Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation

State budgetary educational institution of higher professional education

"South Ural State University"

Faculty "Physical and Metallurgical Faculty"

Department of "Physical Chemistry"

By discipline: "Ecology"

Topic: "7. Pollution of the oceans"

Lecturer: Ph.D., Associate Professor Antonenko V.I.

Chelyabinsk 2015

INTRODUCTION

WORLD OCEAN

HUMAN ACTIVITIES AFFECTING THE STATE OF THE HYDROSPHERE

MAIN POLLUTION TYPES

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES OF HYDROSPHERE POLLUTION

MEASURES FOR CLEANING AND PROTECTION OF WATER

CONCLUSION

BIBLIOGRAPHY

The ocean, especially its coastal zone, plays a leading role in maintaining life on Earth, since about 70% of the oxygen entering the planet's atmosphere is produced in the process of plankton photosynthesis.

The oceans cover 2/3 of the earth's surface and provide 1/6 of all animal proteins consumed by the population for food.

The oceans and seas are under increasing environmental stress due to pollution, overfishing of fish and shellfish, the destruction of historical fish spawning grounds, and the deterioration of coasts and coral reefs.

Currently, the leading countries of the world are taking measures to protect the nature of the oceans. These are the International Whaling Convention of 1946, the establishment of 200-mile economic zones by the decision of the Third UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, national legislation regulating marine fishing and providing for the protection of marine biological resources. However, at present, neither the problem of the depletion of the biological resources of the ocean, nor the problem of sea water pollution have been solved.

1. WORLD OCEAN

The main feature of the World Ocean is its huge, overwhelming size. The hackneyed, but nevertheless true remark that our planet should not be called the Earth, but the Ocean, is widely known. The oceans cover 71% of the entire surface of the planet. The most important global consequence of this ratio of land and sea is its influence on the water and heat balance of the Earth. Evaporation from the ocean surface is both the main source of water in the global hydrological cycle and an important component of the global heat balance. The world ocean is also a huge accumulator of substances containing them in dissolved quantities (the average concentration of dissolved substances in sea water, or its salinity, is 35 g/l).

Also, the World Ocean takes part in the cycle of mineral substances on Earth. With river runoff, silt and sand enter the ocean - products of water erosion of continental rocks. This material is deposited in the ocean in the form of bottom sediments, with the participation of living organisms forming sedimentary rocks.

According to most modern scientists, life on Earth appeared in the ocean. The proof of this is that the mineral composition of the internal environment of organisms (blood, lymph) is almost identical to the mineral composition of sea water.

All types of animals are represented in the World Ocean, many of which live only in sea water, all groups of lower and certain types of higher plants, many protozoa and fungi. The microflora of the World Ocean has not yet been fully studied, but it is also very numerous.

This circumstance plays a significant role in the stabilization of biogeochemical cycles and the ecosphere as a whole.

The oceans are actively used by man as follows:

The ocean is the environment for shipping;

The ocean is a source of food resources;

The ocean is a source of mineral resources;

The ocean is a source of recreational resources;

The ocean is a geopolitical factor. From ancient times to the present day, the economic potential of the country and its political position are largely determined by the presence of the country's access to the sea. The capitals of many landlocked developing countries are their main trading ports (Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh, Montevideo is the capital of Paraguay). The special position of Great Britain in Europe, due to which it was much less affected by European armed conflicts than Germany and France, is due to the fact that it is completely surrounded by the sea;

The ocean is a dumping ground for hazardous waste.

It is with the nature of the use of the World Ocean by man that its main environmental problems are associated.

2. HUMAN ACTIVITIES AFFECTING THE STATE OF THE HYDROSPHERE

In the 20th century, pressure on nature from human society increased dramatically. So, over the past 30 years, as many natural resources have been used in the world as in the entire previous history of mankind. The scale of the return to nature of waste has increased, which has raised the threat of environmental pollution. According to scientists, today there are (conditionally) 200 kg of waste for every inhabitant of the planet. Activities in river basins leading to changes in the hydrological regime of the seas. Human activity in river basins (expansion of arable land, construction of irrigation systems, deforestation, the use of fertilizers and pesticides, various construction, etc.) affects the hydrological regime of rivers, and through it the regime of seas, especially closed ones.

At the beginning of the 20th century, due mainly to the expansion of agriculture, the anthropogenic share of the sediment flow from land to the sea was larger than the natural one. Currently, river dams and irrigation systems, built mainly in the second half of this century, intercept and significantly reduce the flow of sediments and the nutrients adsorbed on them, especially phosphorus compounds.

