following indicators are used to assess the overall resistance of ecosystems to anthropogenic impacts: 1) reserves of living and dead organic matter; 2) the efficiency of the formation of organic matter or products of the vegetation cover; and 3) species and structural diversity (State report ..., 1994).

Environmental scientists have established that the stability of the habitat not only of vegetation, but also of the animal world, and ultimately of humans, is determined primarily by the mass of living organic matter and its main part  phytomass (wood, herbaceous vegetation, etc.). The more significant this mass, the more stable the environment. In this case, photosynthetic organisms are of paramount importance, since they are the main source of biomass, and also determine the nutritional conditions for all other links of the ecosystem and, to a large extent, the composition of the atmospheric air.

The ability of ecosystems to recover in the shortest possible time in the event of anthropogenic disturbance is determined by another indicator  the efficiency of the formation of vegetation cover products as a result of secondary succession. The higher the structural and species diversity of an ecosystem, the greater the number of combinations of structural elements it can create in response to external anthropogenic impact. The structural diversity of an ecosystem can be estimated by comparing the reserves of phytomass (wood, herbaceous vegetation, etc.) and zoomass (predators, ungulates, rodents, etc.).

The potential ability of the natural environment to transfer this or that anthropogenic load without disrupting the basic functions of ecosystems is defined by the term “ natural environment capacity", or ecological capacity of the territory.

The concept of the maximum permissible anthropogenic load on the natural environment, according to P.G. Oldak (1983), should underlie all nature management. In this regard, he distinguishes between extensive and balanced nature management. Extensive (expanding) nature management when production growth is carried out due to an increasing load on natural systems, and this load grows faster than the scale of production increases; balanced nature management when society controls all aspects of its development, ensuring that the total anthropogenic load on the environment does not exceed the self-healing potential of natural systems.

This implies an important conclusion that the regulation of the quality of the natural environment should begin with the determination of the loads that are permissible from the ecological point of view, and the regional use of natural resources should correspond to the ecological "endurance" of the territory.

Neglect of the main environmental set of standards in engineering and economic practice is fraught with serious environmental miscalculations. In 1990, the then head of the Goskompriroda NN Vorontsov complained that “such concepts as the ecological capacity of a territory were not used at all until recently. Are there, say, coal deposits in the Donbass? Are there any Kryvyi Rih ores nearby? We will build up metallurgy there on Donetsk coals, without examining whether the earth and people will withstand or not ”. And further he noted: “Of course, it is necessary to improve the filters of dust and gas traps, to purify waste water. But we still did not have the main thing - the ideology of resource conservation, the definition of ecological capacity, the biosphere approach. "

In the formation of territorial production complexes, the development of industry, construction, urban reconstruction, etc., the application of permissible norms of anthropogenic load is now mandatory.

Regional norms establish the maximum economic load on territorial natural complexes. Sectoral  for certain types of natural resources, for example, the maximum number of livestock per unit of pasture land, the maximum number of visitors in a national park, etc.

Environmental protection is one of those global problems, the solution of which requires a comprehensive and widespread solution, the implementation of a set of effective measures to restore natural resources, prevent pollution of the oceans and the atmosphere, etc. For more than one century, man thoughtlessly spent natural resources, and today the time has come when we realize that the reserves of the planet are not infinite and require not only rational use, but also restoration.

The main factors that ecologists pay attention to are the provoking thinning of the ozone layer of the atmosphere and leading to the "greenhouse effect", the discharge of harmful substances into the world ocean, which causes the death of its inhabitants, an increase in the volume of industrial waste that does not undergo decomposition. The incident at the BP oil development that led to the present showed how much greater protection is needed in the oil and gas complex. After all, it is in this sector of industry that any accident leads to dire consequences from which nature cannot recover for years.

Today, environmental protection is one of the most important issues that are addressed by governments and most countries in the world. Scientists are looking for more gentle technologies for the production and processing of raw materials, develop complexes for its subsequent utilization or reuse, investigate the possibilities of reducing the amount and concentration of harmful emissions into the atmosphere, try to use safe energy sources and more environmentally friendly fuels.

It is the unfavorable environmental situation that affects not only natural

resources, but also on human health: the average life expectancy of people is decreasing, the number of babies born with developmental pathology or congenital diseases is increasing, the number of infertile couples and cancer patients is growing. It was this disappointing statistics that became the reason for the development of a set of measures aimed at changing the current situation.

In recent years, defense in Russia has become one of the priority directions of the state's internal policy. It involves the development and implementation of new, safe production technologies, measures to restore natural resources (new forest plantations and restriction of felling, restoration of the population of water bodies, rational use of mineral resources, reuse of various raw materials, etc.). Along with these measures, the number of nature protection zones, national parks and reserves is increasing.

