What is the impact of air pollution on humans, you will learn from this article.
Air pollution and human health
Scientists have conducted numerous studies that have confirmed the relationship between disease and air pollution. Mixtures of different pollutants are thrown into it every day. The harmful effects of air pollution on human health were first discovered in London in 1952.
Air pollution affects everyone in a different way. Factors such as age, lung capacity, health status and time spent in the environment are taken into account. Large particles of pollutants negatively affect the upper respiratory tract, and particles small size able to penetrate the alveoli of the lungs and small airways
A person exposed to air pollutants can experience long-term and short-term effects. It all depends on the influencing factors. But, one way or another, this leads to heart disease, lungs and stroke.
Symptoms of diseases associated with polluted air - phlegm production, chronic cough, infectious lung disease, heart attack, lung cancer, heart disease.
Also, air emissions of pollutants from vehicles affect fetal growth retardation in a pregnant woman and cause premature birth.
How does ozone affect health?
Ozone, which is an integral part of the atmosphere, also affects humans. US researchers argue that changes in the concentration of ozone in the atmosphere in the summer leads to an increase in the death rate.
There are 3 factors that determine the response to ozone exposure:
- Concentration: The higher the ozone level, the more people are affected by it.
- Duration: Long-term exposure has a strong negative effect on the lungs.
- Inhaled air volume: increased human activity contributes to a greater negative effect on the lungs.
Symptoms of the effects of ozone on health are irritation and inflammation of the lungs, chest tightness, and coughing. As soon as its effects cease, the symptoms disappear.
How does particulate matter affect health?
Fine particles released into the air rapidly affect the lungs, as they penetrate the alveoli and small airways. They damage them irreversibly. Also distinctive feature fine particles in that they can be suspended in the air for a long time and transported over long distances. In addition, they enter the bloodstream and affect the heart.
4.2 Impact of pollution on human health
The mass of the atmosphere of our planet is negligible - only one millionth of the mass of the Earth. However, its role in the natural processes of the biosphere is enormous. Presence around the globe atmosphere determines the general thermal regime of the surface of our planet, protects it from harmful cosmic and ultraviolet radiation. The circulation of the atmosphere affects the local climatic conditions, and through them - on the regime of rivers, soil and vegetation cover and on the processes of relief formation.
The modern gas composition of the atmosphere is the result of a long, centuries-old historical development of the globe. It is mainly a gas mixture of two components - nitrogen (78.09%) and oxygen (20.95%). Normally, it also contains argon (0.93%), carbon dioxide(0.03%) and minor amounts of inert gases (neon, helium, krypton, xenon), ammonia, methane, ozone, sulfur dioxide and other gases. Along with gases, the atmosphere contains solid particles coming from the Earth's surface (for example, combustion products, volcanic activity, soil particles) and from space (cosmic dust), as well as various products of plant, animal or microbial origin. In addition, water vapor plays an important role in the atmosphere (11, p. 117).
Three gases that make up the atmosphere are of greatest importance for various ecosystems: oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen. These gases are involved in the main biogeochemical cycles.
Due to the rapid development of automobile transport and aviation, the share of emissions entering the atmosphere from mobile sources, such as trucks and cars, tractors, diesel locomotives and airplanes, has significantly increased. The greatest amount of pollutants is emitted during acceleration of a car, especially when it is fast, as well as when driving at low speed. The relative proportion (of the total mass of emissions) of hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide is highest during braking and idling, the proportion of nitrogen oxides - during acceleration. From these data, it follows that cars pollute the air especially heavily at frequent stops and when driving at low speeds.
In the last 10-15 years great attention is devoted to the study of the effects that may arise in connection with flights of supersonic aircraft and spaceships... These flights are accompanied by pollution of the stratosphere with nitrogen oxides and sulfuric acid (supersonic aircraft), as well as particles of aluminum oxide (transport spacecraft). Since these pollutants destroy ozone, it was initially believed (supported by appropriate model calculations) that the planned increase in the number of flights of supersonic aircraft and transport spacecraft will lead to a significant decrease in the ozone content with all subsequent destructive effects of ultraviolet radiation on the Earth's biosphere (1, p. 56).
Noises are among the harmful to humans. The irritating effect of sound (noise) on a person depends on its intensity, spectral composition and duration of exposure. Continuous spectrum noises are less irritating than narrow frequency noises. The greatest irritation is caused by noise in the frequency range of 3000 - 5000 Hz.
At first, working in conditions of high noise causes fatigue and sharpens hearing at high frequencies. Then the person seems to get used to the noise, the sensitivity to high frequencies drops sharply, hearing impairment begins, which gradually develops into hearing loss and deafness. At a noise intensity of 140 - 145 decibels, vibrations occur in soft tissues nose and throat, as well as in the bones of the skull and teeth; if the intensity exceeds 140 dB, then the chest, muscles of the arms and legs begin to vibrate, pain in the ears and head, extreme fatigue and irritability appear; at a noise level above 160 dB, rupture of the tympanic membranes may occur (1, p. 89 - 93).
Noise has a detrimental effect not only on the hearing aid, but also on the central nervous system human, the work of the heart, is the cause of many other diseases. One of the most powerful sources of noise are helicopters and airplanes, especially supersonic ones.
