As we know, Russia has one of the largest water reserves in the world. The most important component of Russia's water resources are rivers.

However, currently, due to pollution, about 70% of Russian rivers and lakes have lost their quality as a source of drinking water supply. As a result, about half of the population drinks contaminated, low-quality water. Type eo 33.

The unique Lake Baikal accounts for 23% of our country's fresh water reserves. However, as is known, the increase in anthropogenic impact on the Baikal natural territory in recent years has also polluted its waters. The main sources of water pollution are industrial and domestic wastewater. Every year, 17 cubic kilometers of untreated wastewater are discharged into Russian rivers and reservoirs. Together with them, according to Rosprirodnadzor estimates, more than 12 million tons of pollutants enter the water/One of the most active environmental public organizations, Greenpeace, regularly takes water from different rivers to analyze the pollutants. Video 34.

Thus, during a survey of the water area of ​​St. Petersburg in 2011, samples were taken from 9 outlets through which wastewater is discharged into the Neva, Okhta, Okkervil, Slavyanka, Izhora and Karpovka. All samples contained toxic substances in concentrations significantly higher than safe levels. Mercury, lead, petroleum products, chloroform, phenols and other hazardous substances were found in the water.

In Russia there are laws that prohibit enterprises from directly discharging hazardous substances into water bodies. However, this happens regularly because there is no system of effective state environmental control.

Even if enterprises do not discharge their wastewater into rivers, but into the general city sewerage system, this still does not solve the problem of their effective treatment. The difficulty lies in the fact that the waste of each enterprise contains very specific pollutants. They are easy to extract individually, but when hundreds of these substances, mixed, end up in citywide sewers, it is often impossible to deal with them. City sewerage is designed to treat household, not industrial waste. At the same time, in St. Petersburg, more than 70% of dirty wastewater enters the rivers through Vodokanal collectors. Thus, contaminated water constantly ends up in the Neva - the only source of drinking water for millions of city residents, the symbol of St. Petersburg. The situation is similar in Moscow, Yaroslavl and other cities.

What are the possible solutions to this problem?

On the one hand, you can follow the path of reducing water consumption in all areas of human activity. On the other hand, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of industrial pollutants by either changing production technology or improving wastewater treatment methods.

Thus, the consumption and pollution of natural waters can be significantly reduced if closed cycles are more widely introduced (i.e., water is reused in the same production cycle without being discharged into water bodies), wastewater is reused, and also if we switch to technologies based on less water consumption.

According to scientists from the Institute of Water Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences, there is only 10-15 years left for extensive growth in water resource consumption in the world. In addition, according to the findings of a recent report by UN experts, the need for industrial water will increase significantly in the coming years, and by 2070, 44 million people in Central and Southern Europe will experience water shortages.

How is wastewater treated in cities?

It usually consists of several stages:

mechanical

biological

physico-chemical

wastewater disinfection (not always)

Do you know how wastewater treatment plants work in your area?

Primary treatment settling tank

See how wastewater treatment works in St. Petersburg, where it is recognized as one of the most effective in Russia.

However, unfortunately, even this wastewater treatment system, which is quite advanced compared to other cities, is not able to make the water clean enough to flow back into the rivers.

This is due to the fact that, as we have already said, cleaning systems are designed specifically for cleaning domestic sewage. These stations cannot properly purify wastewater from hundreds of city enterprises. And the point is not that the stations are imperfect, but that it is technically impossible to organize the purification of a huge volume of water if it contains so many different dangerous compounds (as Greenpeace sadly jokes - only Petrik’s magical filters can do this).

Therefore, in all cities where this problem is successfully solved, enterprises themselves ensure the cleanliness of their water - they switch to safe production technologies, use more environmentally friendly materials, introduce closed water circulation or modern local treatment facilities. All this ensures cleaner production and is already successfully developing in Europe. However, the responsibility for water protection lies not only with industrial enterprises and the state, but with all of us.

Opportunities for improving water quality are associated with our interest in this problem, concern, and support for the work of public organizations trying to improve the water situation at both the state, local and local levels.

What can we do to save water in our daily activities at home?Think and name as many uses of water in our daily lives as possible.

