Soil problems. The main problems of the soil cover of the steppes of Russia. Man is the cause of degradation

Problems of soil pollution and ways to solve them.

At present, the interaction problem human society With

nature has taken on a special urgency. It becomes indisputable that the decision

the problem of preserving the quality of human life is unthinkable without a certain

understanding of modern environmental issues: preservation of the evolution of living things,

hereditary substances (genofund of flora and fauna), preservation of purity and

productivity of natural environments (atmosphere, hydrosphere, soil, forests, etc.),

environmental regulation of anthropogenic pressure on natural ecosystems V

within their buffer capacity, the preservation of the ozone layer, food chains

in nature, biocirculation of substances and others.

The soil cover of the Earth is the most important component of the biosphere

Earth. It is the soil shell that determines many processes,

occurring in the biosphere.

Soil is a special natural formation with a number of properties,

inherent in animate and inanimate nature, formed as a result of a long

transformation of the surface layers of the lithosphere under the joint

interdependent interaction of the hydrosphere, atmosphere, living and dead

organisms.

The soil cover is the most important natural formation. His role in life

society is determined by the fact that the soil is a source

food, providing 95-97% of food resources for

the population of the planet.

The soil cover is a natural base for human settlement, serves as the basis for the creation of recreational areas. It allows you to create the best ecological situation for the life, work and leisure of people. The purity and composition of the atmosphere, surface and underground waters depend on the nature of the soil cover, soil properties, and chemical and biochemical processes occurring in soils. Soil cover is one of the most powerful regulators chemical composition atmosphere and hydrosphere. The soil has been and remains the main condition for the life support of nations and humanity as a whole. 1

The area of land resources in the world is 129 million km 2, or 86.5%

land area. Under arable land and perennial plantations in the composition

about 15 million km 2 (10% of land) are occupied by agricultural land, under

hayfields and pastures - 37.4 million km 2 (25%). total area

arable land is estimated by various researchers in different ways: from

25 to 32 million km 2.

The planet's land resources allow us to provide more food

population than currently available. However, due to the growth

population, especially in developing countries, soil degradation,

pollution, erosion, etc.; as well as due to the acquisition of land for development

cities, towns and industrial enterprises the amount of arable land per capita

the population is drastically reduced.

Human impact on soil is an integral part of the overall impact of human

society on the earth's crust and its upper layer, on nature in general, especially

increased in age scientific and technological revolution. This not only enhances

human interaction with the earth, but the main features are also changing

interactions. The problem of "soil - man" is complicated by urbanization, all

large use of land, their resources for industrial and housing

construction, growing demand for food. By the will of man

the nature of the soil changes, soil formation factors change - relief,

microclimate, new rivers appear, etc. 2

At present, the regions with significant soil pollution should include the Moscow and Kurgan regions, the regions with medium pollution - the Central Chernozem region, Primorsky Krai. North Caucasus.

Soils around large cities and large enterprises of non-ferrous and ferrous metallurgy, chemical and petrochemical industries, mechanical engineering, thermal power plants at a distance of several tens of kilometers are polluted with heavy metals, oil products, lead compounds, sulfur and other toxic substances. The average content of lead in the soils of a five-kilometer zone around a number of surveyed cities of the Russian Federation is in the range of 0.4 80 MPC. The average content of manganese around ferrous metallurgy enterprises ranges from 0.05-6 MPC.

Soil pollution with oil in the places of its production, processing, transportation and distribution exceeds the background level by dozens of times. Within a radius of 10 km from Vladimir in the western and eastern directions, the oil content in the soil exceeded the background value by 33 times.

Soils around Bratsk, Novokuznetsk, Krasnoyarsk are contaminated with fluorine, where its maximum content exceeds the regional average level by 4-10 times.

The intensive development of industrial production leads to an increase in industrial waste, which, together with household waste, significantly affects the chemical composition of the soil, causing a deterioration in its quality. Severe soil contamination with heavy metals, together with zones of sulfur pollution formed during the combustion of coal, lead to a change in the composition of trace elements and the emergence of man-made deserts. 3

A change in the content of microelements in the soil immediately affects the health of herbivores and humans, leads to metabolic disorders, causing various endemic diseases of a local nature. For example, a lack of iodine in the soil leads to thyroid disease, a lack of calcium in drinking water and food - to damage to the joints, their deformation, growth retardation.

In podzolic soils with a high iron content, when iron interacts with sulfur, iron sulfide is formed, which is a strong poison. As a result, microflora (algae, bacteria) is destroyed in the soil, which leads to a loss of fertility.

IN agriculture Thousands of chemicals have been invented to kill pests. They are called pesticides, and depending on the group of organisms on which they act, they are divided into insecticides (kill insects), rodenticides

(destroy rodents), fungicides (destroy fungi). However, none of these

chemicals does not have absolute selectivity for organisms,

against which it is designed, and poses a threat also to others,

organisms, including humans. . The annual use of pesticides in

agriculture in the Russian Federation is approximately 150 thousand tons. 4 In our opinion, it is much more environmentally appropriate to use natural or biological methods to control agricultural pests.

The soil always contains carcinogenic (chemical, physical, biological) substances that cause tumor diseases in living organisms, including cancer. The main sources of regional soil contamination with carcinogenic substances are vehicle emissions, emissions from industrial enterprises, and oil products. Disposal of industrial and household waste to landfills leads to pollution and irrational use of land, creates real threats of significant pollution of the atmosphere, surface and ground water, an increase in transport costs and the irretrievable loss of valuable materials and substances.