Airplane noises cause hearing impairment and other painful effects in airport ground workers and residents. settlements over which the planes fly. The negative impact on people depends not only on the level of maximum noise generated by the aircraft during flight, but also on the duration of the action, the total number of flights per day and the background noise level. The intensity of noise and the area of propagation is significantly influenced by meteorological conditions: wind speed, its distribution and air temperature over height, clouds and precipitation.
Especially sharp character the problem of noise has acquired in connection with the operation of supersonic aircraft. Associated with them are noise, sonic boom and vibration of dwellings near airports. Modern supersonic aircraft generate noise levels that are much higher than the maximum permissible levels.
All substances polluting the atmospheric air, to a greater or lesser extent, have bad influence on human health. These substances enter the human body mainly through the respiratory system. The respiratory organs directly suffer from pollution, since about 50% of impurity particles with a radius of 0.01 - 0.1 μm that penetrate into the lungs are deposited in them (15, p. 63).
Particles that enter the body have a toxic effect because they:
a) toxic (poisonous) by their chemical or physical nature;
b) serve as a hindrance to one or several mechanisms by which the respiratory (respiratory) tract is normally cleared;
c) serve as a carrier of a poisonous substance absorbed by the body.
In some cases, exposure to one of the pollutants in combination with others results in more serious health problems than exposure to either alone. Statistical analysis made it possible to reliably establish the relationship between the level of air pollution and diseases such as damage to the upper respiratory tract, heart failure, bronchitis, asthma, pneumonia, pulmonary emphysema, and eye diseases. A sharp increase in the concentration of impurities, which persists for several days, increases the mortality of the elderly from respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. In December 1930, the Meuse River Valley (Belgium) experienced severe air pollution for 3 days; as a result, hundreds of people fell ill and 60 died - more than 10 times the average death rate. In January 1931, in the area of Manchester (Great Britain), strong smoke was observed for 9 days, which caused the death of 592 people (21, p. 72).
Cases of severe air pollution in London, accompanied by numerous deaths, are widely known. In 1873, there were 268 unexpected deaths in London. Heavy smoke combined with fog between 5 and 8 December 1852 killed more than 4,000 people in Greater London. In January 1956, about 1,000 Londoners died as a result of prolonged smoke. Most of those who died unexpectedly suffered from bronchitis, pulmonary emphysema or cardiovascular diseases (21, p. 78).
In cities, due to the constantly increasing air pollution, the number of patients suffering from diseases such as chronic bronchitis, pulmonary emphysema, various allergic diseases and lung cancer is steadily growing. In the UK, 10% of cases deaths accounts for chronic bronchitis, with 21 percent of the population aged 40 - 59 years suffering from this disease. In Japan, in a number of cities, up to 60% of residents suffer from chronic bronchitis, the symptoms of which are dry cough with frequent expectoration, subsequent progressive difficulty in breathing and heart failure. In this regard, it should be noted that the so-called Japanese economic miracle of the 50s - 60s was accompanied by heavy pollution. natural environment one of the most beautiful areas in the world and serious damage to the health of the population of this country. In recent decades, the number of patients with bronchial and lung cancers, the occurrence of which is promoted by carcinogenic hydrocarbons, has been growing at a rate of great concern (19, p. 107).
Animals in the atmosphere and precipitated harmful substances are struck through the respiratory organs and enter the body together with edible dusty plants. If large quantities of harmful pollutants are absorbed, animals can become acutely ill. Chronic poisoning of animals with fluoride compounds has received the name "industrial fluorosis" among veterinarians, which occurs when animals ingest feed or drinking water containing fluoride. The characteristic signs are aging of the teeth and bones of the skeleton.
Beekeepers of some regions of Germany, France and Sweden note that due to fluoride poisoning, which settles on honey flowers, there is an increased mortality of bees, the amount of honey decreases and the number is sharply reduced. bee colonies(11, p. 120).
The effect of molybdenum on ruminants has been observed in England, California (USA) and Sweden. Molybdenum, penetrating into the soil, prevents the absorption of copper by plants, and the absence of copper in food in animals causes loss of appetite and weight. With arsenic poisoning, ulceration appears on the body of cattle.
In Germany, severe lead and cadmium poisoning of gray partridges and pheasants was observed, and in Austria, lead accumulated in the organisms of hares that fed on grass along highways. Three such hares, eaten in one week, are quite enough for a person to get sick as a result of lead poisoning (11, p. 118).
Conclusion
Today in the world there are many environmental problems: from the extinction of some species of plants and animals to the threat of degeneration human race... The ecological effect of pollutants can manifest itself in different ways: it can affect either individual organisms (manifested at the organismic level), or populations, biocenoses, ecosystems, and even the biosphere as a whole.
At the organismic level, there can be a violation of certain physiological functions of organisms, a change in their behavior, a decrease in the rate of growth and development, a decrease in resistance to the effects of other unfavorable factors. external environment.
At the level of populations, pollution can cause changes in their numbers and biomass, fertility, mortality, structural changes, annual migration cycles, and a number of other functional properties.
At the biocenotic level, pollution affects the structure and functions of communities. The same pollutants affect different components of communities in different ways. Accordingly, the quantitative ratios in the biocenosis change, up to complete disappearance some forms and the appearance of others. Ultimately, there is a degradation of ecosystems, their deterioration as elements of the human environment, a decrease in their positive role in the formation of the biosphere, and economic depreciation.