In practice, there are only two ways to implement our responsible attitude towards water resources in everyday life - saving water and protecting it from pollution.

It must be said that in some cities the problem of water conservation, due to their geographical location (for example, in St. Petersburg), is not acute. In others it is very significant. However, water consumption must be limited in any case. Preparation of drinking water is a labor-intensive, resource-intensive process associated with significant financial costs; it is a significant part of the anthropogenic load on the nature of the region. Let us remember that, unfortunately, unlike most citizens of Europe and the USA, we do not have an established tradition of water conservation, and it must be gradually created and cultivated in various ways - technical, organizational and financial, by changing habits and human consciousness.

As you know, one of the effective ways to save water is to install cold and hot water meters in apartments. Simple rules for saving water are to reduce the flow of water and use water-saving nozzles.Of course, you need to make sure that no water drips from the tap. Sometimes it seems that in this case the losses are negligible. But even if you lose one drop per minute over a month, this will amount to about 500 liters - half a ton of clean, drinkable water. A leaking tap means water loss and additional load on treatment facilities, unnecessary consumption of energy spent on water delivery and purification.

We can also save water by making small changes to our habits.

For example, when brushing your teeth, the tap can only be opened while you are washing your brush and rinsing your mouth. On average, this procedure takes about 3 minutes for most people, during which time water flows from the tap at a speed of 2 liters per minute. If you adhere to the rules of economy, then when brushing your teeth, no more than 1 liter of water is spent. The same goes for men who shave with mechanical razors.

It is possible to use the same water twice. The first time - for cooking, washing dishes, washing, showering, bathing. The second time - for cleaning the house, using the toilet, watering plants, washing the local area and cars.

To save water, you can follow a few simple rules.

Before washing dirty dishes, you need to thoroughly clean them of food debris. It is better to wash dishes not with the tap constantly open; for this, water can be poured into a sink with a closed drain or into a basin. This way, about 50% of the water required for washing dishes will be saved. When washing vegetables and fruits, it is also better to close the sink with a stopper.

You should try to use the washing machine primarily with its maximum load of laundry. In this case, it is advisable to pre-soak heavily soiled clothes in a container with a special detergent. It is better to wash balconies and external surfaces of the house in rainy weather.

What methods do you use to save water?

People come up with various technical ways to save water at home. See, for example, how a pedal installed in the kitchen to control water heating and supply allows you to save water. Video 36.

Agree, it would be good if such experience of individual enthusiastic craftsmen were disseminated, people learned about it and tried to apply it. There are reserves for saving water in the system of payment for its consumption - introducing a limit on its consumption for each person and establishing a fee at a higher tariff for exceeding it.

To control water consumption in the house, it is advisable to install centralized resource management. With its help, you can easily detect accidents in the water supply system - to do this, it is enough to generate statistics on water consumption at different times of the day, and if it turns out that the water consumption is significant compared to the average for this time of day, then by analyzing sensor readings throughout the house the accident can be localized and prevented. At the same time, pipelines will be repaired in a timely and efficient manner to reduce water losses from leaks.

How can you protect water from contamination at home?

Not everyone knows that the water drained from sinks, bathtubs or toilets into the sewer system, which many consider to be the main source of pollution, is actually not a big problem for nature. Many microorganisms process organic waste. The main problems of water pollution are associated with synthetic detergents (washing powders and cleaning compounds) for cleaning and cleaning. These chemical compounds are mixed with other household wastewater and in this form end up at wastewater treatment plants. There they kill microorganisms that decompose organic waste from human activity.

For this reason, the quality of treatment deteriorates sharply, and untreated wastewater enters water bodies from treatment facilities.

It is important to understand that synthetic detergents or cleaning products that are absolutely harmless to nature do not exist today. They all pollute it to a greater or lesser extent. Therefore, the best thing to do is to use them wisely and correctly, preferring those whose packaging states that they are relatively safer and contain substances that are less harmful to the natural environment.

Let's draw conclusions.

Irrational use of water and its increasing pollution are becoming day by day more and more serious problems that can lead humanity to disaster. It is vitally important for every person to become aware of personal and social responsibility for the conservation of water resources and to master practical ways to conserve and improve water quality.