Technogenic pollution of the soil required the development of special methods for its regeneration and protection. Some of them consist in the localization of pollutants with the help of storages and sedimentation tanks. This method does not destroy toxins and pollutants, but prevents their spread in the natural environment. The real fight against polluting compounds is their elimination. Toxic products can be destroyed on site or taken to special centralized points for their processing and neutralization. Various methods are used on the ground: burning hydrocarbons, washing contaminated soils with mineral solutions, removing pollutants into the atmosphere, as well as biological methods, if pollution is caused by organic substances.

Over the past 25 years, the area of agricultural land has decreased by 33 million hectares, despite the annual involvement of new lands in agricultural circulation. The main reasons for the decrease in the area of agricultural land are manifestations of soil erosion, insufficiently thought out land acquisition for non-agricultural needs, flooding, swamping, overgrowing with forests and shrubs.

An improvement in the situation is possible only if agriculture is carried out strictly scientific principles, taking into account environmental consequences. At each stage of the agricultural process, the laws of the interaction of plants with the environment and soil, the laws of the circulation of matter and energy, must be taken into account. The law of ecological farming is formulated as follows: the anthropogenic impact on the soil, the plant, the environment should not exceed the limits beyond which the productivity of the agroecosystem decreases, the stability and stability of its functioning is violated. Increasing the productivity of the agroecosystem can only be ensured by the parallel improvement of all its elements. 5

To preserve soils, it is necessary to take into account and apply all factors of soil formation. Here are some examples of their use.

Soil-forming rocks - the substrate on which soils are formed; they consist of various mineral components, to one degree or another participating in soil formation. Mineral matter makes up 60-90% of the total weight of the soil. depends on the nature of the parent breeds physical properties soils - its water and thermal regimes, the speed of movement of substances in the soil, the mineralogical and chemical composition, the initial content of nutrients for plants. The type of soil also depends to a large extent on the nature of the parent rocks.

Vegetation

Soil organic compounds are formed as a result of the vital activity of plants, animals and microorganisms. Vegetation plays the main role in this. Green plants are practically the only creators of primary organic substances. terrain, etc.
In the process of dying off of both whole plants and their individual parts, organic substances enter the soil (root and ground decline). The amount of annual decline varies considerably: in tropical rainforests it reaches 250 q/ha, in arctic tundra - less than 10 q/ha, and in deserts - 5-6 q/ha. On the soil surface, organic matter decomposes under the influence of animals, bacteria, fungi, as well as physical and chemical agents with the formation of soil humus. Ash substances replenish the mineral part of the soil. Undecomposed plant material forms the so-called forest floor (in forests) or felt (in steppes and meadows). These formations affect the gas exchange of the soil, the permeability of sediments, the thermal regime of the upper soil layer, the soil fauna, and the vital activity of microorganisms. Vegetation affects the structure and nature of soil organic matter, its moisture content.

animal organisms

The main function of animal organisms in the soil is the transformation of organic matter. Both soil and terrestrial animals take part in soil formation. In the soil environment, animals are mainly represented by invertebrates and protozoa. The main mass of soil animals are saprophages (nematodes, earthworms, etc.). Saprophages influence the formation of the soil profile, humus content, and soil structure. For more than a decade, there has been experience in the use of the red California worm to obtain biologically valuable fertilizer (biohumus) from fiber-containing and a wide range of organic waste, as well as to improve soil structure, aeration.
The most numerous representatives of the terrestrial animal world involved in soil formation are small rodents (voles, etc.). Plant and animal remains, falling into the soil, undergo complex changes. A certain part of them decomposes into carbon dioxide, water and simple salts (mineralization process), others pass into new complex organic substances of the soil itself.

Microorganisms

Of great importance in the implementation of these processes in the soil are microorganisms (bacteria, actinomycetes, lower fungi, unicellular algae, viruses, etc.), which are very diverse both in their composition and biological activity. Microorganisms in the soil are in the billions per 1 ha. They take part in the biotic cycle of substances, decomposing complex organic and mineral substances into simpler ones. The latter are utilized both by the microorganisms themselves and by higher plants. One of the most common and persistent land pollution is oil. The natural microflora, adapting, is able to destroy this type of pollution. Mixing oil-contaminated soil with crushed pine bark accelerates the rate of oil destruction by an order of magnitude due to the ability of microorganisms existing on the surface of the bark to grow complex hydrocarbons that make up pine resin, as well as the adsorption of oil products by the bark. This biotechnological technique is called "microbial restoration of oil-contaminated soil." 6

As for land protection, it includes a system of organizational, economic, legal, engineering and other measures aimed at protecting them from plunder, unjustified withdrawals from agricultural circulation, irrational use, harmful anthropogenic and natural impacts, in order to increase the efficiency of nature management and create a favorable ecological situation.
Protection of lands and their rational use are carried out on the basis of an integrated approach to lands as complex natural formations (ecosystems), taking into account their zonal and regional characteristics. The system of rational land use should be environmentally friendly, resource-saving in nature and provide for soil conservation, limiting impacts on vegetation and animal world, geological rocks and other components of the environment. Land protection provides for:

Protection of lands from water and wind erosion, salts, downwind erosion, flooding, waterlogging, secondary salinization, desiccation, compaction, pollution by production waste, and other destruction processes;
- reclamation of disturbed lands, increasing their fertility and other useful properties;
- removal and preservation of the fertile soil layer in order to use it for land reclamation or increase the fertility of unproductive lands;
- establishment of special regimes of use for land plots that had environmental, historical and cultural significance.
All landowners, land users and tenants, regardless of the forms and terms of land use, carry out work to protect and improve the quality of land at their own expense and are responsible for the deterioration of the environmental situation on their land and adjacent territory associated with their activities.