Thus, based on all of the above, you can make the following conclusions:
1. Over the past hundred years, the development of industry has "gifted" us with such production processes, the consequences of which at first a person could not yet imagine. Factories, factories, millionaire cities have arisen, the growth of which cannot be stopped. Today, there are three main sources of air pollution: industry, household boilers, and transport. The share of each of these sources in total air pollution varies greatly depending on their location. However, it is now generally accepted that industrial production pollutes the air the most.
2. Any forms of pollution of water bodies cause enormous harm to natural ecosystems and lead to disastrous changes in the human environment. The effects of anthropogenic impact on the aquatic environment are manifested at the individual and population-biocenotic levels, and the long-term effect of pollutants leads to a simplification of the ecosystem.
3. The soil cover of the Earth is the most important component of the Earth's biosphere. It is the soil shell that determines many of the processes taking place in the biosphere. The most important role of soils is in the accumulation of organic matter, various chemical elements, and energy. The soil cover acts as a biological absorber, destroyer and neutralizer of various types of pollution. If this link of the biosphere is destroyed, then the existing functioning of the biosphere will be irreversibly disrupted.
On this moment in the world there are many theories in which great attention is paid to finding the most rational ways to solve environmental problems. But, unfortunately, everything turns out to be much simpler on paper than in real life.
Human impact on the environment has become rampant. To fundamentally improve the situation, you need purposeful and thoughtful actions. A responsible and effective policy in relation to the environment will be possible only if we accumulate reliable data on the current state of the environment, sound knowledge about the interaction of important environmental factors, if we develop new methods to reduce and prevent harm to nature by humans.
In our opinion, in order to prevent further environmental pollution, first of all, it is necessary:
Increase attention to issues of nature protection and ensuring rational use natural resources;
Establish systematic control over the use by enterprises and organizations of lands, waters, forests, bowels and other natural resources;
Increase attention to issues on prevention of pollution and salinization of soils, surface and groundwater;
Pay great attention to the preservation of the water-protective and protective functions of forests, the preservation and reproduction of flora and fauna, the prevention of atmospheric air pollution;
Strengthen the fight against industrial and household noise.
Conservation of nature is the task of our century, a problem that has become social. Again and again we hear about the danger threatening the environment, but still many of us consider them an unpleasant, but inevitable product of civilization and believe that we still have time to cope with all the difficulties that have emerged. The environmental problem is one of the most important tasks humanity. And already now people should understand this and take an active part in the struggle for the preservation of the natural environment. And everywhere: in the small town of Balashov, and in the Saratov region, and in Russia, and all over the world. From the decision of this global problem depends, without the slightest exaggeration, the future of the entire planet.
Literature
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7. Dobrovolsky, G. V., Grishina, L. A. Soil protection / G. V. Dobrovolsky. - M., 1985.
8. Dronova T. Ya. Influence of atmospheric pollution on soil properties / T. Ya. Dronova. - M., 1990.
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21. Chernyak, V.Z. Seven Wonders and Others / V.Z. Chernyak. - M., 1983.
Annex 1
Intake of substances (in million tons / year) in a city with a population of 1 million people
Name of substance Amount
Pure water 470.0
Air 50.2
Mineral raw materials 10.0
Crude oil 3.6
Raw materials of ferrous metallurgy 3.5
Natural gas 1.7
Liquid fuel 1.6
Mining and chemical raw materials 1.5
Raw materials of non-ferrous metallurgy 1.2
Technical plant raw materials 1.0
Food industry raw materials,
prepared food 1.0
Energy-chemical raw materials 0.22
Appendix 2
Emissions (in thousand tons / year) to the atmosphere
cities with a population of 1 million people
Ingredients of atmospheric emissions Quantity
Water (steam, aerosol) 10800
Carbon dioxide 1200
Sulfurous anhydride 240
Carbon monoxide 240
Hydrocarbons 108
Nitrogen oxides 60
Organic matter
(phenols, benzene, alcohols, solvents, fatty acid) 8
Chlorine, hydrochloric acid aerosols 5
Hydrogen sulfide 5
Ammonia 1.4
Fluorides (in terms of fluorine) 1.2
Carbon disulfide 1.0
Hydrogen cyanide 0.3
Lead compounds 0.5
Nickel (in dust) 0.042
PAHs (including benzopyrene) 0.08
Arsenic 0.031
Uranium (in dust) 0.024
Cobalt (in dust) 0.018
Mercury 0.0084
Cadmium (in dust) 0.0015
Beryllium (in dust) 0.0012
Appendix 3
Solid and concentrated waste (in thousand tons / year) cities with a population of 1 million people
Waste type Quantity
Ash and slags of TPP 550.0
Solid sediments from the general sewage system
(95% humidity) 420.0
Wood waste 400.0
Halite waste 400.0
Raw pulp from sugar factories 360.0
Solid household waste * 350.0
Ferrous metallurgy slags 320.0
Phosphogypsum 140.0
Waste from the food industry
(excluding sugar factories) 130.0
Slag of non-ferrous metallurgy 120.0
Waste sediments from chemical plants 90.0
Clay sludge 70.0
Construction waste 50.0
Pyrite cinders 30.0
Burned earth 30.0
Calcium chloride 20.0
Tires 12.0
Paper (parchment, cardboard, oiled paper) 9.0
Textiles (rags, fluff, pile, oiled rags) 8.0
Solvents (alcohols, benzene, toluene, etc.) 8.0
Rubber, oilcloth 7.5
Polymer waste 5.0
Campfire from industrial flax 3.6
Spent calcium carbide 3.0
Cullet 3.0
Leather, wool 2.0
Aspiration dust (leather, feathers, textiles) 1.2
* Solid household waste consists of: paper, cardboard - 35%, food waste - 30%, glass - 6%, wood - 3%, textiles - 3.5%, ferrous metals - 4%. Bones - 2.5%, plastics - 2%, leather, rubber - 1.5%, non-ferrous metals - 0.2%, others - 13.5%.