Our ability to provide ourselves with the clean water necessary for health and life lies, first of all, in our own environmentally appropriate actions in everyday life, as well as in the support of those public organizations (Greenpeace and others) that seek from the authorities specific actions to strengthen government control over discharges, reducing the load on city wastewater treatment plants, developing cleaner production and, as a result, bringing the water quality in our rivers to a level that is safe for humans and nature.

Mahatma Gandhi said: “If you want a change in the future, become that change in the present.” Each of us can make lifestyle changes to help the water. You can start small, gradually moving on to more serious steps, and we will contribute to the common cause of water conservation.

The presence of fresh, clean water is a necessary condition for the existence of all living organisms on the planet.

The share of fresh water suitable for consumption accounts for only 3% of its total quantity.

Despite this, people mercilessly pollute it in the process of their activities.

Thus, a very large volume of fresh water has now become completely unusable. A sharp deterioration in the quality of fresh water has occurred as a result of its contamination with chemical and radioactive substances, pesticides, synthetic fertilizers and sewage, and this is already.

Types of pollution

It is clear that all types of pollution that exist are also present in the aquatic environment.

This is a fairly extensive list.

In many ways, the solution to the pollution problem will be .

Heavy metals

During the operation of large factories, industrial wastewater is discharged into fresh water, the composition of which is replete with various types of heavy metals. Many of them, when entering the human body, have a detrimental effect on it, leading to severe poisoning and death. Such substances are called xenobiotics, that is, elements that are alien to a living organism. The class of xenobiotics includes elements such as cadmium, nickel, lead, mercury and many others.

There are known sources of water pollution with these substances. These are primarily metallurgical enterprises and automobile factories.

Natural processes on the planet can also contribute to pollution. For example, harmful compounds are found in large quantities in products of volcanic activity, which from time to time fall into lakes, polluting them.

But, of course, the anthropogenic factor is decisive here.

Radioactive substances

The development of the nuclear industry has caused significant harm to all life on the planet, including fresh water reservoirs. During the activities of nuclear enterprises, radioactive isotopes are formed, as a result of the decay of which particles with different penetrating abilities are released (alpha, beta and gamma particles). All of them are capable of causing irreparable harm to living beings, since when these elements enter the body, they damage its cells and contribute to the development of cancer.

Sources of pollution can be:

• atmospheric precipitation falling in areas where nuclear tests are carried out;
• wastewater discharged into a reservoir by nuclear industry enterprises.
• ships operating using nuclear reactors (in case of an accident).

Inorganic contaminants

The main inorganic elements that worsen the quality of water in reservoirs are considered to be compounds of toxic chemical elements. These include toxic metal compounds, alkalis, and salts. As a result of these substances entering water, its composition changes for consumption by living organisms.

The main source of pollution is wastewater from large enterprises, factories, and mines. Some inorganic pollutants increase their negative properties when they are in an acidic environment. Thus, acidic wastewater coming from a coal mine contains aluminum, copper, and zinc in concentrations that are very dangerous for living organisms.

Every day, huge amounts of water from sewage flow into reservoirs.

This water contains a lot of pollutants. These include particles of detergents, small remains of food and household waste, and feces. These substances in the process of their decomposition give life to numerous pathogenic microorganisms.

If they enter the human body, they can provoke a number of serious diseases, such as dysentery and typhoid fever.

From large cities, such wastewater flows into rivers and the ocean.

Synthetic fertilizers

Synthetic fertilizers used by humans contain many harmful substances such as nitrates and phosphates. When they enter a body of water, they provoke excessive growth of a specific blue-green algae. Growing to enormous sizes, it interferes with the development of other plants in the reservoir, while the algae itself cannot serve as food for living organisms living in the water. All this leads to the disappearance of life in the reservoir and its waterlogging.

How to solve the problem of water pollution

Of course, there are ways to solve this problem.

It is known that most of the pollutants enter water bodies along with wastewater from large enterprises. Water purification is one of the ways to solve the problem of water pollution. Business owners should be concerned about installing high-quality wastewater treatment facilities. The presence of such devices, of course, is not able to completely stop the release of toxic substances, but they are quite capable of significantly reducing their concentration.