River runoff increasing into the sea also costs water on the whole evaporation somewhat lower mainly due to developing irrigation. The decrease in river flow leads to an increase in the salinity of sea waters in closed seas and bays.

Ports need constant dredging operations with the movement of a large amount of sediment. Pure sediments, although they cause the need for dredging, do not bring much harm. However, about 10% of dredging material is contaminated with heavy metals, oil products, biogenic and organochlorine compounds. The channel of the Neva delta, Ekaterinovka, contains about 40 kg of lead per ton of sand and silt accumulated at the bottom. On the seabed of one of the main branches of the Rhine Delta, passing through the world's largest port of Rotterdam (Netherlands), an artificial island of polluted sediments has been washed up. The island is uninhabitable, but can be used for industrial purposes, such as warehouses. Contaminated pumps can be controlled to a certain extent: dumped on the edge of the shelf, then to be moved by gravity to a deeper zone of the continental slope; cover contaminated material with clean; concentrate sediments in special restricted access zones.

A special problem is the discharge of industrial waste and sewage sludge. These substances can be extremely toxic. Such dumps without processing can only be called barbaric.

A particular problem is the spread of plastic debris on the surface of the waters. Even in the open ocean it is found in abundance. These are abandoned and lost nets, floats, packaging of goods, bottles, etc. Such garbage practically does not decompose and remains on the surface of the water or on the beaches for a very long time. Some marine animals and birds ingest plastic waste, which leads to adverse consequences and even their death.

The transport of hazardous substances is an important factor in water pollution. This applies in particular to the transportation of oil and oil products. Shipping provides about half of the anthropogenic oil inflow into the World Ocean. The maps of ocean pollution by oil and the main sea lines basically coincide.

Oil and oil products are the most common pollutants in the oceans. Petroleum oils threaten the cleanliness of reservoirs the most. These very persistent pollutants can travel over 300 km from their source. Light fractions of oil, floating on the surface, form a film that isolates and hinders gas exchange. In this case, one drop of petroleum oil forms, spreading over the surface, a spot with a diameter of 30-150 cm, and 1 t - about 12 km of oil film.

ocean hydrosphere garbage protection

Fig.1 - Oil pollution in the oceans

The film thickness is measured from fractions of a micron to 2 cm. The oil film has high mobility and is resistant to oxidation. The oil film stops the flow of oxygen into the water, disrupts moisture and gas exchange, destroys plankton and fish. And this is only a small part of the harm that oil brings to sea water and its inhabitants.

3. MAIN POLLUTION TYPES

The most common chemical and bacterial pollution of water. Much less often - radioactive, mechanical and thermal.

Chemical pollution is the most common, persistent and far-reaching. It can be organic (phenols, naphthenic acids, pesticides, etc.) and inorganic (salts, acids, alkalis), toxic (arsenic, mercury compounds, lead, cadmium, etc.) and non-toxic. When deposited on the bottom of reservoirs or during filtration in the formation, harmful chemicals are sorbed by rock particles, oxidized and reduced, precipitated, etc., however, as a rule, complete self-purification of polluted waters does not occur. The source of chemical contamination of groundwater in highly permeable soils can extend up to 10 km or more.

Bacterial pollution is expressed in the appearance of pathogenic bacteria, viruses, protozoa, fungi, etc. in the water. This type of pollution is temporary.

The content in water, even at very low concentrations, of radioactive substances that cause radioactive contamination is very dangerous. The most harmful are "long-lived" radioactive elements that have an increased ability to move in water (strontium-90, uranium, radium-226, cesium, etc.).

Mechanical pollution is characterized by the ingress of various mechanical impurities into the water (sand, slag, silt, etc.)

Thermal pollution is associated with an increase in the temperature of waters as a result of their mixing with warmer surface or process waters. When the temperature rises, the gas and chemical composition in the waters changes, which leads to the multiplication of anaerobic bacteria, the growth of hydrobionts and the release of toxic gases - hydrogen sulfide, methane. At the same time, there is a "bloom" of water, as well as an accelerated development of microflora and microfauna, which contributes to the development of other types of pollution.

4. ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES OF HYDROSPHERE POLLUTION

It has been established that under the influence of pollutants in freshwater ecosystems, a drop in their stability is noted, due to a violation of the food pyramid, microbiological pollution, eutrophication (eutrophication of water - an increase in the biological productivity of water bodies) and other extremely unfavorable processes. Heavy metals (cadmium, lead, nickel), phenols, etc. have a detrimental effect. For example, aquatic organisms of Baikal, adapted in the course of a long evolution to the natural set of chemical compounds of the lake's tributaries, turned out to be incapable of processing oil products, salts, heavy metals, etc. As a result, depletion of hydrobionts, a decrease in the biomass of zooplankton, and the death of a significant part of the population of the Baikal seal were noted.