The exceptionally important role of natural resource relations is enshrined in Art. 9 of the Constitution of Russia, which establishes that land and other natural resources are used and protected as the basis of life and activity of the peoples living in the respective territories. Also, these relations are regulated by the Land Code of the Russian Federation, the Laws on land use, land management, agricultural land and many other regulatory legal acts.

In 1992, the Government of the Russian Federation adopted a resolution "on the approval of the regulation on the procedure for exercising state control over the use and protection of land." Specially authorized state bodies exercising state control over the use and protection of land are: the Committee on Land Reform and Land Resources under the Government of the Russian Federation and its local bodies, the State Committee for Environmental Protection of the Russian Federation and its local bodies, the Sanitary and Epidemiological Service of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Architecture, Construction and Housing and Communal Services of the Russian Federation and local bodies of architectural and construction supervision.

In the Russian Federation, there is a fairly large regulatory and legal framework for land legislation, but as you can see, it is not enough to solve all the environmental problems of modern land use. In this regard, in our opinion, the current legislation on land requires careful analysis, refinement and elimination of gaps, the adoption of new bills.

Bibliography:

1 G.V. Dobrovolsky "Soil. City. Ecology”, Moscow, 1997

2. Yu. V. Novikov "Ecology, environment and man"; m., 1999

3. V.D. Valova. "Fundamentals of Ecology". Publishing house "Dashkov and Co." M - 2001.

4. Arustamov E.A. "Nature Management" Textbook. Publishing house "Dashkov and

Ko". M - 2000.

5. G.V. Stadnitsky "Ecology", St. Petersburg Himizdat, 1999

6. A. P. Oshmarin "Ecology"; Yaroslavl, 1998

1 G.V. Dobrovolsky "Soil. City. Ecology”, Moscow, 1997

2 Yu. V. Novikov "Ecology, environment and man"; m., 1999
problems problems and way their solutionsTest work >> Economics

Topic: "Global economic Problems And way their solutions" in the discipline of World Economy. ... acute environmental problems in the world - pollution soil, water and air-shifted to... which are among the most contaminated on the globe, are located...

Global and Regional Problems humanity and way their solutions

Coursework >> Ecology

... Problems humanity and way their solutions Table of contents 1. Global and regional Problems humanity and way their solutions 1.1 Essence global problems humanity 1.2 Environmental Problems... natural environment. Except pollution soil, water, happening...

Problems of soil pollution and ways to solve them.

At present, the problem of interaction between human society and

nature has taken on a special urgency. It becomes indisputable that the decision

the problem of preserving the quality of human life is unthinkable without a certain

understanding of modern environmental problems: preservation of the evolution of living things,

hereditary substances (genofund of flora and fauna), preservation of purity and

productivity of natural environments (atmosphere, hydrosphere, soil, forests, etc.),

environmental regulation of anthropogenic pressure on natural ecosystems in

within their buffer capacity, the preservation of the ozone layer, food chains

in nature, biocirculation of substances and others.

The soil cover of the Earth is the most important component of the biosphere

Earth. It is the soil shell that determines many processes,

occurring in the biosphere.

Soil is a special natural formation with a number of properties,

inherent in animate and inanimate nature, formed as a result of a long

transformation of the surface layers of the lithosphere under the joint

interdependent interaction of the hydrosphere, atmosphere, living and dead

organisms.

The soil cover is the most important natural formation. His role in life

society is determined by the fact that the soil is a source

food, providing 95-97% of food resources for

the population of the planet.

The soil cover is a natural base for human settlement, serves as the basis for the creation of recreational areas. It allows you to create an optimal ecological environment for the life, work and recreation of people. The purity and composition of the atmosphere, surface and underground waters depend on the nature of the soil cover, soil properties, and chemical and biochemical processes occurring in soils. The soil cover is one of the most powerful regulators of the chemical composition of the atmosphere and hydrosphere. The soil has been and remains the main condition for the life support of nations and humanity as a whole.

The area of land resources in the world is 129 million km 2, or 86.5%

land areas. Under arable land and perennial plantations in the composition

about 15 million km 2 (10% of land) are occupied by agricultural land, under

hayfields and pastures - 37.4 million km 2 (25%). total area

arable land is estimated by various researchers in different ways: from

25 to 32 million km 2.

The planet's land resources allow us to provide more food

population than currently available. However, due to the growth

population, especially in developing countries, soil degradation,

pollution, erosion, etc.; as well as due to the acquisition of land for development

cities, towns and industrial enterprises the amount of arable land per capita

the population is drastically reduced.

Human impact on soil component the general influence of human

society on the earth's crust and its upper layer, on nature as a whole, especially

increased in the age of the scientific and technological revolution. This not only enhances

human interaction with the earth, but the main features are also changing

interactions. The problem of "soil - man" is complicated by urbanization, all

large use of land, their resources for industrial and housing

construction, growing demand for food. By the will of man

the nature of the soil changes, soil formation factors change - relief,

microclimate, new rivers appear, etc.

At present, the regions with significant soil pollution should include the Moscow and Kurgan regions, the regions with medium pollution - the Central Chernozem region, Primorsky Krai. North Caucasus.

Soils around Bratsk, Novokuznetsk, Krasnoyarsk are contaminated with fluorine, where its maximum content exceeds the regional average level by 4-10 times.