Appendix 4
Wastewater(in thousand tons) cities with a population of 1 million people
Indicator Quantity
Suspended substances 36.0
Phosphates 24.0
Petroleum products 2.5
Synthetic surfactants 0.6
Into the atmosphere, the maximum permissible discharge (MPD) of pollutants into water bodies and the maximum permissible amount of combusted fuel (MPT). These standards are established for each source of pollution into the environment and are closely related to the profile of work, the volume and nature of pollution. specific enterprise workshop, unit. Urban planning standards are developed to ensure ...
Mutual arrangement of treatment chambers and development workings, shapes and sizes of working faces and methods of gouging out monolithic blocks from the massif. Chapter 2. Technological process for the extraction of manganese ore used at the OJSC "Ordzhonikidze Mining and Processing Plant" The purest manganese is obtained in industry by the method of the Soviet electrochemist R. I. Agladze (...
During which the amount of the effect brought by these costs becomes equal to the costs. When calculating the payback period, it is necessary to take into account that environmental costs can not only reduce environmental pollution, but also increase production efficiency. OJSC "MPOVT" (head plant) for the month of March 2008 calculated the tax for emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere in the amount of ...
installations, location of enterprises, selection of unit capacities power equipment and much more). The purpose of this work is to investigate the problem of thermal emissions into the atmosphere and their impact on the environment. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to solve the following tasks: - to characterize the heat power industry and its emissions; - consider the impact of installations on the atmosphere at ...
One of the leading factors of anthropogenic impact on health is aerogenic impact. In this case, the effect on the human body can be manifested mainly in three types of pathological effects.
- 1. Acute intoxication occurs with the simultaneous intake of a toxic inhalation dose. Toxic manifestations are characterized by an acute onset and severe specific symptoms of poisoning.
- 2. Chronic intoxication is caused by prolonged, often intermittent, intake of chemicals in subtoxic doses, and begins with the appearance of low-specific symptoms.
- 3. Long-term effects of exposure to toxicants:
- a) gonadotropic effect - manifested by the effect on spermatogenesis in men and ovogenesis in women, as a result of which there are violations of the reproductive function of a biological object;
- b) embryotropic effect - manifested by impairments in intrauterine development fetus:
- - teratogenic effect - the occurrence of disorders of organs and systems, manifested in postnatal development,
- - embryotoxic effect - fetal death or a decrease in its size and weight during normal tissue differentiation;
- c) mutagenic effect - a change in the hereditary properties of the organism due to DNA disturbances;
- d) oncogenic effect - the development of benign and malignant neoplasms.
The significance of long-term effects can be judged by the statistics of mortality from cardiovascular pathologies (about 50%), malignant tumors (about 20%) in industrialized cities. According to experts, air pollution reduces life expectancy by an average of 3-5 years.
Organs most sensitive to atmospheric pollution respiratory system... Toxicity of the body occurs through the alveoli of the lungs, the area of which (capable of gas exchange) exceeds
100 m 2. In the process of gas exchange, toxicants enter the bloodstream. Suspended solids in the form of particles of various sizes are deposited in different parts of the respiratory tract.
Atmospheric aerosols can also have a harmful effect on humans, since metal-containing and organic particles are carcinogenic.
A person consumes about 1.5 kg of food, 2.5 liters of water and about 15 kg of air per day. Thus, most of all toxicants enter the human body by air, airborne droplets and airborne dust. The huge alveolar area of the lungs, a moist environment and a good blood supply to the respiratory system lead to the fact that chemical elements are actively absorbed by the blood. For example, lead supplied with air is absorbed by blood by about 60%, while lead supplied with water - 10%, and with food - only 5%. Among all diseases among the population of cities and industrial centers, respiratory diseases are in the first place.
The main source of atmospheric toxicants is motor vehicles. The population's private car fleet, which has grown 10 times over the past 28 years, is the source of half of air pollutants.
The main harm to health causes carbon monoxide However, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides contained in exhaust gases and photochemical oxidants also negatively affect the human body. Exhaust gas emissions are the main reason for exceeding the permissible concentrations of toxic substances and carcinogens in the atmosphere of large cities, the formation of smogs, which are common reason poisoning in confined spaces.
The greatest danger is represented by nitrogen oxides, which are about 10 times more dangerous than carbon monoxide, the share of toxicity of aldehydes is relatively small and amounts to 4-5% of the total toxicity of exhaust gases. Biotransformation of nitrogen oxides in the body begins in the lungs, the humid environment of which promotes the conversion of oxides into acids, irritating mucous membranes, causing coughing, respiratory distress, and, in severe cases, pulmonary edema. The next derivatives are nitrates and nitrites, which convert oxyhemoglobin to methemoglobin, which causes oxygen deficiency - hypoxia. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons found in gases are strong carcinogens.