The rate at which pollutants enter the oceans has increased dramatically in recent years. Environmental consequences are expressed in the following processes and phenomena:

Violation of the stability of ecosystems;

progressive eutrophication;

accumulation of chemical toxicants in biota;

The occurrence of mutagenesis

· Pollution of coastal areas of the sea.

5. MEASURES FOR THE CLEANING AND PROTECTION OF WATER

The most serious problem of the seas and oceans in our century is oil pollution, the consequences of which are detrimental to all life on Earth. Therefore, in 1954, an international conference was held in London to work out concerted action to protect the marine environment from oil pollution. It adopted a convention defining the obligations of states in this area. Later, in 1958, four more documents were adopted in Geneva: on the high seas, on the territorial sea and the contiguous zone, on the continental shelf, on fishing and the protection of living resources of the sea. These conventions have legally fixed the principles and norms of maritime law. They obligated each country to develop and enforce laws prohibiting the pollution of the marine environment with oil, radio waste and other harmful substances. A conference held in London in 1973 adopted documents on the prevention of pollution from ships. According to the adopted convention, each ship must have a certificate - evidence that the hull, mechanisms and other equipment are in good condition and do not cause damage to the sea. Compliance with certificates is checked by the inspection when entering the port.

Drainage of oily waters from tankers is prohibited; all discharges from them must be pumped out only to onshore reception points. Electrochemical installations have been created for the treatment and disinfection of ship wastewater, including household wastewater. The Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences has developed an emulsion method for cleaning sea tankers, which completely excludes the ingress of oil into the water area. It consists in adding several surfactants (ML preparation) to the wash water, which allows cleaning on the ship itself without discharging contaminated water or oil residues, which can be subsequently regenerated for further use. It is possible to wash up to 300 tons of oil from each tanker. In order to prevent oil leaks, the designs of oil tankers are being improved. Many modern tankers have a double bottom. If one of them is damaged, the oil will not spill out, it will be delayed by the second shell.

Ship captains are obliged to record in special logs information about all cargo operations with oil and oil products, note the place and time of delivery or discharge of contaminated sewage from the ship. For the systematic cleaning of water areas from accidental spills, floating oil skimmers and side barriers are used. Physical and chemical methods are also used to prevent oil from spreading. A preparation of a foam group has been created, which, when in contact with an oil slick, completely envelops it. After pressing, the foam can be reused as a sorbent. Such drugs are very convenient due to ease of use and low cost, but their mass production has not yet been established. There are also sorbent agents based on vegetable, mineral and synthetic substances. Some of them can collect up to 90% of spilled oil. The main requirement that is presented to them is unsinkability. After collecting oil by sorbents or mechanical means, a thin film always remains on the surface of the water, which can be removed by spraying chemicals that decompose it. But at the same time, these substances must be biologically safe.

In Japan, a unique technology has been created and tested, with the help of which it is possible to eliminate a giant spot in a short time. Kansai Sagge Corporation has released ASWW reagent, the main component of which is specially treated rice hulls. Sprayed on the surface, the drug absorbs the ejection into itself for half an hour and turns into a thick mass that can be pulled off with a simple net. The original cleaning method was demonstrated by American scientists in the Atlantic Ocean. A ceramic plate is lowered under the oil film to a certain depth. An acoustic record is connected to it. Under the action of vibration, it first accumulates in a thick layer above the place where the plate is installed, and then mixes with water and begins to gush. An electric current applied to the plate sets fire to the fountain, and the oil burns completely.

To remove oil stains from the surface of coastal waters, American scientists have created a modification of polypropylene that attracts fat particles. On a catamaran boat, a kind of curtain made of this material was placed between the hulls, the ends of which hang down into the water. As soon as the boat hits the slick, the oil sticks firmly to the "curtain". It remains only to pass the polymer through the rollers of a special device that squeezes the oil into the prepared container. Since 1993, the dumping of liquid radioactive waste (LRW) has been banned, but their number is steadily increasing. Therefore, in order to protect the environment, in the 1990s, projects for the treatment of LRW began to be developed. In 1996, representatives of Japanese, American and Russian firms signed a contract for the creation of a plant for the processing of liquid radioactive waste accumulated in the Russian Far East. The government of Japan allocated 25.2 million dollars for the implementation of the project. However, despite some success in the search for effective means to eliminate pollution, it is too early to talk about solving the problem. It is impossible to ensure the cleanliness of the seas and oceans only by introducing new methods of cleaning water areas. The central task that all countries need to solve together is the prevention of pollution.