The State Committee for Nature Protection is called upon to regulate and control the use of resources. Its direct responsibility is to develop regulations, requirements and rules. Only in our country are the norms of environmental law included in the main law of the state - the Constitution. In addition, in order to properly use resources in various industries, the Subsoil Law, as well as the Water, Forestry and Land Codes have been developed. Despite a fairly large number of environmental departments, environmental protection in our country is still underdeveloped. And this is not so much a flaw in the state power, as each person's own attitude to the world in which he lives.

Man and nature are not a parity relationship, since the leading role belongs to nature. Nature is the whole world that surrounds man; she is the cradle of life in different forms and meanings. Everything that exists, the environment around us can exist in a living and inanimate form, but this world in various manifestations affects our life.

The interconnections and patterns of interaction of all things were noticed in ancient times and were part of human philosophy. The rapid development of technical progress, the desire to subjugate nature - all this has brought to the fore the issues of conservation ecology and environmental protection.

The most powerful factories are being built, giant stations are being erected, the length of gas and oil pipelines is growing every day. All this is part of technical progress for the benefit of humanity, but the flip side of this progress is the destruction of forests, changes in landscapes.

For many years we have consoled ourselves with the thought that man is the master of nature, but it is his “management” that leaves behind lifeless spaces, barren deserts, destroyed ecosystems and contaminated water bodies. Deplorable state ecology and environmental contamination does not allow modern human society to enjoy the freshness of the sea tide, the clean breath of the forest space, the crystal water of the spring.

This is how we changed nature. Explosions of nuclear power plants, rivers of running gasoline, sewage from factories and plants, smog of exhaust gases, depletion of blue ribbons of rivers, deforestation. And if a reasonable person does not realize the responsibility for state of ecology and environment, what will he leave behind on the blue planet?

Today these issues concern many people who unite in green societies, environmental unions. Indeed, only through joint efforts are we able to revive and preserve natural resources and bear responsibility for all life on our planet, for our home - the cradle of life.

Environment and its protection

The current state of the environment requires protection with the help of the law and a whole system of environmental standards. Environmental protection and ecology should limit the destructive and destructive influence of man on the surrounding nature. Many countries and communities of the modern world have introduced special measures to ensure preservation of the environment.

Strict restrictions on emissions of substances and harmful gases into the hydrosphere and atmosphere have been introduced. The creation of specialized unique nature reserves, national parks, and nature reserves is being organized and financed. Restrictive fishing measures are being introduced, and hunting seasons and sizes are being reduced. The problem of garbage and industrial waste is solved using modern methods and technologies of processing.

Since 1972, the UN Global Assembly has declared June 5 as the day of celebration of the World Environment Day. The choice of this date is not accidental, because it was in 1972 that the Stockholm Conference considered serious Environmental issues... This day is a call for the annual holding by states and organizations of special events aimed at preservation of ecology and environment.

On June 5, Russia also celebrates the "Day of the Ecologist", but every inhabitant of the Earth must remember that a healthy ecology of the environment- these are not holidays, but actions. Failure to comply with the ecological balance can lead to tragic consequences.

Depressing forecasts

The annual increase in the area of deserts is 27 million hectares, which leads to catastrophic losses of fertile soil for all mankind. Taken together, the wheat fields in Australia are the area of land that agriculture loses every year.
Only 3% of the population in 1800 lived in cities, 50% of urban residents were recorded by statistics in 2008, and by 2030 the concentration of people in cities will be 60%.
Information technologies are already a consequence of 2% CO2 entering the Earth's atmosphere, which exceeds the volume of carbon dioxide emissions from aviation. The expected forecasts are disappointing and it is assumed that developments in the field of Internet technologies by 2020 will increase the release of CO2 into the atmosphere by up to 20%.
According to biologist Wilson from Harvard University, 30,000 species of various living organisms disappear from the face of the Earth every year, and the end of the millennium at this rate will be marked by the irreversible loss of half of the current biodiversity.
Irrational development of various deposits by the end of this century can lead to the complete depletion of the Earth's mineral resources.
The areas of primeval forests, which are 3/4 habitat for all biological species on the planet, have decreased by 20% over the past 40 years, and continue to decline rapidly.
The coral reefs of the planet have decreased by 30% and the destruction of unique ecosystems continues.
Natural disasters and catastrophes on the planet from 2000 to 2006 inclusive in comparison with the previous decade increased by 187%. And this is the planet's response to our attitude towards it.
Z pollution of the ecology of groundwater becomes a potential threat to pollution 97% of the world's fresh water resources.
Influence ecological situation on the environment will lead to the complete disappearance of the snow on Kilimanjaro by 2033.
Global warming is intensely affecting permafrost, which causes Russia to lose 30 square kilometers of land annually.

