What can be done to improve the environment in the city. Improving the ecological situation of the environment

Ecologically dirty houses are not the fantasies of scientists and specialists, but real fact from which many people suffer. The problem of the ecological state of one's own apartment, its so-called health, is quite relevant today, since a person spends most of his life at home, and in order for life to be long and happy, it is necessary to follow a number of rules to avoid exposure to harmful factors environment.

Objects and things in our apartment are not only functional. In some cases, they are designed to give rise to a person's feeling of solemnity, significance, elation, in others - a feeling of intimacy, peace, comfort. Thus, to an environment where a person rests and can remain alone with himself, indulge in reflection, or, conversely, where he communicates with other people, special requirements are made.

Materials used in the decoration of apartments and houses

On appearance apartments are primarily influenced by the lifestyle, characters and tastes of its inhabitants. We all strive to ensure that the design of the room is fully consistent with our ideas about coziness and comfort. However, few, creating an interior in own apartment, think that he, in turn, will have a noticeable impact on households and their health.

Materials used for decorating apartments: plastic (double-glazed windows, window sills, wall and ceiling panels), wood (parquet, furniture), chipboard (chipboard) - cabinets, tables; concrete (ceiling, walls); tiles (wall lining of the bathroom, toilet room, kitchen); carpet, tapestry (carpets and floor paths); linoleum (floor).

From an ecological point of view, there are several types of pollution: chemical, biological, physical and microclimate.

The chemical type of pollution includes various harmful substances released from materials or getting from the street: phenol, formaldehyde, aromatic hydrocarbons, mercaptans, sulfur compounds, which eventually cause respiratory and nervous system diseases, damage to the heart and blood vessels, allergic reactions.

1. Particleboard and fibreboard (chipboard) - Formaldehyde and phenol, which have mutagenic properties, can cause chronic poisoning

2. Mounting foam - Exposure to toxic substances

4. Carpet-Respiratory Diseases

5. Linoleum-Vinyl chloride and plasticizers can cause poisoning

6.Washable wallpaper - A source of styrene that causes headaches, nausea, spasms and fainting

7. Asbestos (contained in false ceilings) and concrete - Asbestos dust can cause severe lung damage

TO species contaminants include: mold fungi, various bacteria, viruses and so on. Molds are the most common cause of allergies, but their harmful effects are not limited to this. In high concentrations, they suppress the immune system. The first signs of "neighborhood" with mushrooms: cough (coughing), a slight sore throat, a feeling of lack of air, lacrimation, runny nose.

Molds love dampness. Therefore, their favorite habitats are apartments on the first floors, right above the basement, especially if the house is old, and on the upper floors, where leaks also occur more often. The outer walls of buildings, especially on the north side, are often cold and damp, especially if batteries are not installed in them, and therefore they can also be populated by fungi. Mold also forms on air conditioner filters if they are not cleaned for a long time, and sometimes it grows on windows. If you were once flooded, then it is better to treat this place away from sin with a special antifungal agent. The same must be done in the damp corners of the apartment. Do not try to look for mushrooms on your own. They are microscopic and can only be detected by laboratory methods. If you can see them, then it's really bad. The black fungus in the bathroom is safe for health, and if the fungus is greenish, yellowish, and even hairy, stay away from the room and call the experts. Mushrooms are very willing to settle in the pile of the carpet, so it must be regularly cleaned in a dry cleaner. By the way, in the same place (and also in bed linen, on bookshelves, in old soft toys and among the yellowed pages of magazines and in other places where dust "lives") dust mites live - another causative agent of allergies.

The first symptoms of allergies: coughing, pain in the eyes, irritation of the throat. Further, swelling of the throat, larynx, lacrimation may appear. If you breathe dust every day, then respiratory diseases, inflammation, headache, eye irritation are inevitable. The method of struggle is regular wet cleaning.

The microclimate consists of several parameters: humidity, temperature and air movement. If only synthetic materials are used, fresh air does not enter the room and humidity increases, and if some material (such as drywall) absorbs moisture, the air, on the contrary, becomes too dry. Popular today double-glazed windows for windows interfere with natural air exchange. Through the cracks of ordinary wooden windows and doors, fresh air, one way or another, penetrates and normal ventilation occurs. In addition, in emergency cases, synthetic materials only exacerbate the situation.