CONCLUSION

At present, the use of the World Ocean by man and the economic activity of people have caused local and global environmental problems and disruption of the functioning of marine ecosystems. As a result of human activity, certain species of fauna have disappeared, some other species are on the verge of extinction. Some areas of the seas were subjected to severe pollution, which drastically disrupted the functioning of local ecosystems. Pesticides are found where they were not used, and in organisms against which these pesticides were not used: in the organisms of polar animals, whales, and fish. The development of coastal territories leads to the destruction of part of the coastal ecosystems that are inextricably linked with the ocean. Ocean fish resources have been depleted in recent years.

Today, the threats posed by the ecological crisis of the World Ocean are clear to all mankind: this is a decrease in the catch of fish, the loss of unique places of rest for people, the general poisoning of the biosphere and then people. And real legal measures have already begun to be taken (approval of environmental international conventions and agreements, national legislative acts and control over their implementation), measures for the artificial renewal of the biological resources of the seas (mariculture), marine reserves have been created (the Florida Reserve in the USA is specialized in protecting the manatee) . Despite poaching, the restoration of the population of baleen whales in the oceans has begun. Artificial bulk islands are being created for development.

And yet, the global environmental problems of the ocean are still far from being solved. One of the most important tasks of modern oceanology - the study of processes occurring in the ocean and the prevention of an ecological crisis - has begun to be implemented.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1.

Fundamentals of ecology: textbook. Allowance / A. A. Chelnokov, L. F. Yushchenko, I. N. Zhmykhov; under general ed. A. A. Chelnokova. - Minsk: Vysh. school, 2012 - 543 p. 13

Ecology: textbook. / L. V. Peredelsky, V. I. Korobkin, O. E. Prikhodchenko. - M. : Prospect, 2009.- 512 s

.

The ecological stability of natural aquatic complexes began to be seriously violated from the 50s and especially from the 60s of the XX century, when the stage of intensive resource development began, and the problem of its pollution became global. experiences all the same negative consequences of anthropogenic impacts as other oceans:

overfishing of fish and other marine animals;

thermal, noise, oil pollution;

pollution by pesticides and domestic sewage;

radioactive contamination, etc.

As a result, the biological resources of many commercial fish (herring, anchovy, salmon, cod, flounder, halibut, etc.) have been severely undermined, and many highly productive areas are losing their significance. The latter refers not only to the marginal seas (Japanese, South China, etc.), but also to the open part of the ocean. The situation is aggravated by the fact that the vast majority of the most valuable fish spend their whole life or most of it in coastal waters, where pollution is especially high with continental runoff containing various toxic substances and pathogenic bacteria. This leads not only to the reduction of species and populations, but also to the disease of fish, as well as people.

An example is the Japanese city of Minimata, which became famous for the fact that in 1953 more than a hundred of its inhabitants fell ill with an unknown disease. It turned out that they ate fish, the concentration of mercury in which was hundreds of times higher than the permissible level. Minimata disease recurred in Japan in 1976, affecting several hundred people, including about 70 deaths.

Opinions are expressed that mass suicides of sperm whales washed ashore are caused by the action of mercury on their nervous system and coordination of movements. Currently, other diseases of marine animals and humans associated with ocean water pollution are also known. In many coastal areas, thermal pollution is also high, which occurs as a result of the discharge of waste water from thermal and nuclear power plants into the ocean. Because of this, the composition of biocenoses changes. Thermal pollution is pronounced in the area of ​​the Japanese Islands and off the western coast of North America.

The pollution of the ocean by crude oil and oil products attracts the greatest attention of the world community. In this regard, the Pacific Ocean is the least polluted area of ​​the World Ocean (except for the Arctic Ocean). In terms of tanker load, it ranks third after and.

The oil film completely covers the South China and Yellow Seas, to a large extent the zone near the Panama Canal, along the coasts of North America, the Kuroshio Current, sea approaches to Japan from the south and southwest. The oil pollution of the northern part of the Pacific Ocean is increasing, and this circumstance is of particular importance, since, spilled in the cold northern seas, it can persist much longer than in the more southerly warm ones.

A special place in the problem under consideration is occupied by the radioactive contamination of the ocean due to the ongoing tests of nuclear weapons underground, the discharge of liquid waste from nuclear power plants into the ocean and the disposal of radioactive waste in containers at. Thus, the maximum concentration of strontium-90 is observed in the Pacific Ocean near the Bikini and Eniwetok atolls (in the Marshall Islands archipelago), where the United States tested atomic and hydrogen weapons.