Prolonged contact with the environment, poisoned by the exhaust gases of cars, causes a general weakening of the body - immunodeficiency. In addition, gases themselves can cause various diseases, such as respiratory failure, sinusitis, larypgotracheitis, bronchitis, bronchopneumonia, lung cancer. In addition, the exhaust gases cause cerebrovascular atherosclerosis. Various disorders of the cardiovascular system can also occur indirectly through pulmonary pathology.
Although cars are the main source of air pollutants, a significant number of acute and chronic diseases the respiratory system occurs under the influence of sulfur oxides and various small particles (mixtures of soot, ash, dust, droplets of sulfuric acid, asbestos fibers, etc.), which enter the atmosphere from heat and power plants, industrial facilities, residential buildings.
Sulfur oxides and dust particles tend to concentrate in areas of greatest intensive burning coal, they are dangerous mainly in winter when more fuel is burned. Photochemical smog, on the other hand, is denser in summer.
The presence of particulate matter in the air reliably affects the occurrence of oncological diseases - cancer of the lungs, stomach and prostate... Residents of megalopolises and industrial centers are 20-30% more likely to suffer from this pathology than the population of small towns and villages. In addition to solid particles, nitrosamines - substances formed during the interaction of nitrogen oxides with other toxicants - have a carcinogenic effect. Annually, up to 120 thousand tons of nitrogen oxides enter the atmosphere of Moscow.
In addition to diseases of the respiratory system, the connection between polluted air and an increase in mortality from heart failure has been proven: difficulty breathing and a significant concentration of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere negatively affect cardiac activity.
Intense air pollution with mutagenic chemicals (benz (a) niren, formaldehyde, dioxins) increases the number of complications of pregnancy and childbirth, anomalies in the development of newborns, and perinatal fetal death. Pathological pregnancy, difficult childbirth and continued living in areas with a polluted atmosphere cause a change in the rate of growth and development. So, great degree air pollution causes an increase in disharmony physical development due to obesity, and low concentrations of harmful substances activate acceleration processes, with a simultaneous weakening of the functions of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.
Numerous studies have revealed the relationship between the concentration of toxic substances in the tissues and secretions of people and the degree of their negative impact on the body. Revealed the relationship between the levels of cadmium and lead in the hair of schoolchildren and their mental development and such psychological characteristics, as aggressiveness, anxiety, frustration. Airborne nickel, cadmium, beryllium and mercury in some industrial areas (the cities of Bratsk, Dzerzhinsk, Nickel, etc.) pose a serious threat. The ability of these metals to accumulate in the body is especially dangerous, starting with a level of pollution in the atmosphere that is much lower than the established MPCs.
In addition to the presence of toxicants, severe air pollution leads to a decrease in its transparency, especially in large cities... Small particles that pollute the air absorb short wavelengths of sunlight, reducing the amount of naturally occurring ultraviolet radiation. Artificial deficiency of U FI in middle latitudes and additional deficiency of U FI in northern latitudes lead to a decrease in the body's resistance to the action of unfavorable factors, secondary immunodeficiencies, an increase in overall morbidity and psychological discomfort.
A certain amount of ultraviolet radiation is vital for growing organisms and is a prerequisite for the normal functioning of an adult. With a lack of UFO in children, rickets develops, phosphorus-calcium metabolism is impaired, and sensitivity to infectious diseases and colds, there are functional disorders of the central nervous system. A person needs to receive at least 45 "portions of the Sun" in a year, i.e. erythemal (erythema - skin redness) doses of ultraviolet radiation. Naturally, the further north the area is located, the more time you have to spend trying to get this rate.
The least comfortable for living in a large industrial city are urban microdistricts with high transport and industrial pressure, irrational planning, without sufficient sanitary protection zones between industrial and residential buildings, and a reduced potential for self-cleaning of the atmosphere. Areas of environmental risk are usually areas adjacent to major transport communications - highways.
TODAY IN MOSCOW IS THE STRONGEST SMOG ...
Influence of air on human health and body
In our difficult time of stress, heavy loads, constantly worsening ecological situation, the quality of the air we breathe gains special meaning... Air quality, its impact on our health directly depends on the amount of oxygen in it. But it is constantly changing.
We will tell you about the state of the air in big cities, about the harmful substances that pollute it, about the effect of air on human health and the human body, on our website www.rasteniya-lecarstvennie.ru.
About 30% of urban dwellers have health problems, and one of the main reasons for this is the air with a low oxygen content. To determine the level of oxygen saturation in the blood, you need to measure it using a special device - a pulse oximeter.
Such a device is simply necessary for people with lung disease in order to determine in time that they need medical attention.
How does the air of living quarters affect health?
As we said, the oxygen content in the air we breathe is constantly changing. For example, on the sea coast, its amount is on average 21.9%. Oxygen volume big city is already 20.8%. And in the room it is even less, since the already insufficient amount of oxygen is reduced due to the breathing of people in the room.
Inside residential and public premises, even very small sources of pollution create high concentrations of it, since the volume of air there is small.
