Every year on our planet there are ever fewer places claiming the title of "environmentally friendly." Active human activity leads to the fact that the ecosystem is constantly exposed to pollution, and this continues throughout the entire existence of mankind. However, in recent decades, scientists from different countries have become interested in the problem of physical pollution of the environment . Numerous initiative groups are struggling to find out the reasons for the abrupt climate change on the planet and the consequences for all living things that it brings. Unfortunately, a person cannot completely stop physical pollution at this stage of his development. But if in the near future its degree does not decrease, it will be possible to talk about a global catastrophe, which will primarily affect all people. Today we will talk in great detail about the physical type of environmental pollution, causing great harm to nature and all living organisms on our Earth.
Question Terminology
We can say that the whole history of human existence is associated with environmental pollution. It so happened that even at the dawn of civilization, people began to introduce certain elements into the nature that pollute it.
Ecologists consider this question more deeply. They argue that any introduction into the environment of elements alien to it does not just remain in it, but begins to interact with an established ecosystem. And this leads to major changes. Their consequences may be the extinction of certain animal species, a change in their habitats, mutations, and so on. It is enough to look into the Red Book to understand how the environment has changed over several centuries.
However, it cannot be said that all these changes were caused only by physical types of pollution. In science, there is a division into natural and physical pollutants. Any cataclysms and natural disasters can be safely attributed to the first group. For example, a volcanic eruption causes tons of ash and gas to be released into the atmosphere , which immediately affects the environment. Such pollution can include floods, tsunamis and other natural phenomena. Despite their destructive actions, over time, the ecosystem comes into balance, as it has the ability to self-regulation. What can not be said about human intervention in the environment.
According to accepted terminology, physical pollution includes by- products of human life , caused by technological progress. Of course, no one will argue that in recent years, technology has stepped far forward, making our life more comfortable. But who knows the true price of this progress? Perhaps, only ecologists are trying to find out the degree of physical pollution of water or, for example, air. Moreover, despite numerous studies, scientists still do not have accurate data on the scale of the disaster.
Very often, the physical type of pollution is also called anthropogenic. In our article, we will use both terms equally. Therefore, the reader should understand that anthropogenic pollution is the same changes introduced into the environment by a person in the process of his economic activity.
Types of anthropogenic pollution
In order to understand how much a person affects nature, it is necessary to have an idea not only of the physical type of environmental pollution, but also of its classification. Scientists take this issue very seriously and currently distinguish several fairly voluminous groups that reveal all the changes made to the ecosystem by humans.
So what should be understood by the term "physical pollution"? Chemical and biological, many people call in the first place. However, this is not the whole list included in our term. Unfortunately, it is much wider and more diverse. Physical pollution of the environment includes the following types:
- thermal;
- light;
- noise;
- electro-magnetic;
- radioactive (radiation);
- vibrational;
- mechanical;
- biological;
- geological;
- chemical.
An impressive list, isn't it? Moreover, the types of physical pollution of the environment are periodically replenished with new positions. After all, science also does not stand still and with each new discovery about our planet comes the realization of the harm that people regularly do to nature.
Thermal pollution
Thermal - this is the most common and large-scale physical pollution caused by the economic activities of mankind. It was not considered seriously for a very long time, and only after scientists started talking about the greenhouse effect and the steady increase in temperature on the planet, the world community began to think about this problem.
However, she already managed to affect almost every person living in or near the metropolis. And this, as practice shows, most of the people on our Earth. The factors of physical pollution of this type that caused changes in the environment, primarily urban communications, underground construction and the activities of industrial enterprises that emit tons of gas, smoke and harmful substances into the atmosphere.
In this regard, the average air temperature in the cities has significantly increased. For people, this threatens with serious consequences that almost every city dweller in one way or another feels on itself. The fact is that an increase in temperature causes a change in humidity and wind direction. In turn, these changes make cold days in the city even colder, and the heat is simply unbearable. In addition to banal discomfort, this causes a violation of heat transfer in people, which in the chronic stage provokes problems with blood circulation and breathing. Also, thermal pollution becomes an involuntary cause of the diagnosis of arthrosis and arthritis in fairly young people. Previously, these diseases were considered the lot of the elderly, but now the disease is noticeably younger.
Physical pollution of the environment, accompanied by a change in temperature, changes the ecosystem of nearby water bodies. Some species of inhabitants die in them, the number of parasites and other harmful organisms increases. Fishes have to change places of spawning, which leads to a decrease in population and other problems. In addition, scientists noticed that in the area of underground heating mains, where the temperature is always above normal, the number of microorganisms that cause corrosion of metal elements of various structures is growing.