The current state of the ocean is characterized by the fact that the main fields of pollution from the shores are spread by currents to open areas, affecting the most vulnerable ecosystems: coral reefs, upwelling zones, etc. For a long time, the ocean completely cleansed itself, but now the scale of pollution has become so great that natural processes are no longer enough. There was a need for special measures for the protection of the marine environment, the rational use of natural resources in the ocean, the reproduction of natural resources and natural conditions.

The creation of protected water areas (reserves, sanctuaries, marine parks) occupies a prominent place among the main ocean protection measures, along with a number of restrictions on the use of resources.

The states of the Pacific region have the largest number of protected water areas. Japan has at least 40 functioning marine parks in all coastal natural areas of the country. One of the most famous - Okasahara Park near Tokyo covers an area of ​​463 hectares. The Philippines has at least 10 parks; The most famous here is the Hundred Islands park, located in one of the bays of about. Luzon. Several marine reserves are located on the southern side of the Australian continent. But the most important concern of Australia is the preservation of the coral ecosystems of the Great Barrier Reef. In the waters of the reef there are at least 200 species of corals, the world of fish and other marine animals is diverse. The area of ​​the marine park is 260 thousand km2. The preservation of the reef is complicated by the fact that in the bowels of the region there are reserves of oil, which is very scarce for Australia.

Marine parks are also organized by other states of the Pacific region (New Zealand, the USA, etc.). Among the most famous are the marine parks of the Hawaiian and Galapagos Islands. The first marine reserve in Russia was created in Peter the Great Bay (Sea of ​​Japan). The reserve is located at the contact of the temperate and subtropical zones in the area of ​​the cold Primorsky and warm Tsushima currents. Reference areas of the bay have been taken under protection in it, experimental work is being carried out on breeding marine invertebrates (oysters, scallops, etc.), and excursions are being conducted.

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Experts say that the environmental problems of the world's oceans must be addressed in the 21st century, otherwise serious consequences can be expected. What threatens the oceans? What is the reason for the increased concern of environmentalists? What resources does the planet lose due to water pollution?

Ecological situation in the 21st century

The pollution of world waters has been talked about for a long time. And not only talk - just look at the number of major environmental studies - since the beginning of the 21st century alone, more than a thousand of them have been carried out. By pollution, environmentalists mean the entry into the waters of the World Ocean of such substances that can disrupt the natural biological and inorganic balance of matter and lead to serious changes in the composition or dynamics of the ocean waters.

At the moment, pollution of the oceans has already led to the following consequences:

1. Ecosystem disruption - in some parts of the ocean, unique ecosystems are disappearing, rare species are being destroyed, the composition of vegetation is changing, and biodiversity is decreasing.
2. Progressive eutrophication - the water becomes less clean, more and more organic and inorganic impurities appear, the number of animals increases with a decrease in species diversity.
3. Biota accumulates chemical pollutants - toxic substances.
4. The result of the complex impact is a decrease in biological productivity. This is noticeable in the declining free catch of fish.
5. Increasing the concentration of carcinogenic compounds in sea water.
6. High degree of microbiological pollution of coastal waters.

All of these consequences of pollution of the World Ocean are detrimental not only for the inhabitants of the sea, but also for civilization. The seas are a serious source of resources, ranging from oil to fresh water reserves. Therefore, the rational use of water resources is a priority environmental task.

Despite the ability of the world's waters to self-purify, it is not able to cope with the current levels of pollution.

The most dangerous and significant pollution factors:

• Oil and oil products.
• radioactive substances.
• Industrial waste, domestic.
• Mainland runoff.
• Atmospheric pollution.

The last two points are external sources of pollution, which, although dependent on natural factors, are also associated with human activities.

In the last century, pollution was localized. Most of the pollutants were observed in coastal zones, on the coasts of the continents, near industrial centers, and also near the largest shipping routes. In the last 20 years, the situation has changed - now pollutants are found even in the waters of high latitudes - near the poles. Thus, pollution is widespread and affects all the waters of the oceans.

The main causes of pollution:

• Development of mineral and energy resources.
• Increasing the extraction of biological resources.
• Intensification of economic activity.
• Increase in oil production.
• Industry growth.

At the moment, the most polluted oceans are considered to be the Pacific and Atlantic, and the most polluted seas are the North, Mediterranean, Baltic, as well as the internal waters of the Persian Gulf.

Oil pollution

It is one of the main contributors to the pollution of the oceans. There are calculations that show that the average annual discharge of oil into the ocean is about 15 million tons. This number includes both unintentional leaks and tanker accidents, as well as deliberate runoff from refineries. The measures are now being tightened, but the impact of the time when there were no laws to protect the ocean from tanker washing and runoff from factories is still being felt.