Modern man conducts indoors most of its time. Therefore, not even a large number of toxic substances (for example, polluted air from the street, finishing polymer materials, incomplete combustion of household gas) can affect his health and performance.
In addition, the atmosphere with toxic substances acts on a person, combined with other factors: air temperature, humidity, radioactive background, etc. In case of non-observance of hygienic, sanitary requirements(ventilation, damp cleaning, ionization, air conditioning) the internal environment of rooms where people are, can become hazardous to health.
Also, the chemical composition of the indoor air atmosphere significantly depends on the quality of the surrounding atmospheric air. Dust, exhaust gases, toxic substances from the outside penetrate into the room.
To protect yourself from this, an air conditioning, ionization, purification system should be used to cleanse the atmosphere of closed rooms. Wet cleaning more often, do not use cheap materials hazardous to health for finishing.
How does urban air affect health?
Human health is greatly affected by the large amount of harmful substances in the city air. It contains a large amount of carbon monoxide (CO) - up to 80%, which "provides" us with vehicles. This harmful substance is very insidious, odorless, colorless and highly toxic.
Carbon monoxide, getting into the lungs, is bound by blood hemoglobin, interferes with the supply of oxygen to tissues, organs, causing oxygen starvation, and weakens thought processes. It can sometimes cause loss of consciousness, and with strong concentration, it can cause death.
In addition to carbon monoxide, city air contains about 15 other substances hazardous to health. Among them are acetaldehyde, benzene, cadmium, nickel. The urban atmosphere also contains selenium, zinc, copper, lead, and styrene. The concentration of formaldehyde, acrolein, xylene, toluene is high. Their danger is such that the human body only accumulates these harmful substances, which is why their concentration increases. After a while, they already become dangerous for humans.
These harmful chemical substances are often the culprit for the appearance of hypertension, ischemic disease heart, kidney failure. There is also a high concentration of harmful substances around industrial enterprises, factories, factories. Studies have shown that half of the exacerbation of chronic diseases of people living near enterprises is caused by bad, dirty air.
The situation is much better in countryside, "Sleeping urban areas", where there are a number of enterprises, power plants, and also a low concentration of vehicles.
Residents of large cities are rescued by powerful air conditioners that clean the air masses from dust, dirt, soot. But, you should be aware that passing through the filter, the cooling-heating system, the air is also cleared of useful ions. Therefore, as an addition to the air conditioner, you should have an ionizer.
Most of all they need oxygen:
* Children, they need it twice as much as adults.
* Pregnant women - they consume oxygen for themselves and for the unborn child.
* Elderly people, as well as people with poor health. They need oxygen to improve their well-being, to prevent exacerbation of diseases.
* Athletes need oxygen to enhance physical activity, accelerate muscle recovery after sports activities.
* Schoolchildren, students, everyone who is engaged in mental work to enhance concentration, reduce fatigue.
The influence of air on the human body is obvious. Favorable air conditions - the most important factor preservation of health, human performance. Therefore, try to ensure best cleaning indoor air. Also, try to leave the city as soon as possible. Go to the forest, to the reservoir, walk in parks, squares.
Breathe in the clean, healthy air you need to stay healthy. Be healthy!
Atmospheric air: its pollution
Air pollution by road transport emissions
The car is this "symbol" of the XX century. in the industrialized countries of the West, where it is underdeveloped public transport is increasingly becoming a real disaster. Tens of millions of personal cars have filled the streets of cities and highways, many kilometers "traffic jams" appear every now and then, expensive fuel is burned uselessly, the air is poisoned by poisonous exhaust gases. In many cities, they exceed the total emissions into the atmosphere of industrial enterprises. The total capacity of automobile engines in the USSR significantly exceeds the installed capacity of all thermal power plants in the country. Accordingly, cars consume much more fuel than thermal power plants and if it is possible to increase the efficiency of automobile engines at least a little, it will result in a million-dollar savings.
Automotive exhaust gases are a mixture of approximately 200 substances. They contain hydrocarbons - unburned or incompletely burned fuel components, the proportion of which increases sharply if the engine is running at low revs or when the speed increases at the start, that is, during congestion and at a red traffic light. It is at this moment, when the accelerator is pressed, that the most unburned particles are emitted: about 10 times more than when the engine is operating in normal mode. Unburned gases also include ordinary carbon monoxide, which is formed in one amount or another everywhere where something is burned. The exhaust gases of an engine running on normal gasoline and under normal conditions contain an average of 2.7% carbon monoxide. With a decrease in speed, this share increases to 3.9%, and at low speed, up to 6.9%.
Carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and most other engine gases are heavier than air, so they all accumulate near the ground. Carbon monoxide combines with the hemoglobin of the blood and prevents it from carrying oxygen to the tissues of the body. Exhaust gases also contain aldehydes, which have a strong odor and irritant effect. These include acroleins and formaldehyde; the latter has a particularly strong effect. Automotive emissions also contain nitrogen oxides. Nitrogen dioxide plays big role in the formation of products of the conversion of hydrocarbons in the atmospheric air. Undecomposed fuel hydrocarbons are present in the exhaust gases. Among them, a special place is occupied by unsaturated hydrocarbons of the ethylene series, in particular, hexene and pentene. Due to incomplete combustion of fuel in a car engine, part of the hydrocarbons turns into soot containing resinous substances. Especially a lot of soot and tar is formed in the event of a technical malfunction of the engine and at the moments when the driver, forcing the engine, reduces the ratio of air and fuel, trying to get the so-called "rich mixture". In these cases, a visible tail of smoke trails behind the machine, which contains polycyclic hydrocarbons and, in particular, benzo (a) pyrene.