In agriculture, thousands of chemicals have been invented to kill pests. They are called pesticides, and depending on the group of organisms on which they act, they are divided into insecticides (kill insects), rodenticides

(destroy rodents), fungicides (destroy fungi). However, none of these

chemicals does not have absolute selectivity for organisms,

against which it is designed, and poses a threat also to others,

organisms, including humans. . The annual use of pesticides in

agriculture in the Russian Federation is approximately 150 thousand tons. In our opinion, it is much more environmentally expedient to use natural or biological methods to control agricultural pests.

Improvement of the situation is possible only if agriculture is carried out on strictly scientific principles, taking into account environmental consequences. At each stage of the agricultural process, the laws of the interaction of plants with the environment and soil, the laws of the circulation of matter and energy, must be taken into account. The law of ecological farming is formulated as follows: the anthropogenic impact on the soil, the plant, the environment should not exceed the limits beyond which the productivity of the agroecosystem decreases, the stability and stability of its functioning is violated. Increasing the productivity of the agroecosystem can only be ensured by the parallel improvement of all its elements.

To preserve soils, it is necessary to take into account and apply all factors of soil formation. Here are some examples of their use.

Soil-forming rocks - the substrate on which soils are formed; they consist of various mineral components, to one degree or another participating in soil formation. Mineral matter makes up 60-90% of the total weight of the soil. The nature of the parent rocks determines the physical properties of the soil - its water and thermal regimes, the speed of movement of substances in the soil, the mineralogical and chemical composition, and the initial content of nutrients for plants. The type of soil also depends to a large extent on the nature of the parent rocks.

Vegetation

Soil is the main source of food, providing 95-97% of food resources for the world's population. The land area of the world is 129 million square kilometers, or 86.5% of the land area. Arable land and perennial plantations in the composition of agricultural land occupy about 10% of the land, meadows and pastures - 25% of the land. Soil fertility and climatic conditions determine the possibility of existence and development ecological systems on the ground. Unfortunately, due to improper exploitation, some of the fertile land is lost every year. Thus, over the past century, as a result of accelerated erosion, 2 billion hectares of fertile land have been lost, which is 27% of the total area of land used for agriculture.

Sources of soil pollution.

Sources of soil pollution can be classified as follows:

Industrial enterprises.
Transport.
Agriculture.
Residential buildings and public utilities.

The composition of pollutants in this category of sources is dominated by household waste, food waste, construction waste, waste from heating systems, worn-out household items, etc. All this is collected and taken to landfills. For major cities the collection and destruction of household waste in landfills has become an intractable problem. The simple burning of garbage in city dumps is accompanied by the release of toxic substances. When burning such objects, for example, chlorine-containing polymers, highly toxic substances are formed - dioxides. Despite this, in last years Methods are being developed for the destruction of household waste by incineration. A promising method is the burning of such debris over hot melts of metals.

Industrial enterprises.

The engineering industry releases cyanides, arsenic and beryllium compounds into the environment; in the production of plastics and artificial fibers, wastes containing phenol, benzene, styrene are formed; in the production of synthetic rubbers, catalyst wastes, substandard polymer clots get into the soil; during the production of rubber products, dust-like ingredients, soot, which settle on the soil and plants, waste rubber-textile and rubber parts, are released into the environment, and during the operation of tires, worn-out and failed tires, inner tubes and rim tapes. The storage and disposal of used tires is currently an unresolved problem, as it often causes large fires that are very difficult to extinguish. The degree of utilization of used tires does not exceed 30% of their total volume.

Transport.

During the operation of internal combustion engines, nitrogen oxides, lead, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, soot and other substances are intensively released, deposited on the surface of the earth or absorbed by plants. In the latter case, these substances also enter the soil and are involved in the cycle associated with food chains.

Agriculture.

Soil pollution in agriculture occurs due to the introduction of huge amounts of mineral fertilizers and pesticides. Some pesticides are known to contain mercury.
Let us consider in more detail soil contamination with heavy metals and pesticides.

Soil contamination with heavy metals.

Heavy metals are non-ferrous metals whose density is greater than that of iron. These include lead, copper, zinc, nickel, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, mercury.
Heavy metals accumulate in the soil and contribute to a gradual change in its chemical composition, disruption of the vital activity of plants and living organisms.
It has been established that mercury enters the soil with some pesticides, household waste and broken measuring instruments. The total uncontrolled releases of mercury are 4-5000 tons per year. The maximum permissible concentration of mercury in soil is 2.1 mg/kg.
Pollution of soil and plants with lead along highways extends up to 200 meters. The maximum allowable concentration of lead in soil = 32 mg/kg. In industrial areas, the content of lead in soil is 25-27 times higher than in agricultural areas.
Soil pollution with copper and zinc annually is 35 and 27 kg/km, respectively. An increase in the concentrations of these metals in the soil leads to a slowdown in plant growth and a decrease in crop yields.
The accumulation of cadmium in the soil is a great danger to humans. In nature, cadmium is found in soil and water, as well as in plant tissues.

Soil contamination during radioactive waste disposal.

In the process of a nuclear reaction at nuclear power plants, only 0.5-1.5% of nuclear fuel is converted into thermal energy, and the rest (98.5-99.5%) is unloaded from nuclear reactors in the form of waste. These wastes are radioactive fission products of uranium - plutonium, cesium, strontium and others. Considering that the loading of nuclear fuel in the reactor is 180 tons, the disposal and disposal of spent nuclear fuel is an intractable problem.
Every year in the world, about 200,000 cubic meters of electricity are generated in the production of electricity at nuclear power plants. radioactive waste with low and intermediate activity and 10,000 cubic meters. high-level waste and spent nuclear fuel. The problem of radioactive waste transportation is especially relevant for Russia.