The largest zones of oil pollution are located in coastal waters, as well as along the route of oil tankers. Ecologists note a sharp reduction in the species diversity of flora and fauna in these zones.

The environmental problems of the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic are, first of all, an oil film, which, according to various sources, covers from 2 to 4% of the water surface. The waters of these two oceans annually receive 6 million tons of oil and waste from the oil industry - and this is only the waste that has been calculated. Half of the waste comes from the development of offshore fields. Pollution from continental mining enters the water through river runoff.

After oil enters the ocean, the following happens:

• A film is formed that covers the surface of the water. The thickness of the film is from fractions of a millimeter to several centimeters. All animals that fall into this film die.
• The film turns into an emulsion - a mixture of water and oil.
• Oil collects in conglomerates - heavy lumps that remain floating in the surface layer of water.
• Oil is swallowed by large fish and mammals such as whales. Thus, oil spreads across the ocean. Fish that have swallowed an oil aggregate either die or continue to live, but are no longer suitable for food after being caught.
• The last stage is a decrease in biodiversity, a change in the species structure of the biotope.

The result is a drop in biological productivity. This is especially important for areas whose economy is based on fishing and seafood. The long-term result is an unpredictable change in the biological content of the ocean.

Dumping - dumping waste into the ocean

The dumping or burial of toxic waste in the odes of the oceans is called dumping. This is a common practice in all industrial centers of the planet. Despite the current bans, the runoff from industrial enterprises is growing every year.

On average, dumping accounts for up to 10% of all pollutants entering the ocean.

Basically, pollution occurs in such situations:

• Intentional dumping of materials obtained from toxic production.
• Discharge of materials during works on the seabed and in the coastal zone.
• Construction waste disposal.
• Burial of chemicals, explosives, radioactive substances that pose a threat when stored on land.

Waste dissolves in water and accumulates in bottom sediments. After a reset, it is impossible to purify the waters and return them to their original state. Initially, dumping had an ecological justification - the possibility of the World Ocean, which is able to process a certain amount of toxic substances without damage.

Dumping has long been considered a temporary measure. Now it is clear - as long as there is industry, the same amount of waste is being buried in sea waters. The oceans cannot cope with the processing of such an amount of waste, the ecology of sea waters is under threat. At the moment, global waste disposal is one of the most important problems for the world community.

Consequences of irregular waste disposal:

• The death of the benthos.
• Reducing the growth rate of fish and invertebrates.
• Change in species composition.

As a result, the base for the extraction of food resources is shrinking.

Pollution can also be indirect. Thus, chemical industry enterprises located far from coastal areas also affect the state of waters. Pollutants are released into the atmosphere, from where harmful substances, together with precipitation, enter the sea water.

Radioactive contamination is a small fraction of the total contamination, but it can be more dangerous than oil spills. The reason is the ability of radioactive compounds to retain destructive properties for a long time.

Radiation has a detrimental effect on both plants and animals. Radiation exposure is summed up over time, radiation exposure does not pass without a trace. Infection is transmitted through food chains - from one animal to another. As a result, harmful doses of radiation are concentrated in living organisms. So, there are areas where plankton is 1000 times more radioactive than water.

International treaties banning nuclear testing have stopped the massive contamination of the ocean with radioactive waste. But the former burials remained and still affect the life of marine life.

The main ways of accumulation of nuclear waste in the waters of the World Ocean:

• Placement of submarines with nuclear deterrents.
• The use of nuclear power plants on submarines.
• Transportation of waste by water.
• The disposal of non-neutralized nuclear waste and nuclear fuel are the main environmental problems of the Arctic Ocean.
• Nuclear weapons testing is a problem in the Atlantic Ocean, and, to a greater extent, in the Pacific. Tests lead to both continental contamination and the ingress of radioactive waste into the water area.
• Underground tests - radioactive waste enters the ocean with the flow of rivers.

Nuclear waste causes a whole range of problems - not only the ecology of the living suffers, the natural balance of inorganic substances is disturbed.

Pollution of the world's waters is one of the biggest environmental problems of our time. Despite all the measures taken to protect waters from the harmful effects of industry, no serious results have been achieved so far.

The problem of pollution of the oceans is one of the most acute and urgent today. Is it possible to solve it in modern conditions?

The ocean, as you know, is the beginning of beginnings, the basis of all life on our planet. After all, it was in it that the first living organisms in our geological history originated. The oceans occupy over 70% of the planet's surface. In addition, it contains about 95% of all water. That is why pollution of the waters of the World Ocean is so dangerous for the geographic envelope of the planet. And today this problem is getting worse.