1 liter of gasoline can contain about 1 g of tetraethyl lead, which is destroyed and emitted as lead compounds. There is no lead in emissions from diesel vehicles. Tetraethyl lead has been used in the United States since 1923 as an additive to gasoline. Since that time, the release of lead into the environment has been steadily increasing. The annual per capita consumption of lead for gasoline in the United States is about 800 g. Close to toxic levels of lead in the body have been observed in traffic police and in those who are constantly exposed to car exhaust fumes. Studies have shown that pigeons living in Philadelphia contain 10 times more lead than pigeons living in rural areas. Lead is one of the main poisoners of the external environment; and is mainly supplied by modern high-compression engines from the automotive industry.
The contradictions, from which the car is "woven", perhaps, in nothing is revealed so sharply as in the protection of nature. On the one hand, he made life easier for us, on the other, he poisons it. In the most direct and sad sense.
One passenger car annually absorbs from the atmosphere on average more than 4 tons of oxygen, emitting with exhaust gases about 800 kg of carbon monoxide, about 40 kg of nitrogen oxides and almost 200 kg of various hydrocarbons.
Car exhaust fumes, air pollution
In connection with a sharp increase in the number of cars, the problem of combating atmospheric pollution with exhaust gases from internal combustion engines has become acute. Currently, 40-60% of air pollution is caused by cars. On average, emissions per car are, kg / year, carbon monoxide 135, nitrogen oxides 25, hydrocarbons 20, sulfur dioxide 4, particulate matter 1.2, benzpyrene 7-10. It is expected that by 2000 the number of cars in the world will be about 0.5 billion. Accordingly, they will emit into the atmosphere per year, tons of carbon monoxide 7.7-10, nitrogen oxides 1.4-10, hydrocarbons 1.15-10 , sulfur dioxide 2.15-10, particulate matter 7-10, benzpyrene 40. Therefore, the fight against atmospheric pollution will become even more urgent. There are several ways to solve this problem. One of the most promising of them is the creation of electric vehicles.
Harmful emissions. It is well established that internal combustion engines, especially automotive carburetor engines, are the main sources of pollution. The exhaust gases of gasoline-fueled vehicles, in contrast to LPG-fueled vehicles, contain lead compounds. Anti-knock additives such as tetraethyl lead are the cheapest means of adapting conventional gasolines to modern high-compression engines. After combustion, the lead-containing components of these additives are released into the atmosphere. If catalytic cleaning filters are used, then the lead compounds absorbed by them deactivate the catalyst, as a result of which not only lead, but also carbon monoxide, unburned hydrocarbons are emitted together with exhaust gases in an amount that depends on the conditions and standards for engine operation, as well as on the conditions cleaning and a number of other factors. The concentration of polluting components in exhaust gases during engine operation on both gasoline and LPG is quantitatively determined according to the method now well known as the Californian test cycle. During most of the experiments, it was found that the conversion of engines from gasoline to LPG leads to a decrease in the amount of carbon monoxide emissions by 5 times and unburned hydrocarbons by 2 times.
To reduce air pollution with lead-containing exhaust gases, it is proposed to place porous polypropylene fibers or fabric based on them in a car muffler, treated in an inert atmosphere at 1000 ° C. The fibers adsorb up to 53% of the lead contained in the exhaust gas.
In connection with the increase in the number of cars in cities, the problem of atmospheric pollution by exhaust gases is becoming more and more acute. On average, about 1 kg of exhaust gases are emitted per day when a car is operated, containing oxides of carbon, sulfur, nitrogen, and are different (hydrocarbons and lead compounds.
As we can see, a catalyst is a substance that accelerates chemical reaction, providing an easier path for its course, but itself is not consumed in the reaction. This does not mean that the catalyst does not participate in the reaction. The FeBr3 molecule plays an important role in the multistage mechanism of the above-discussed reaction of benzene bromination. But at the end of the reaction, FeBr3 is regenerated in its original form. This is a common and characteristic property of any catalyst. The mixture of H2 and O2 gases can remain unchanged at room temperature for years, and there will be no noticeable reaction in it, but the introduction of a small amount of platinum black causes an instant explosion. Platinum black has the same effect on butane gas or alcohol vapor mixed with oxygen. (Some time ago, gas lighters appeared on the market, in which platinum black was used instead of a wheel and flint, but they quickly became unusable due to poisoning of the catalyst surface by impurities in gaseous butane. Tetraethyl lead also poisons catalysts that reduce atmospheric pollution from automobile exhaust gases, and therefore vehicles equipped with devices with such catalysts must use petrol without tetraethyl lead admixture.)
*****
Effects of exhaust gases on human health
Exhaust pipe of a passenger car
Outboard motors emit exhaust fumes into the water, on many models through the propeller hub
The greatest danger is represented by nitrogen oxides, which are about 10 times more dangerous than carbon monoxide, the share of toxicity of aldehydes is relatively small and amounts to 4-5% of the total toxicity of exhaust gases. The toxicity of different hydrocarbons is very different. Unsaturated hydrocarbons are photochemically oxidized in the presence of nitrogen dioxide, forming poisonous oxygen-containing compounds - components of smog.