Ecology, environment and industrialization

The above facts show how industrial progress affects ecology and pollution environment... Our planet can no longer be proud of clean air, fertile soil and "living" water. Almost every city resembles one another with a huge number of cars, factories and plants.

Industrial activity, producing by-products, kills all life on the planet. Acid rain, global warming, depletion of the ozone layer - the list is quite long, which consists of many minor violations, non-compliance with norms, negligence.

All this negative, and the processes associated with it, is caused by a huge amount of pollutants that enter the atmosphere from industrial enterprises. Cities devoid of vegetation choke on smog. Diesel and gasoline engines in road transport poison the air every day.

Huge tracts of forests - the lungs of the planet - are being ruthlessly destroyed for the sake of industrial growth. The oxygen balance is disturbed not only in a single country, but throughout the entire planet.

Many animals, birds and plants are listed in the Red Book, others are balancing on the brink of extinction, because the animal world has not only become a source of food for humanity, but a product of greed and entertainment.

Floodplains of rivers and lakes turn into deserts, salt marshes, fetid puddles. Birds no longer find refuge on the banks of rivers and lakes rich in food. Fish stocks are depleted or killed by oil spills. We can partially observe the once rich populations of fish only in aquariums.

And for this there is no need to read frightening press reports, at each nearby reservoir we can observe a depressing picture of pollution and irresponsible attitude towards ecology and environment... What other "horror stories" are needed for every person to understand that it is not ethical, not fashionable, but dangerous to destroy nature?

Environmental education

Undoubtedly, ecology and environment problems should be solved at the global level, using legislative, organizational, sanitary and hygienic, engineering and technical and other measures and levers. But, you can start right now to take care of your home - the Earth within the framework of your home, district, city.

For example, in the Murmansk region, on the basis of the children's and youth library, activists of the organization "Nature and Youth" held a massive master class on the manufacture of ecological bags using the Japanese technique of Furoshiki.

The Furoshiki technique allows you to use a square piece of fabric as a container for carrying various objects of all sizes and shapes. The purpose of this event was the great desire of the younger generation to abandon plastic bags as items that pose a threat to the environment.

A little imagination, and a lot of funds and resources for the production of unnecessary plastic are saved, without harming the environment. “Let's save the planet together” - this is how the slogans of this day sounded, where employees of the organization informed children and parents about the destructive impact of anthropogenic impact on nature and the need environmental protection from ourselves.

You can start small, and even making this contribution to protecting the environment and improving the environment will make our future healthier.

Currently, there are very, very many environmental problems, but if everyone starts to make a little contribution, this will significantly affect the health of our planet! Children today have many more opportunities than before to help save our planet from pollution and waste. Thanks to the internet, you have more resources at your fingertips than your parents at your age could find in an entire library. Read this article and you will learn about some interesting and useful things you can do for our planet.

Steps

Houses

Help with recycling. Recycling programs are becoming more popular and affordable. With their help, you can clean and recycle certain types of waste. This way the materials can be reused and the producers have no need to extract more natural resources. Help adults sort waste and recycle it regularly.

There are different opportunities for recycling in different areas, so find out what can and cannot be recycled in your area. You can usually at least recycle paper, thin cardboard (such as milk bags and shopping bags), thin metal (such as soda cans), and glass. In some regions, it is possible to recycle heavy cardboard, foam and other materials.
Organize recycling. Make sure bottles, glass and cans are clean enough. They do not need to shine with purity, but at the same time, they do not need to be half full. Then sort the waste by type. If you have separate containers for each type of waste in your home, it will be easier for you to properly sort the waste for recycling. Even if you don't have these containers at home, you can still sort the waste to get an idea of how much of each type of material your family uses each day.
Do this regularly. Depending on how big your family is, this may become your weekly task, or you may need to devote a little time to it every day.
- If a special machine regularly picks up waste for recycling, do not forget to put the sorted waste out on the street in advance.

Think about what you personally use and wear. Children grow out of clothes, grow up and stop using toys and other things. Try to wear and use other items as long as possible. If you decide to buy yourself a new backpack, just because you are tired of the old one, you should know that by doing so you are wasting precious resources of our planet. The same applies to literally everything you use. Take care and value what you have.