The oceans - the water shell of the planet

The ocean is a single and integral body of water on the Earth, washing the mainland. The term itself has Latin (or Greek) roots: "oceanus". The total area of ​​the World Ocean is 361 million square kilometers, which is approximately 71% of the entire surface of our planet. It is generally accepted that it consists of water masses - relatively large volumes of water, each of which has its own physical and chemical properties.

In the structure of the World Ocean, one can distinguish:

• oceans (there are 5 in total, according to the International Hydrographic Organization: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic and Southern, which have been isolated since 2000);
• seas (according to the accepted classification, there are internal, interisland, intercontinental and marginal);
• bays and bays;
• straits;
• estuaries.

Ocean pollution is an important environmental problem of the 21st century

Every day, various chemicals enter the soil and surface water. This happens as a result of the functioning of thousands of industrial enterprises that operate all over the planet. These are oil and oil products, gasoline, pesticides, fertilizers, nitrates, mercury and other harmful compounds. They all end up in the ocean. There, these substances are deposited and accumulate in large quantities.

Pollution of the World Ocean is a process that is associated with the entry into its waters of harmful substances of anthropogenic origin. Because of this, the quality of sea water is deteriorating, and significant harm is being done to all the inhabitants of the Ocean.

It is known that every year, only as a result of natural processes, about 25 million tons of iron, 350 thousand tons of zinc and copper, 180 thousand tons of lead enter the seas. All this, moreover, is exacerbated at times by anthropogenic influence.

The most dangerous ocean pollutant today is oil. From five to ten million tons of it is annually poured into the sea waters of the planet. Fortunately, thanks to the current level of satellite technology, violators can be identified and punished. However, the problem of pollution of the World Ocean remains perhaps the most acute in modern environmental management. And its solution requires the consolidation of the forces of the entire world community.

Causes of ocean pollution

Why is the ocean polluted? What are the reasons for these sad processes? They lie primarily in irrational, and in some places even aggressive, human behavior in the field of nature management. People do not understand (or do not want to realize) the possible consequences of their negative actions on nature.

To date, it is known that pollution of the waters of the oceans occurs in three main ways:

• through the runoff of river systems (with the most polluted areas of the shelf, as well as areas near the mouths of large rivers);
• through atmospheric precipitation (this is how lead and mercury enter the Ocean, first of all);
• due to unreasonable human economic activity directly in the oceans.

Scientists have found that the main route of pollution is river runoff (up to 65% of pollutants enter the oceans through rivers). About 25% is accounted for by atmospheric precipitation, another 10% - by wastewater, less than 1% - by emissions from ships. It is for these reasons that pollution of the oceans occurs. The photos presented in this article clearly illustrate the severity of this topical problem. Surprisingly, water, without which a person cannot live even a day, is actively polluted by it.

Types and main sources of pollution of the World Ocean

Ecologists identify several types of ocean pollution. This:

• physical;
• biological (contamination by bacteria and various microorganisms);
• chemical (pollution by chemicals and heavy metals);
• oil;
• thermal (pollution by heated waters discharged from thermal power plants and nuclear power plants);
• radioactive;
• transport (pollution by maritime modes of transport - tankers and ships, as well as submarines);
• household.

There are also various sources of pollution of the World Ocean, which can be both natural (for example, sand, clay or mineral salts) and anthropogenic origin. Among the latter, the most dangerous are the following:

• oil and oil products;
• wastewater;
• chemicals;
• heavy metals;
• radioactive waste;
• plastic waste;
• mercury.

Let's take a closer look at these contaminants.

Oil and oil products

The most dangerous and widespread today is the oil pollution of the ocean. Up to ten million tons of oil is dumped into it annually. About two million more are carried into the ocean by river runoff.

The largest oil spill occurred in 1967 off the coast of Great Britain. As a result of the wreck of the tanker Torrey Canyon, more than 100 thousand tons of oil spilled into the sea.

Oil enters the sea and in the process of drilling or operating oil wells in the oceans (up to one hundred thousand tons per year). Getting into sea water, it forms the so-called "oil slicks" or "oil spills" several centimeters thick in the upper layer of the water mass. Namely, it is known that a very large number of living organisms live in it.

Amazingly, about two to four percent of the area of ​​the Atlantic is permanently covered with oil films! They are also dangerous because they contain heavy metals and pesticides, which additionally poison ocean waters.

Pollution of the oceans with oil and oil products has extremely negative consequences, namely:

• violation of energy and heat exchange between layers of water masses;
• decrease in sea water albedo;
• the death of many marine life;
• pathological changes in organs and tissues of living organisms.