Development of pesticides safe for the food chain.

The main danger of pesticides as soil pollutants is due to their high stability in environment which contributes to their accumulation in food chains.
To eliminate this shortcoming, new, environmentally friendly pesticides have been developed in recent years.
For example, the herbicide glyphosate is completely decomposed in the soil to form phosphoric acid, carbon dioxide, and water. Some pesticides are available in the form of individual optical isomers, which makes it possible to double their effectiveness.
The development of one highly effective and environmentally friendly pesticide costs $150 million. Since hundreds of thousands of drugs are synthesized for this, and only one of the most acceptable ones is chosen among them. At the same time, such costs for the development of new pesticides pay off with high crop yields, reduced soil pollution, maintaining the health of the country's population and increasing the average life expectancy of people. Unlike the highly developed countries of the world. IN Russian Federation pesticide use accounts for approximately 4% of world consumption.

Ways of neutralization, utilization and elimination of municipal solid waste.

The approximate composition of MSW in the cities of the Russian Federation includes the following components (% wt.): food waste - 33-43; paper and cardboard - 20-30; glass -5-7; textiles 3-5; plastic - 2-5; leather and rubber - 2-4; ferrous metal - 2-3.5; tree - 1.5-3; stones - 1-3; bones - 0.5-2; non-ferrous metals - 0.5-0.8; others - 1-2.

Currently, the following methods of disposal, disposal and elimination of solid waste are known:

storage at the landfill;
aerobic biothermal composting;
incineration in special waste incineration plants.

The choice of method is determined taking into account environmental, economic, landscape, land and other factors.

Soil self-purification.

The soil belongs to three-phase systems, however, the physicochemical processes occurring in the soil are extremely slow, and the air and water dissolved in the soil do not have a significant accelerating effect on the course of these processes. Therefore, the self-purification of the soil, in comparison with the self-purification of the atmosphere and hydrosphere, is very slow. According to the intensity of self-purification, these components of the biosphere are arranged in the following sequence:
Atmosphere - hydrosphere - lithosphere.
As a result harmful substances gradually accumulate in the soil, eventually becoming a threat to humans.
Self-purification of the soil can mainly occur only when contaminated with organic waste, which is subjected to biochemical oxidation by microorganisms. At the same time, heavy metals and their salts gradually accumulate in the soil and can only sink into deeper layers. However, with deep plowing of the soil, they can again be on the surface and enter the trophic chain.
Thus, intensive development industrial production leads to an increase in industrial waste, which, together with household waste, significantly affect the chemical composition of the soil, causing a deterioration in its quality.

Conclusion.

The soil- a colossal natural wealth that provides humans with food, animals with feed, and industry with raw materials. It has been created for centuries and millennia. To properly use the soil, you need to know how it was formed, its structure, composition and properties. The soil has special property- fertility, it serves as the basis of agriculture in all countries. The soil, with proper operation, not only does not lose its properties, but also improves them, becomes more fertile. However, the value of soil is determined not only by its economic significance for agriculture, forestry and other sectors of the national economy; it is also determined by the irreplaceable ecological role of the soil as the most important component of all terrestrial biocenoses and the biosphere of the earth as a whole. Through the soil cover of the earth there are numerous ecological connections of all organisms living on earth (including humans) with the lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere. From all of the above, it is clear how great and varied the role and importance of the soil in national economy and in the life of human society in general. So the protection of soils and their rational use is one of the most important tasks of all mankind!

Soil (ground) is a unique natural body, thanks to which the growth and development of all plants and the existence of the entire biosphere are possible. In our country, it is and has always been one of the main wealth. However, soil pollution has reached a critical level today. And this is connected, first of all, with the active development of industry. Therefore, the soil cover needs constant monitoring and protection.

What is soil?

Soil pollution by humans is one of the most serious environmental problems of our time, which has been seriously discussed since the middle of the last century. But before you start considering this issue, you should find out what soil is, what components it consists of, and what are the features of its formation.

The soil, as a special component of any geosystem (landscape), is formed in the upper part of the rocks. Its formation is influenced by climate features, surface waters, as well as flora growing in a particular area. If we look at this process from a different angle, we can say that the soil acts as a kind of connecting link between animate and inanimate nature.

Its formation is based on two processes: mechanical weathering (destruction) of rocks and the vital activity of living organisms that introduce organic matter into the soil mass. Thus, living organisms ensure the formation of the so-called humus horizon in the soil.

The main property of the soil

Fertility is the most important property of soil. It is provided just by the presence of the humus horizon, which was discussed earlier. It is this property that distinguishes the soil from all other components of the geosystem. Thanks to this quality, all plants receive the organic substances and minerals necessary for their life, ensuring, among other things, crop yields. That is why the consequences of soil pollution can be very serious for all mankind, because food security society.

What is the soil made of?

The structure of any soil is represented by the following four components:

water;
air masses;
rock;
a ball of humus (humus).

The main part of the soil is rock, in percentage terms it makes up to 50% of the total mass of a particular soil.

By features internal structure Soil scientists distinguish several main types of soils: sandy, rocky, clayey, saline and others. Depending on the geographical (latitudinal) location, they are: chernozem (the most fertile), sod-podzolic, ray, gray forest, red soil and others.

Vasily Dokuchaev and his role in soil research

An outstanding scientist Vasily Vasilyevich Dokuchaev made a huge contribution to the study of the soil cover. His name is known throughout the world. He was the first to notice back in the 19th century that the distribution of soils on the surface of our planet is strictly latitudinal and regular. Also, his merit lies in the fact that he first began to consider the soil as an independent object of the geosystem, which is endowed with such an important quality as integrity. By the way, for the most part, the causes of soil pollution are just related to ignorance or misunderstanding of this important feature soil.