Light pollution
The physical pollution of the environment caused by a disturbance in lighting seems insignificant to many people and does not bring much harm. But this opinion is erroneous and can be expensive first of all to the person himself.
Sources of physical pollution of this type are:
- Illumination in megacities at night;
- directional powerful light sources;
- lighting directed to the sky;
- group illuminations concentrated in one place and often changing the intensity of the glow.
Every resident of the city is familiar with such problems, because they are an integral part of technological progress. However, they completely change the natural biorhythms of all living things that fall within the range of pollution.
Since man is part of nature, his life is subject to certain biorhythms. Bright light at night, accompanying the city dweller everywhere, knocks down his internal clock and the body ceases to understand when it is necessary to sleep and stay awake. This leads to persistent insomnia, depression, irritability, chronic fatigue syndrome and other disorders of the nervous system. Some of them further develop into psychological problems that become the reason for the growth of suicides. Unfortunately, this is a typical picture for modern cities.
All living organisms, but especially the inhabitants of water bodies, suffer from light pollution. Usually, under the influence of a constant light source, the water begins to cloud. This reduces the permeability of sunlight in the daytime; as a result, photosynthesis of plants and biological rhythms of other inhabitants of ponds and lakes are disrupted. Often this even leads to the death of the reservoir.
Noise pollution
Physics consider the physical pollution caused by noise to be the most dangerous for humans. Almost everything that surrounds us in the city becomes its source: transport, public places, household appliances, obtrusive advertising, and so on.
Permissible noise measures that are safe for humans and other living organisms have long been deduced:
- in living quarters during the day should be no more than forty decibels, at night - no more than thirty;
- in industrial premises and in other workplaces, the permissible range is between fifty-six and eighty decibels.
Noise of 90 dB is considered extremely annoying for a person. This effect has an unpleasant property to accumulate in the body, imperceptibly causing hearing impairment, mental disorders, diseases of the cardiovascular and nervous system. And this is not the whole list of problems that noise pollution brings in cities.
It is noteworthy that noise with sharp changes in volume causes the body more harm. However, it is with him most often faced by residents of megacities. Indeed, in apartment buildings, doors are constantly slamming, quarrels between neighbors occur and dogs bark. And all this is perfectly audible through thin walls with poor sound insulation.
Today, scientists are seriously talking about noise disease, which leads to a complete imbalance of the body, accompanied by numerous symptoms. The most common include:
- excessive sweating;
- limb cooling;
- dull headache;
- decreased appetite;
- increasing irritability and aggressiveness;
- trouble concentrating;
- sleep disturbances.
A side effect of noise sickness, doctors say is fear of silence. Most of the inhabitants of large cities suffer from it. With complete sound isolation, a person experiences anxiety, panic, confusion, weakness and depression of intellectual activity.
Electromagnetic pollution
We are all surrounded by various electrical appliances and structures that generate electromagnetic fields. We think that many people know that refrigerators, microwave ovens, televisions and other household appliances create additional electromagnetic fields in our house that affect the health of all family members.
However, they are not the main examples of physical pollution in this category, because in the first place it is worth talking about high-voltage lines, television and radar stations, electric transport and so on. All industrial facilities, without which we cannot imagine our lives, create electromagnetic fields that are dangerous for any biological species.
Depending on the intensity of the radiation, this effect may be physically imperceptible or cause a sensation of heat of an indefinite location and even a burning sensation. This effect leads to a malfunction of the central nervous system of any species, as well as the endocrine system. In turn, these problems reduce potency and nullify the ability to conceive and give birth to healthy offspring.
The world scientific community is inclined to attribute the aggravation of a number of diseases that were previously diagnosed much less often to electromagnetic pollution:
- crayfish;
- mental disorders;
- sudden death syndrome in infants;
- Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease.
Is this so, scientists have yet to find out, however, that in recent years, the health of urban residents has noticeably worsened, can confirm completely different sources.
Radioactive and radiation pollution
The physical type of contamination also includes radioactive sources. The development of nuclear energy led to a technological breakthrough, but at the same time caused a very powerful pollution, the area of which only increases over time in different countries of the world.
Scientists say that the radiation background of the planet is steadily increasing, and it is the man who is trying to put the atom in his service to blame. For example, during the testing of nuclear weapons, radiation aerosols are released. Subsequently, they settle to the surface of the earth, forming an additional source of hazardous radiation for biological species.
