Pollutants are various environmental pollutants. They negatively affect not only the environment, but also our health. What are pollutants, what harm they cause and how to deal with them - read the article.
Statement of the problem and search for its solution
At first, people did not even think about the fact that we ourselves pollute the air we breathe. They began to sound the alarm for the first time after an epidemic of diseases swept across London in the 1950s. People received serious health problems, up to several registered deaths, as a result of black smog poisoning. The blame was air polluted by coal smoke.
As a result of the tragedy, mankind realized that chemical pollution is not a joke, and has become more serious about this issue. To date, a number of measures are being taken in developed countries to prevent the harmful effects of pollutants. But if their short-term exposure in high concentrations is almost impossible today, in the long run, pollutants can still lead to chronic health problems. And do not forget about it.
What harm do pollutants do? Statistics and Scales
Although pollutants are clearly negative substances for human health, the degree of their influence is difficult to classify. After all, they are very diverse, are found in relatively low concentrations and often give too much delayed effect.
However, you can get some idea of the "scale of the disaster." For example, according to the following data. Air pollution from car exhaust does more harm to Europeans than all accidents on the roads. And in America, there are clear death statistics, according to which 4% of people die every year due to health problems caused by "bad air."
What are they like?
Although a clear classification does not exist today, it is possible to determine the types of pollutants and identify which types pose the greatest danger to humans and the environment.
Depending on the area of pollution, the following are distinguished:
- Air pollutants - acting on the air we breathe.
- Hydro-pollutants are water pollutants.
- Terrapollutants - these substances pollute the earth.
Classification of pollutants by place and type of pollutant
The environment is polluted from various sources. In this regard, pollutants are divided into:
- Industrial, coming in the form of production waste, for example, harmful gases.
- Household containing chemical detergents.
- Agricultural, representing waste from farms and livestock complexes.
In addition, inorganic and organic pollutants are isolated by the basic substance, its origin and effect.
The main industrial and industrial pollutants are dust and gaseous substances, radioactive and magnetic radiation. They enter the atmosphere as a result of the activities of industrial and energy facilities.
On the other hand, industrial, municipal and household waste contaminated with harmful substances have a negative effect. There are pesticides and chemical fertilizers rich in chemicals used in the production and agriculture.
A large percentage of pollutants is contained in petroleum products. By infecting the ecosystem, they upset the biological balance for years to come. Therefore, the problem of their elimination, and if possible prevention, is very acute today.
How do pollutants affect human health?
As a rule, they enter the human body with polluted air when breathing. So, the fatal effect is primarily on the respiratory system. Virtually all organs are affected, from the lungs to the nasopharynx.
What initially looks like a common cold, accompanied by coughing or sore throat, can subsequently develop into a more serious illness. Chemical pollutants lead to chronic bronchitis, can cause pneumonia or significantly aggravate an existing disease. Especially destructive they affect the work of the respiratory system in children whose body is still not strong enough to deal with their effects.
Particles of polluted air can degrade the activity of the heart and blood vessels, adversely affect the nervous system, lead to the development of tumor diseases and even reduce the ability to bear children. As you can see, ordinary city air is actually much more dangerous than you think.
How is the problem solved here and abroad?
Scientists have long established that pollutants are substances that cause serious harm to health and the environment. A number of countries have adopted special laws that strictly regulate the level of harmful emissions into the atmosphere, for example, in Germany, Japan and the USA.
In our country, serious attention is also paid to this. True, the problem is compounded by the fact that the air in the European part of Russia is heavily polluted with pollutants transported over long distances. Falling with precipitation, they negatively affect the soil and water. And since the direction of the air masses relates everything “harmful” from the countries of Western and Eastern Europe to us, and not vice versa, it is not surprising that the problem of chemical pollution is especially acute.
Nevertheless, the concentration standards of toxic substances are strictly regulated in our country, the processes of ecosystem self-purification are monitored, and normal processes of embryogenesis of living organisms are supported.
We can say that pollutants are an annoying factor, without which it is almost impossible to do in a modern world saturated with production and chemical processes. But science does not stand still, and catastrophes like London are still being avoided today.