The most important work of the scientist is the book "Russian Chernozem" (1883). It was the fruit of his many years of research and development. Vasily Dokuchaev independently studied vast areas, conducted soil studies in the territories modern Russia and Ukraine. In his work, he singled out 5 main criteria for soil formation: climatic features, parent rock, relief, flora and time.

In addition to Vasily Dokuchaev, other prominent scientists were also involved in soil science. Among them are K. Glinka, N. Sibirtsev and P. Kostychev.

Soil in human life

Is the phrase "earth-nurse" so metaphorical and figurative? Of course not. The soil is indeed the main source of food for humans and the main resource for the agro-industrial complex. And although soils began to be studied in detail only in late XIX century, our distant ancestors also knew about their quality as fertility.

The soil cover is an essential element of any landscape. The soil can be compared with a large battery that accumulates a huge amount of useful substances. It is for this reason that environmental pollution of the soil is extremely dangerous not only for the life of society, but also for the integrity of the landscape shell of the Earth.

Industrialization and urbanization are the main enemies of the soil

Anthropogenic pressure on geographical envelope greatly increased in the second half of the 20th century. The main soil pollution at this time is associated with increased industrialization, urbanization processes and the growth of cities. Despite the fact that many declarations on the protection of soils have been adopted, they still need protection and protection.

The main causes of soil pollution lie in the irrational and irresponsible approach of mankind to environmental issues. Therefore, in order to solve this unusually acute problem, it is necessary first of all to reconsider human behavior in the plane of the relationship "man - nature".

Determination of soil pollution

The term "environmental pollution of the soil" refers to the degradation of soils, which is accompanied by a significant change in their chemical composition. As a rule, it is the plants that are the first to feel these changes, and they are the first to suffer from them.

Variety of soil pollutants

Active soil pollution began in the middle of the last century. It was associated with the growth of cities and the rapid development of industry. All soil pollutants can be divided into 4 main classes:

Class of inorganic pollutants - heavy metals, cyanides, acids and alkalis;
The class of organic pollutants is pesticides, phenols, oil products, etc.;
Class of biological pollutants;
Class of radioactive waste.

Accordingly, a number of sources of pollution can be identified, which include:

residential sector of cities and towns;
utilities;
industrial enterprises (plants, combines, factories);
Agriculture;
transport and transport systems;

Soil degradation can be both natural and anthropogenic. At the same time, the consequences of soil pollution in the second case are more deplorable and dangerous. Below we consider the most basic types of anthropogenic soil pollution.

Soil degradation: pollution by heavy metals and pesticides

This type of pollution is classified as a chemical class. chemical pollution soil is especially dangerous, since compounds that enter the soil can accumulate in the tissues of living organisms. It doesn't matter if it's a plant, an animal or a person.

Cadmium, lead, nickel, arsenic and mercury are the most common causes of soil degradation. Heavy metal pollution poses a great threat to biosystems of any rank. In addition to the listed elements, tetraethyl lead, a compound contained in gasoline, also poses a huge danger.

No less detrimental to the soil cover and pesticides that destroy the soil microflora. We would not have known about their harmful effects on the soil, if not for the rapid development of agriculture. Farmers actively fight various pests with the help of pesticides, introducing a huge amount of them into the ground. In terms of their harmfulness, these substances are no less dangerous for the human body than heavy metals. In addition, scientists have found that some pesticides can accumulate in the soil and remain in it for decades.

Soil radioactive contamination

The nuclear industry is a big threat to all life on Earth. Soil contamination with radioactive waste - cesium, plutonium, strontium and other uranium fission products - has extremely undesirable consequences. At least 98% of the fuel used in nuclear reactions turns into waste, the elimination of which is one of the most acute environmental problems of our time. So, every year on our planet, nuclear power plants generate about 200,000 m 3 of radioactive waste.

The most dangerous isotopes are strontium-90, cesium-137, cerium-144. Once in the ground, they are able to easily penetrate into the food chains of biosystems. At the same time, their mobility in the thickness of the soil is very high. In living organisms, these radionuclides, as a rule, accumulate in bone tissue. It is for these reasons that radioactive contamination of soils is very dangerous and fraught with its own negative consequences.

Other types of soil pollution

In addition to radioactive and chemical, there are some other types of soil pollution. Let's consider them.

One of these types is domestic soil pollution. Every day, tons of household waste and garbage are generated in the world - different kind And state of aggregation. Household pollution does not pose too great a danger, but waste and garbage accumulated in large quantities, become an obstacle to the normal growth and development of the plant world. This problem is especially acute in major cities and megacities, where garbage is generated daily on a colossal scale.

In addition, there is also natural pollution of the soil cover, to which a person has nothing to do. First of all, here we are talking about soil contamination with products of volcanic eruptions (soot, toxic compounds), as well as myotoxins secreted by some types of fungi. However, it should be noted that these types of pollution are not so dangerous, and they are tied to separate, small territories.

Soil erosion is also a big problem for the integrity of the soil cover. Thus, hundreds of hectares of fertile land are destroyed every year under the influence of wind and flowing waters. This problem is especially acute in the steppe and forest-steppe regions of our country.

Soil protection and monitoring

In order to effectively carry out a set of measures for the protection of soils, it is important to qualitatively and adequately analyze their condition.