Reduce your energy consumption. The energy that is used in your home for things like hot water, air conditioning, and electricity is generated in various power plants that recycle a certain type of fuel to convert it into energy. Some fuels are cleaner than others, for example hydropower (energy from flowing water) is cleaner than energy from coal; but regardless of the method, the extraction of energy increases the burden on the environment. Contribute to the environment by using as little energy as possible.
- Turn off lights and electronic devices (such as TVs and game consoles) when you are no longer using them. However, before turning off the family computer, ask your parents - sometimes the computer needs to be left on for various reasons. During the day, open curtains and blinds and use natural light instead of electric.
- Keep the temperature in your home moderate. If you have an air conditioner at home, ask your parents to set it to at least 22 ° C in summer. If you have a thermostat in your home, do not set it higher than 20 ° C in winter (blankets and warm clothes will keep you warm when the house is cool.) Set the thermostat to 13 degrees at night in rooms where no one sleeps.
  - If you live in a cold region, do not set the thermostat below 13 degrees in winter, otherwise the pipes may freeze at night.
- Use less water. Take a short shower instead of a bath, and turn off the tap when not in use, such as when brushing your teeth. Even such little things count!
- Ride your bike. The bicycle is perhaps the most environmentally friendly form of transport ever invented (after walking). By cycling to and from school and to any other place, you will be doing a great service to our planet.
Start reusing many things. Ask your parents to buy 3-4 reusable shopping bags. They're inexpensive, but they can help reduce the number of paper or plastic bags you bring home from grocery stores. For your personal belongings, start using the reusable lunch box at school, unless you already do so. They also look cooler than paper bags. Ask for a reusable beverage bottle as well. A bottle made of metal or sturdy plastic will work great.
- Make sure to rinse and wash reusable shopping bags and shopping bags about once a week to keep them from getting dirty and greasy. Quickly scrub them in the sink with a rag or sponge and leave them in the dish drainer for a couple of hours.
- Use unwanted plastic bags as trash bags in your bathroom or in your room. They fit perfectly into small waste baskets, so there is no need to buy special plastic waste bags.
- When choosing plastic water bottles, make sure they are BPA (bisphenol A) free. Then it can be used many times. BPA plastic bottles are not safe to use for long periods of time.
Pick up weeds instead of spraying chemicals. Some people use herbicides to get rid of weeds in their garden or flower bed. Since the ground is softer there, there is no need for chemicals. Take garden gloves, a hoe, and a garden shovel and weed by hand. Do this every weekend. This is a good opportunity to spend time outdoors with your family and is much cleaner and safer than herbicides.

Populate your garden with beneficial insects. Along with insect pests (such as aphids), there are other insects that feast on pests. In some gardening stores, you can order these insects, such as lacewings (which love to eat aphids and also look beautiful). Rely on natural remedies to reduce the use of pesticides.
- Leave beneficial insects where you find them. In many cases, guard insects are already in the garden. For example, garden spiders eat all kinds of pests, and at the same time they are absolutely safe for plants. When you find such insects, do not get rid of them - let them help you.

Family and school projects

Clean up a nearby park. Gather a group of friends or pick a day when your whole family can go to a nearby park in the morning. Bring some large trash bags and garden gloves. Start at the parking lot and walk along each path in the park, picking up all the trash you find. In a couple of hours, the park will be spotlessly clean!
- If you see rubbish not on the path, do not hesitate - go and collect it. If it's hard to reach, find a branch and pull it up.
- It may not sound like exciting, but it's actually a wonderful experience. You may even like it so much that you want to do it on a regular basis and clean the park again once or twice a year.
Join a larger cleaning operation. If you ask the teachers and watch the local news, you may well know that there are other groups of people who are conducting cleaning operations similar to the park cleaning project. In most cases, these people are happy when children and families join them. This way you can take part in cleaning the beach, campground or mountain trail. It is very inspiring to be part of a larger movement.
Join other groups of volunteers. Whether you love planting trees, clearing trails, or simply spreading the word about environmental change in your hometown, there may well be a local group that shares your interests. Reach out to them and ask how you can help. If there is no such group, why not talk to your parents or the school about creating one yourself? After all, it's impossible to be too young to change the world for the better.
- If your friends share your interests, ask them to sign a statement to the principal. If the director knows that there are many people interested in the project, the likelihood that he will consider your proposal will increase.
- One program that many schools may use but few schools actually do is the composting program. Compost helps reduce waste. Composting separates food waste and garden waste, which then decomposes and turns into soil. With enough interest, your school's composting program can be a huge success, so start spreading the word and gaining support among your classmates and their parents.
- Yes, balloons are usually made from biodegradable material, but at various events it is better to inflate them, rather than use those that are filled with helium. Inflating balloons is not only fun, but much more environmentally friendly than using helium.