Household filters will also help combat contaminants in drinking water and purify it in the house.

People themselves must take care of the purity of fresh water. Following a few simple rules will help significantly reduce the level of water pollution:

• Tap water should be used sparingly.
• Avoid disposing of household waste into the sewer system.
• If possible, clear debris from nearby bodies of water and beaches.
• Do not use synthetic fertilizers. The best fertilizers are organic household waste, grass clippings, fallen leaves or compost.
• Dispose of discarded trash.

Despite the fact that the problem of water pollution is currently reaching alarming proportions, it is quite possible to solve it. To do this, each person must make some efforts and treat nature more carefully.

Classmates

2 Comments

Everyone knows that the percentage of water in the human body is large and our metabolism and overall health will depend on its quality. I see ways to solve this environmental problem in relation to our country: cutting water consumption standards to the minimum, and what is more - at inflated tariffs; The funds received will be used for the development of water treatment facilities (activated sludge treatment, ozonation).

Water is the source of all life. Neither people nor animals can live without it. I didn't think the problems with fresh water were that big. But it’s impossible to live a full life without mines, sewers, factories, etc. In the future, of course, humanity will have a solution to this problem, but what to do now? I believe that people should actively address the issue of water and take action.

The pollutant poses a danger to living organisms such as plants or animals. Pollutants can be the result of human activity, such as an industrial byproduct, or occur naturally, such as radioactive isotopes, sediment, or animal waste.

Because of how broad the concept of pollution is, it can be assumed that polluted waters existed before the advent of negative human activities.

However, the amount of polluted water is increasing due to rapid population growth, agricultural activities and industrial development.

Main sources of water pollution

A number of human actions lead to water pollution, which is harmful to aquatic flora and fauna, aesthetic beauty, recreation and human health. The main sources of pollution can be grouped into several categories:

Land use

Humanity has a significant impact on the land, including cultivation of meadows, construction of buildings, laying roads, etc. Land use leads to disturbance during precipitation and snowmelt. As water flows over the plantless surface of the earth and forms streams, it picks up everything in its path, including harmful substances. Vegetation is important because it holds the organic and mineral components of the soil.

Impermeable surfaces

Most artificial surfaces cannot absorb water like soil and roots. Roofs, parking lots and roads allow rain or melted snow to flow at high speeds and volumes, picking up heavy metals, oils, road salt and other contaminants along the way. Otherwise, the pollutants would be absorbed by the soil and vegetation and break down naturally. Instead, they become concentrated in wastewater and then end up in waterways.

Agriculture

Common agricultural practices, such as soil exposure to fertilizers and pesticides, and concentration of livestock, contribute to water pollution. Water saturated with phosphorus and nitrates leads to algae blooms and other problems, including. Poor management of agricultural land and livestock can also lead to significant soil erosion.

Mining

Mine tailings are piles of discarded rocks after a valuable portion of the ore has been removed. Tailings can leach large amounts of contaminants into surface and groundwater. By-products are sometimes stored in artificial reservoirs, and the lack of dams to retain these reservoirs can lead to environmental disaster.

Industry

Industrial activities are the main source of water pollution. In the past, liquid waste was dumped directly into rivers or placed in special barrels, which were then buried somewhere. These barrels then began to break down, and harmful substances seeped into the soil and then into groundwater. In addition, accidental spills of pollutants occur quite often and have negative consequences for human health and safety.

Energy sector

The extraction and transportation of fossil fuels, especially oil, results in spills that can have long-lasting impacts on water resources. In addition, coal-fired power plants release large amounts of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere. When these pollutants dissolve in rainwater and enter waterways, they significantly acidify rivers and lakes. Producing electricity through hydropower results in significantly less pollution but still has some harmful effects on aquatic ecosystems.

Home activities

There are many actions we can take every day to prevent water pollution: avoid using pesticides, pick up pet waste, properly dispose of household chemicals and medications, avoid plastic, watch out for oil leaks in your car, clean out drains regularly, etc.

Garbage

A lot of garbage remains in the environment, and plastic products are not biodegradable, but only break down into harmful microparticles.

Are substances always pollutants?