A correct assessment of soil pollution makes it possible to select appropriate measures for their protection and reclamation. To obtain such an assessment, the most complex mathematical calculations are used and detailed chemical studies (including laboratory ones) are carried out. It is usually represented as a complex index Zc. This indicator takes into account several factors, in particular:

The nature of the pollution sources.
The presence of chemical contaminants in the soil.
Priority of pollutants.
Features of land use.

To date, scientists and ecologists have developed a whole range of measures to protect and conserve the soil cover. It provides for the implementation of scientific, sanitary, administrative-legal, legislative, technological and forest reclamation measures. In this aspect, work on the creation of waste-free production systems and technologies is of particular importance.

Conclusion

Soil is a natural component, the importance of which is very difficult to overestimate. Soil pollution is one of major problems, the solution of which requires the consolidation of the efforts of all members of the world community without exception: scientists, politicians, social activists and ordinary citizens. Every inhabitant of our planet must understand that the Earth is our common wealth, and join the active struggle to protect it.

The most important view natural resources are land resources. These include all lands, regardless of the purpose, category and form of ownership. The significance of land as a resource is diverse and can be considered as a territory, subsoil with a set of minerals, soil resources, a spatial basis for production needs, ecosystems, property and means of production.

Anthropogenic impact on agricultural land increases over time. Already in antiquity, increased agricultural activity repeatedly led to their degradation, which led to the death of entire civilizations and the transformation of previously fertile lands into a desert - as in North Africa. Lands are affected by all types of human economic activity - construction, industry and transport.

The deterioration of the soil cover can be associated with both natural and anthropogenic factors. The main consequences of human economic activity include: soil erosion, pollution, depletion and acidification of soils, their alkalinization, waterlogging and gleying, degradation of the mineral basis of soils, their depletion minerals and dehumification.

The main activity that causes negative changes in the state of the soil cover is agriculture. Intensive land development has led to the development of deflation, and plowing along the slope activates water erosion processes. Irrigation often causes secondary soil salinization. Insufficient application of organic fertilizers, which does not compensate for the loss of organic matter, leads to dehumification, and the irrational use of pesticides leads to soil pollution. Excessive application of mineral fertilizers can cause their acidification, and unsystematic grazing of livestock can lead to the destruction of the vegetation cover, activation of wind and water erosion, soil pollution with manure.

Pollution of the soil and vegetation cover with heavy metals, benzo(a)pyrene, oil products and complex organic substances is associated with emissions from industrial enterprises and transport. Usually, zones of significant pollution have a small area along roads, near industrial enterprises and airfields. Soil pollution and acidification is also associated with transboundary transport of heavy metals, sulfur and nitrogen oxides.

Anthropogenic impacts usually affect all components of the geosystem. The state of the land is adversely affected by the decrease in the area occupied by natural plant formations, replaced by agrocenoses. Plowing leads to the destruction of vegetation, changes in the components of the water balance; due to an increase in the share of surface runoff, erosion processes are intensified, the structure of the soil changes, and its water-physical properties worsen. Heavy metals pollute not only soils, but also the vegetation growing on them, through which they enter the body of animals and humans, causing diseases. The state of land resources is related to the state of the entire natural complex, since "soils are a mirror of the landscape."

Soil erosion in many regions of Russia is the most serious problem of agriculture. It includes water and wind (deflation) erosion. G.I. Schwebs singles out agricultural, pasture and technical erosion. The intensity of erosion processes is determined by the magnitude of the slope runoff, the granulometric composition of soils, the steepness of the surface, its turfiness, the depth of groundwater and the erosion base, and the conditions of water infiltration. Water erosion is a process of interaction between runoff flows and soil, it depends on the nature of the runoff, its transporting capabilities, it is closely related to water content, morphological surface conditions and the properties of underlying rocks. Its initial stage is surface-slope erosion.

Drops of water falling on the soil surface cause the destruction of soil aggregates, that is, the erosion of the soil structure. Due to the impact force of drops, the smallest soil particles move down the slope. In the absence of significant slopes of the surface, the movement of soil particles along the slope does not occur.

Planar flushing is associated with the laminar movement of water down the slope. In this case, the transfer of soil particles and their redeposition in the lower part of the slope in the form of a deluvial cloak is carried out. Flushing activity increases with increasing surface slope. The transition from planar to linear washout is the formation of erosion furrows, that is, many parallel washouts on slopes.

According to G.I. Schwebs, ravine-channel erosion is divided into erosion associated with the activity of temporary watercourses (ravine) and permanent watercourses (channel). The greatest impact on land resources is exerted by ravine (linear) erosion, which actively proceeds in the steppe and forest-steppe zone. Linear erosion occurs according to the scheme: erosion ravine - erosion pothole - ravine - beam.

The intensity of planar washout is not the same on different surfaces. So, according to A.P. Shaposhnikov, flushing from loosened fallow does not occur with a slope of up to 30–, at 60 it is 0.01 t/ha, at 90 it is 1.28 t/ha. Washout from old arable lands is greater due to the deterioration of the water-physical properties of the soil cover. The least runoff is recorded on grassy slopes, as vegetation holds soil particles together, improves soil absorption capacity, increases slope roughness, and slows down the speed of water movement. With thick sod, the slope runoff velocity is usually not more than 0.0015-0.010 m/s. At this speed, planar flushing does not occur. The intensity of erosion is also determined by the erosion resistance of soils, which, according to S.I. Selvestrov, decreases from powerful chernozems to ordinary and leached chernozems, gray forest-steppe and podzolic m.

According to M.A. Glazovskaya, from arable lands, much more chemical elements than from virgin watersheds. Soil tillage reduces particle cohesion and therefore erosion resistance.