The quality of afterburning on modern catalysts is such that the proportion of CO after the catalyst is usually less than 0.1%.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons found in gases are strong carcinogens. Among them, benzpyrene is the most studied; in addition to it, anthracene derivatives have been found:
1,2-benzanthracene
1,2,6,7-dibenzanthracene
5,10-dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene
In addition, when using sulphurous gasolines, sulfur oxides can enter into the exhaust gases, when using leaded gasolines - lead (tetraethyl lead), bromine, chlorine, and their compounds. It is believed that aerosols of lead halide compounds can undergo catalytic and photochemical transformations, participating in the formation of smog.
Prolonged contact with the environment, poisoned by the exhaust gases of cars, causes a general weakening of the body - immunodeficiency. In addition, the gases themselves can cause various diseases. For example, respiratory failure, sinusitis, laryngotracheitis, bronchitis, bronchopneumonia, lung cancer. Also, exhaust gases cause cerebral atherosclerosis. Various disorders of the cardiovascular system can also occur indirectly through pulmonary pathology.
IMPORTANT!!!
Preventive measures to protect the human body from harmful effects environment in an industrial city
Air pollution
The atmospheric air in industrial cities is polluted by emissions from heat and power plants, non-ferrous metallurgy, rare earth and other industries, as well as an increasing number of vehicles.
The nature and degree of exposure to pollutants are different and are determined by their toxicity and the excess of the maximum permissible concentration (MPC) standards established for these substances.
Characteristics of the main pollutants emitted into the atmosphere:
1. Nitrogen dioxide is a substance of hazard class 2. In acute nitrogen dioxide poisoning, pulmonary edema may develop. Signs of chronic poisoning - headaches, insomnia, damage to the mucous membranes.
Nitrogen dioxide is involved in photochemical reactions with hydrocarbons in automobile exhaust gases with the formation of acutely toxic organic matter and ozone, products of photochemical smog.
2. Sulfur dioxide is a substance of hazard class 3. Sulfur dioxide and sulfuric anhydride in combination with suspended particles and moisture have a harmful effect on humans, living organisms and material values. Sulfur dioxide mixed with particulate matter and sulfuric acid increases the symptoms of shortness of breath and lung disease.
3. Hydrogen fluoride is a substance of hazard class 2. In acute poisoning, irritation of the mucous membranes of the larynx and bronchi, eyes, salivation, nosebleeds occur; in severe cases - pulmonary edema, damage to the central nervous system, in chronic - conjunctivitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, pneumosclerosis, fluorosis. Characterized by skin lesions such as eczema.
4. Benz (a) pyrene - a substance of the 1st hazard class, is present in the exhaust gases of cars, is a very strong carcinogen, causes cancer in several locations, including the skin, lungs, intestines. The main pollutant is motor vehicles, as well as thermal power plants and heating in the private sector.
5. Lead - a substance of the 1st hazard class, has a negative effect on such organ systems: hematopoietic, nervous, gastrointestinal and renal.
It is known that the half-life of its biological decay is 5 years in the body as a whole, and 10 years in human bones.
6. Arsenic is a hazard class 2 substance that affects the nervous system. Chronic arsenic poisoning leads to loss of appetite and weight loss, gastrointestinal disorders, peripheral neuroses, conjunctivitis, hyperkeratosis and skin melanoma. The latter occurs with prolonged exposure to arsenic and can lead to the development of skin cancer.
7. Natural gas radon is a product of radioactive decay of uranium and thorium. It enters the human body through air and water, excess doses of radon cause the risk of cancer. The main ways of getting radon into buildings from soil through cracks and crevices, from walls and building structures, as well as with water from underground sources.
1. From the harmful effects of atmospheric air pollution in the event of unfavorable meteorological conditions (NMC) for the dispersion of pollutants, it is recommended:
Limit physical activity and being outdoors;
Close windows and doors. Carry out wet cleaning of the premises every day;
In cases of an increased concentration of harmful substances in the atmospheric air (based on reports of NMU), it is advisable to use cotton-gauze dressings, respirators or handkerchiefs when moving in the open air;
To pay special attention to the observance of the rules for the improvement of the city (do not burn garbage, etc.);
Increase fluid intake, drink still boiled, purified or alkaline mineral water or tea, and often rinse your mouth with a mild solution baking soda take a shower more often;
Include foods containing pectin in the diet: boiled beets, beet juice, apples, fruit jelly, marmalade, as well as vitamin drinks based on rose hips, cranberries, rhubarb, herbal teas, natural juices... Eat more vegetables and fruits rich in natural fiber and pectins in the form of salads and purees;
Increase in the diet of children whole milk, fermented milk products, fresh cottage cheese, meat, liver (foods high in iron);
To remove toxic substances and cleanse the body, use natural sorbents such as - Tagansorbent, Indigel, Tagangel-Aya, activated carbon;
Limit the use of personal vehicles within the city during the IMU period;
For periods of NMU, travel, if possible, to a suburban or park area.
Ventilate rooms on the ground floors and basements regularly;
In the bathroom and kitchen rooms, have a working ventilation system or extractor hood;
Water used for drinking from underground sources must be kept in an open container before use.
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