Not always. For example, nuclear power plants use huge amounts of water to cool the reactor using a steam generator. The warm water then flows back into the river from which it was pumped, creating a warm plume that affects aquatic life downstream.

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Durakhanova Suna Jalalovna

The objectives of our mini-research are:

Analysis of the state of water bodies in the vicinity of our village;

Identification of the causes of irrational water use;

Possible ways to correct the situation.

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WORLD WATER DAY

RESEARCH

WASTEWATER POLLUTION:

WAYS TO SOLUTION THE PROBLEM

Completed by: Suna Dzhalalovna Durakhanova,

student 9 a class of Mikrakh secondary school

Dokuzparinsky district RD

Head: Radzhabov Ruslan Radzhabovich,

Biology teacher at Mikrakh Secondary School

year 2012

BRIEF SUMMARY

It is useless to talk about the value and importance of water for all life on Earth, everyone knows this. But, even understanding the importance of the role of water in life, people still continue to harshly exploit water bodies, irreversibly changing their natural regime with discharges and waste. In addition, water also serves as a habitat for many living creatures. Water is of great importance in industrial and agricultural production. It is well known that it is necessary for the everyday needs of humans, all plants and animals. Population growth, intensification of agriculture, significant expansion of irrigated areas, improvement of cultural and living conditions and a number of other factors are increasingly complicating the problems of water use. The demand for water is enormous and increasing every year. Most of the water, after being used for domestic needs, is returned to rivers in the form of wastewater.

GOALS

The objectives of our mini-research are:

1. analysis of the state of water bodies in the vicinity of our village;
2. identifying the causes of irrational water use;
3. possible ways to remedy the situation.

1. INCREASING THE RATE OF WATER CONSUMPTION

According to our estimates, approximately 70% of all water consumption is used in agriculture. A significant amount of water is spent on the household needs of the population. Most of the water, after being used for domestic needs, is returned to rivers in the form of wastewater.

Fresh water shortage is already becoming a global problem. But in mountainous and foothill areas, which includes our region, this problem is imperceptible. Firstly, because our nature is quite generous with springs, streams, small rivers and other sources of fresh water. Secondly, their reserves do not dry out, since they are fed by precipitation, which falls in abundance here, and also by glaciers in summer. But to have it does not mean that we should treat this priceless gift of nature recklessly and uneconomically.

Previously, for a whole family of several people, only a few jugs of water were enough for the whole day. They knew how to value water, as well as the labor of the women who brought it. Now the situation has changed. In recent years, every household in the village has been provided with tap water. Baths and swimming pools were built, with vehicles, and car washes were built in the yard. Every year the diameter of water pipes increases, but the culture of water consumption decreases. By the way, having provided themselves with water taps, not many thought about where this water would then flow. As a result, already unsightly roads and streets turn into an extreme skating rink in winter, and full of puddles and mud in summer. In our region, the areas covered by moisture-loving crops (primarily cabbage) are constantly increasing. This leads to a significant increase in water consumption. Therefore, with the beginning of the irrigation season, uncontrollable flows of irrigation water will literally pour in the direction of agricultural land through several channels. When water is withdrawn from the upper reaches of the Chakhichay River, it is lost on thousands of hectares of farmland. As a result, the number of landslides and potentially dangerous areas within the village has increased.

The drama of the situation also lies in the fact that no one is doing anything to solve this problem. For district and local administrations, the absence of complaints from the population and the provision of citizens with drinking and irrigation water, on the contrary, is a source of pride rather than a problem.

2. POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES

With an increase in the area of ​​irrigated land, the volume of drainage (waste) water increases. They are formed as a result of periodic watering, when there is excess water flow. Large volumes of drainage water are discharged into the Chakhichay and Samur rivers. Another problem is soil leaching (salinization). In these cases, the mineralization of river waters increases. It should be borne in mind that with drainage waters that flow into rivers, nutrients, pesticides and other chemical compounds that have a harmful effect on natural waters are carried away. Many of the impurities in water are natural and get there through rain or groundwater. Some of the pollutants associated with human activities follow the same path. Smoke, ash and industrial gases settle to the ground along with rain; chemical compounds and sewage added to the soil with fertilizers enter rivers with groundwater.