However, the traditional view of the problem of soil erosion in Lately is being questioned. So, according to A.I. Skomorokhov and R.A. Kravchenko, the development of ravines is a cyclical process, that is, periods of cutting and filling constantly alternate. The active growth of ravines is often interrupted by accumulation, which may continue until their complete disappearance, or be interrupted by a new outbreak of erosional activity.

Wind erosion, or deflation, as well as water erosion, leads to the destruction of the soil cover. The most important conditions for its development are: the presence of strong and constant winds; climatic conditions with insufficient moisture during the year or season; the destruction of natural vegetation, leading to the fact that easily blown soil comes to the surface. Deflation is typical for deserts, semi-deserts, steppes and forest-steppes. IN Voronezh region it sometimes appears in the spring, when the soil is plowed and devoid of vegetation.

Waterlogging of lands is also an important problem in some places. Its diagnostic features according to A.B. Akhtyrtsev and B.P. Akhtyrtsev are: 1) the presence of a flat undrained gently concave relief; 2) lack of surface runoff; 3) the presence of an aquiclude at a shallow depth; 4) prolonged stagnation of water; 5) development of surface or intrasoil gleying; 6) variegation of the soil cover; 7) moisture-loving vegetation; 8) the presence of swamps.

The causes of waterlogging are complex character. Firstly, the presence of flat poorly drained territories with difficult surface runoff. Climatic and hydrogeological conditions contribute to the preservation of melted snow and rainwater in such an area, activating the rise of groundwater. Usually, waterlogging develops in the case of proximity to the surface of poorly permeable rocks, for example, clays or heavy loams, which predetermine high level perch. High plowing of the territory and changes in soil water permeability, construction of reservoirs, development of irrigation on flat watershed spaces, and creation of a network of forest belts can also lead to this. A significant role is played by the formation of the plow sole, formed by heavy agricultural machinery. As a result, a layer with reduced water permeability appears at a depth of about 40 cm, and the filtration of surface water into the underlying horizons slows down.

Land pollution occurs as a result of the penetration of substances uncharacteristic for it into the soil. Sources of pollution are: industry (organic and inorganic waste, heavy metals); transport (petroleum products, benzo(a)pyrene, heavy metals); public utilities (solid and liquid waste); agriculture (pesticides, mineral fertilizers in excess quantities, livestock effluents).

Heavy metals are the most dangerous land pollutant. Their entry into the soil occurs through the atmosphere, together with atmospheric precipitation, from soil-forming rocks, as a result of technogenic transfer. The accumulation of heavy metals in chernozems occurs mainly in the upper part of their profile due to the presence of a geochemical barrier here. Due to biogenic accumulation, it accumulates: Mg, Na, Sr, Mn, Cu, Zn, Mo, Co, As, Hg, Ba, Pb and other trace elements. The main input of heavy metals occurs with emissions from motor vehicles and industry, as well as with fertilizers and pesticides. In the last decade, the leading place in this belongs to motor transport, since industrial production in our country is in a state of crisis, and the use of fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture has decreased significantly.

Significant negative impact soils are affected by pollution with organic and organometallic compounds associated with man-made emissions, as well as with the widespread use of pesticides. Many of them persist in soils for a long time (from several months to tens of years), remaining toxic and even forming more toxic metabolites.

Some organic components of technogenic emissions (3,4-benz(a)perene, etc.) related to carcinogenic compounds are also extremely dangerous.

It must be borne in mind that soil contaminated with toxicants and their metabolites becomes a source of pollution of plant and animal products, the atmosphere and natural waters.

Soil contamination with radioactive substances is mainly due to testing in the atmosphere of atomic and nuclear weapons, which has not been terminated by individual states even today. Falling out with radioactive fallout, 90Sr, 137Cs and other nuclides, entering plants, and then food and the human body, cause radioactive contamination due to internal exposure.

Local radioactive contamination of soils can occur during emergencies at nuclear power plants. By selecting crops, applying mineral fertilizers, plowing the top layer of soil to a depth of 40-50 cm, and other agricultural practices, it is possible to eliminate the adverse effects of radioactive products entering the soil.

Overconsolidation of soils, that is, a decrease in its interaggregate and aggregate porosity and an increase in density up to 1.4 g/cm3. The main reason for this is the use of heavy agricultural machinery in the fields, which leads to the formation of a plow pan with increased density. This prevents free infiltration of moisture in the soil and leads to waterlogging.

Soil depletion is associated with a decrease in the availability of plant mineral nutrition elements - biophiles: K, Mg, Ca, P and some trace elements.

Dehumification is the process of reducing the content of humus, especially humic acids, which occurs mainly as a result of erosion.

Soil acidification occurs when an excessive amount of mineral fertilizers is applied to the soil or acid precipitation occurs.

Soil gleying is activated during stagnant water and leads to the accumulation of reduced forms of Fe and Mn.

Solonetzization occurs with an increase in the proportion of sodium in the soil absorbing complex. This increases the degree of peptization of colloids and silt. The process is associated with the influx of salts from soil-forming rocks, ground and surface waters during land irrigation

Degradation of the mineral base of soils is the process of destruction of soil aggregates and irreversible changes in the mineral composition of soils. It occurs as a result of the loss of natural plant nutrients, the removal of fine particles from the soil, agroless.

Significant damage is also associated with the alienation of land for non-agricultural needs associated with the construction and expansion of cities and settlements, industrial enterprises, roads, different kind overpasses, etc. The scale of such alienation is very large. At present, about 60 million hectares are under enterprises, settlements, transport facilities and communication lines.