Wastewater

Pollution of the oceans with sewage is, perhaps, in second place in terms of harmfulness. The most dangerous are the wastes of chemical and metallurgical enterprises, textile and pulp mills, as well as agricultural complexes. At first, they merge into rivers and other bodies of water, and later somehow get into the oceans.

Specialists from two large cities - Los Angeles and Marseille - are actively engaged in solving this acute problem. With the help of satellite observations and underwater surveys, scientists monitor the volumes of discharged effluents, as well as monitor their movement in the ocean.

chemicals

Chemicals that enter this huge body of water in various ways also have a very negative impact on ecosystems. Especially dangerous is the pollution of the oceans with pesticides, in particular - aldrin, endrin and dieldrin. These chemicals have the ability to accumulate in the tissues of living organisms, while no one can say exactly how they affect the latter.

In addition to pesticides, tributyltin chloride, which is used to paint the keels of ships, has an extremely negative effect on the organic world of the ocean.

Heavy metals

Ecologists are extremely concerned about the pollution of the oceans with heavy metals. In particular, this is due to the fact that their percentage in sea waters has only been growing recently.

The most dangerous are heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, copper, nickel, arsenic, chromium and tin. So, now up to 650 thousand tons of lead enters the World Ocean annually. And the content of tin in the sea waters of the planet is already three times higher than the generally accepted norm dictates.

plastic waste

The 21st century is the era of plastic. Tons of plastic waste are now in the oceans, and their number is only increasing. Few people know that there are entire "plastic" islands of enormous size. To date, five such "spots" are known - accumulations of plastic waste. Two of them are in the Pacific Ocean, two more are in the Atlantic, and one is in the Indian.

Such waste is dangerous because their small parts are often swallowed by marine fish, as a result of which all of them, as a rule, die.

radioactive waste

Little studied, and therefore extremely unpredictable consequences of pollution of the oceans with radioactive waste. They get there in different ways: as a result of dumping containers with hazardous waste, testing of nuclear weapons, or as a result of the operation of nuclear reactors of submarines. It is known that the Soviet Union alone dumped about 11,000 containers of radioactive waste into the Arctic Ocean between 1964 and 1986.

Scientists have calculated that today the oceans contain 30 times more radioactive substances than were released as a result of the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. Also, a huge amount of deadly waste fell into the oceans after a large-scale accident at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant in Japan.

Mercury

A substance such as mercury can also be very dangerous for the oceans. And not so much for a reservoir, but for a person who eats "seafood". After all, it is known that mercury can accumulate in the tissues of fish and shellfish, turning into even more toxic organic forms.

So, the story of the Japanese Minamato Bay is notorious, where local residents were seriously poisoned by eating seafood from this reservoir. As it turned out, they were contaminated precisely with mercury, which was dumped into the ocean by a plant located nearby.

thermal pollution

Another type of sea water pollution is the so-called thermal pollution. The reason for it is the discharge of water, the temperature of which is significantly higher than the average in the Ocean. The main sources of heated water are thermal and nuclear power plants.

Thermal pollution of the World Ocean leads to violations of its thermal and biological regime, impairs fish spawning, and also destroys zooplankton. So, as a result of specially conducted studies, it was found that at a water temperature of +26 to +30 degrees, the life processes of fish are inhibited. But if the temperature of sea water rises above +34 degrees, then some species of fish and other living organisms may die altogether.

Security

Obviously, the consequences of intense pollution of sea waters can be catastrophic for ecosystems. Some of them are already visible even now. Therefore, for the protection of the World Ocean, a number of multilateral treaties were adopted, both at the interstate and at the regional level. They include numerous activities, as well as ways to solve the pollution of the oceans. In particular, these are:

• limiting emissions of harmful, toxic and poisonous substances into the ocean;
• measures aimed at preventing possible accidents on ships and tankers;
• reduction of pollution from installations that take part in the development of the subsoil of the seabed;
• measures aimed at the rapid and high-quality elimination of emergency situations;
• tightening sanctions and fines for unauthorized release of harmful substances into the ocean;
• a set of educational and promotional measures for the formation of rational and environmentally sound behavior of the population, etc.

Finally...

Thus, it is obvious that the pollution of the oceans is the most important environmental problem of our century. And you have to fight it. Today, there are many dangerous ocean pollutants: oil, oil products, various chemicals, pesticides, heavy metals and radioactive waste, sewage, plastics, and the like. The solution of this acute problem will require the consolidation of all the forces of the world community, as well as the clear and strict implementation of the accepted norms and existing regulations in the field of environmental protection.