In places where there are large concentrations of people and animals, natural clean water is usually not enough, especially if it is used to collect sewage and transport it away from populated areas. If not much sewage enters the soil, soil organisms process it, reusing nutrients, and clean water seeps into neighboring watercourses. But if sewage gets directly into the water, it rots, and oxygen is consumed to oxidize it. A so-called biochemical demand for oxygen is created. The higher this need, the less oxygen remains in the water for living microorganisms, especially fish and algae. Sometimes, due to lack of oxygen, all living things die. The water becomes biologically dead - only anaerobic bacteria remain in it; They thrive without oxygen and, in the process of their life, emit hydrogen sulfide, a poisonous gas with a specific smell of rotten eggs. The already lifeless water acquires a putrid odor and becomes completely unsuitable for humans and animals. This can also happen when there is an excess of substances such as nitrates and phosphates in the water; they enter water from agricultural fertilizers in fields or from wastewater contaminated with detergents. These nutrients stimulate the growth of algae, which begin to consume a lot of oxygen, and when it becomes insufficient, they die. Organic waste and nutrients become an obstacle to the normal development of freshwater ecological systems. But in recent years, ecological systems have been bombarded with huge amounts of completely alien substances, from which they have no protection. Pesticides used in agriculture, metals and chemicals from industrial wastewater have managed to enter the aquatic food chain, which can have unpredictable consequences. Species at the beginning of the food chain can accumulate these substances in dangerous concentrations and become even more vulnerable to other harmful effects.

3.WAYS TO SOLUTION THE PROBLEM

Polluted water can be purified. The water cycle, this long path of its movement, consists of several stages: evaporation, cloud formation, rainfall, runoff into streams and rivers, and evaporation again. Throughout its entire path, water itself is capable of purifying itself from contaminants that enter it - products of decay of organic substances, dissolved gases and minerals, and suspended solid material. But polluted basins (rivers, lakes, etc.) take much longer to recover. In its endless circulation, water either captures and transports many dissolved or suspended substances, or is cleared of them. Industrial emissions not only clog, but also poison wastewater. And expensive devices for purifying such waters are not yet available.

To purify drainage water, it is necessary to organize its demineralization with simultaneous purification from harmful impurities.

When developing irrigation, it is necessary to base it on water-saving irrigation technology, which will contribute to a sharp increase in the efficiency of this type of reclamation. But until now, the efficiency of the irrigation network remains low, water losses amount to approximately 30% of the total volume of its intake.

A significant reserve for the normal use of moisture is the correct

selection and rational use of various methods of irrigation of agricultural land. To save water, developed countries use sprinkling irrigation, which provides almost 50% water savings.

In order for natural systems to recover, it is necessary first of all to stop the further flow of waste into rivers. To protect water from pollution, it is necessary to know the nature and intensity of the possible harmful effects of pollution at certain concentrations, and especially the limit of permissible concentrations (MAC) of water pollution. The latter should not be exceeded so as not to disrupt the normal conditions for cultural and domestic water use and not to cause damage to the health of the population located downstream from the wastewater discharge site.

Treatment facilities come in different types depending on the main method of waste disposal. With the mechanical method, insoluble impurities are removed from wastewater through a system of settling tanks and various types of traps. In the past, this method was widely used for the treatment of industrial wastewater. The essence of the chemical method is that reagents are introduced into wastewater at wastewater treatment plants. They react with dissolved and undissolved pollutants and contribute to their precipitation in settling tanks, from where they are removed mechanically. But this method is unsuitable for treating wastewater containing a large number of different pollutants.

When treating domestic wastewater, the best results are obtained by the biological method. In this case, aerobic biological processes carried out with the help of microorganisms are used to mineralize organic contaminants. The biological method can be used both in conditions close to natural and in special biorefinery facilities.

4. LIST OF REFERENCES USED

1.Avakyan A.B., Shirokov V.M. “Rational use of water resources.” Ekaterinburg: “Victor”, 1994.

2. Cherkinsky S.N. “Sanitary conditions for the discharge of wastewater into reservoirs.”

Moscow: Stroyizdat, 1977.