People actively use the atom in the energy sector, which leads to the formation of a large amount of radioactive waste that is not always properly disposed of. At the same time, warehouses are being formed for outdated equipment of nuclear power plants and nuclear fuel disposal. Well and, naturally, accidents at nuclear power plants pose the greatest danger to the ecosystem.
The most devastating is the Chernobyl accident, its consequences still make themselves felt in empty cities and villages, diseases and mutations. But what the destruction of the Fukushima reactor will turn out to humanity is yet to be determined by future generations.
Vibration pollution
Vibrational physical pollution occurs everywhere. It is caused by different-frequency vibrations, acting not only on living organisms, but also metal and other structures.
The cause of such pollution are objects created by man to facilitate certain actions. It can be pumping and cooling stations, turbines or vibration platforms. A few kilometers from these structures, vibrational pollution has a very high background. Therefore, most buildings are subject to destruction. Vibration spreads over metal structures, which leads to uneven shrinkage of the structure. Often the balance of all engineering systems is disrupted, and in the future there is a danger of a sudden collapse. In this case, people can be inside the object.
Vibration also affects the human body. It interferes with normal life. People cannot work and rest normally, which leads to various diseases. The nervous system is the first to suffer, and later the body reaches the stage of complete exhaustion.
Vibration pollution also affects animals. Environmentalists claim that they usually try to leave the danger zone. And this sometimes leads to a decrease in the population and death of entire species of living organisms.
Mechanical pollution
Scientists have been sounding the alarm over physical pollution of this category for many years. It is considered extremely insidious, and its consequences are still difficult to predict in full.
At first glance, it is difficult to see a great danger in the release of dust into the atmosphere, landfill, waterlogging or drainage of some territories. However, on a global scale, these actions look very different. They lead to a wide range of environmental problems affecting every person and any biological species that lives on Earth.
For example, many scientists consider mechanical pollution of the environment to be the cause of frequent dust storms and the disappearance of water bodies in China. Today, almost every country is struggling with a number of problems caused by this type of human intervention in the ecosystem. However, the forecasts of environmentalists are disappointing - in the coming years, humanity will face even greater ecological disasters caused by thoughtless economic activity of people.
Biological pollution
Such physical types of pollution, as biological ones, can, if the circumstances are unsuccessful, cause an epidemic and mass pestilence of people and animals. Scientists divide this category into two types, each of which is a danger to humans:
- Bacterial pollution. It is provoked by microorganisms introduced into the ecosystem from the outside. The source is poorly treated sewage, industrial discharges into water bodies and their banal pollution. All this can cause an outbreak of cholera, hepatitis and other infections.In addition, the category of bacterial contamination also includes the forced relocation of any animal species to a new habitat. In the absence of natural enemies of this kind, such actions can cause unforeseen consequences.
- Organic pollution. This category is identical to the previous one, but pollution occurs with substances that cause decay. As a result, the reservoir can be completely destroyed, and the fermentation process can cause the development of pathogenic bacteria.
Biological pollution affects the entire ecosystem that has fallen into the zone of infection. Moreover, it has the ability to expand to the scale of a real disaster.
Geological pollution
Man actively and confidently manages the earth. Its bowels are of interest to people as a treasury with minerals, and their development is carried out on a colossal scale. At the same time, mankind is constantly occupying new lands for construction, cutting down forests, draining water bodies, violating the ecosystem with all its actions.
As a result, the terrain begins to change and landslides, dips, and flooding are formed in those places where it was difficult to expect. Such situations are almost impossible to foresee, but geological pollution can lead to the death of entire cities. They, for example, can completely go underground, which is no longer a rarity in the modern world.
Chemical pollution
This category belongs to those that most quickly exert their influence on the ecosystem. Chemical elements released into the atmosphere by industrial enterprises, transport, or entering the soil as a result of agricultural activity tend to accumulate in biological species and cause disturbances in their development.
The most dangerous chemical compounds include heavy metals and synthetic compounds. In small quantities, they do not have any noticeable effect on the body, but accumulating in it, cause a number of serious diseases. Their effect is aggravated by transmission along the food chain. Plants draw harmful compounds from the soil and air, herbivores get them from food in an already higher dose, and predators at the end of this chain may already die from the maximum concentration of chemical compounds. Scientists are aware of cases when animals massively died precisely because of the accumulated hazardous substances.
The ecosystem is a very fragile organism in which all parts of the whole are interconnected by invisible threads. Environmental pollution at one point in the world upsets the natural balance at another. And first of all it affects a person. Therefore, it is worth seriously considering the problem of anthropogenic pollution or in the future our descendants will get an empty and inhospitable planet.