According to some experts, there are apartments where the concentration of pollutants is 100 times higher than on the street. The reason for this is new building finishing materials, seemingly comfortable and cozy household items, synthetic detergents and cleaning products. We are happy to fill the apartments with glued furniture, varnish the parquet, cover the floors with linoleum and synthetic rugs. As a result, more than 100 species can be found in the air of rooms. organic compounds, causing irritation of the upper respiratory tract, discomfort in the eyes, runny nose, chronic headache, nausea and other disorders. Modern furniture is made using urea-formaldehyde resins, which are extremely harmful to health: they cause conjunctivitis, allergic rhinitis, tracheitis, bronchitis, asthma, diseases of the endocrine system and kidneys.

The process of release of harmful substances from new furniture is very long and can last up to 12 years through cracks and scratches. Do not add to our health and polyvinyl chloride resins contained in linoleums. Walls made of concrete, slag concrete and polymer concrete are a source of radiation, albeit in microdoses, but constant, capable of provoking neoplasms. In addition, concrete walls actively absorb moisture from indoor air. And to all the troubles in such apartments are added peeling of the skin, brittle hair, annoying discharges of static electricity. Oncological diseases lungs and blood can cause radioactive gas radon, which is released from the soil into the atmosphere. Most of all, it accumulates in our apartments in winter, when the ground does not freeze under the houses and lets radon into our homes. Our apartments are “stuffed” with electrical appliances. The electromagnetic field they create negatively affects the circulatory, immune, endocrine and other systems of human organs.

The influence of harmful environmental factors in our apartments is not only necessary, but can also be reduced! traditional and effective way to reduce the level of air pollution in our apartments, periodic ventilation remains.

Plants in the apartment play an aesthetic and hygienic role: they improve our mood, moisturize the air and release useful substances into it - phytoncides that kill microorganisms; some houseplants are used as medicines. When studying the action of phytoncides, about 90 species indoor plants The most active were white-spotted begonia, spring primrose, reverse conical primrose, fragrant pelargonium, large-flowered eucharis, hybrid hippeastrum, white oleander, elastic ficus, Andre philodendron, ferns - venus hair, pteris serrate, nephrolepis high, etc.
It is known that in the morning plants emit more phytoncides than in the evening. The smells of plants cause olfactory associations that affect the human condition. Carnation, bay leaf, black pepper, iris, coffee, currant, lemon balm, mountain ash, black poplar, tea have stimulating and tonic odors. Soothing smells have orange, mandarin, valerian, fragrant and lemon geranium, mignonette, lemon, rose, cyclamen.

How to improve the ecology of the apartment? Read more below.

For a good environment in the apartment should:
It is necessary to ventilate the apartment more often so that harmful gases escape, “vacuumize” carpets and rugs, do wet cleaning, reducing the amount of dust, on the particles of which harmful substances linger.
It is necessary to purchase furniture, household items and materials for repairs, taking into account their environmental qualities.
It is necessary to strive to reduce the number of sources of pollution, including, if possible, to abandon asbestos-containing materials and particle boards as much as possible.
Do not abuse paintwork: follow the rules for the operation of gas and stove heaters.
Store household chemicals in non-residential premises (on loggias, etc.), if this is not possible, then store only hermetically sealed.
The use of appliances such as hair dryers, electric shavers, microwave ovens, electric irons, etc. should be kept to a minimum.
Do not sit close to the TV screen or personal computer.
Remove the electric alarm clock or answering machine from the head of the bed.
A cheap and aesthetic way to reduce the impact of harmful factors is to have indoor flowers. They absorb carbon dioxide and some harmful substances, release oxygen, have a bactericidal effect, and humidify the air.

Who will solve environmental problems? Many believe that only politicians, environmentalists or manufacturers can influence environmental issues. In fact, politicians do not care about such "trifles". Ecologists are aware of the state of the planet, and let's be honest: they do not have enough authority to influence anything. And producers will not move until they see the benefits and the consumer stubbornly does not demand changes.
The only ones who can change anything are ourselves. The legendary Jacques Yves Cousteau studied the marine world for 40 years and was very worried about its biodiversity. So, at the end of the documentary about him, an amazing song sounded with the words: "What can one do? Be in love. What can one? Plant a garden. What can one? Change the world." So, one person is not enough, but if you are an example and tell others about the glorious idea of ​​​​living ecologically, then others will soon join. You, He, She, They - and then we can change the world for the better.

Eco-philosophy: 2 important concepts:
"Think globally, act locally"- UN motto for the XXI century (Local Agenda XXI). It characterizes very succinctly how one should behave during an ecological crisis.
3R principle: Reduce(reduce consumption) Reuse(reuse) Recycle(remake). If we take the purchase of clothes as an example, then, according to the 3R principle, one should buy what one really likes and needs, wear to the bitter end, look for ways to reuse (alter, give to others, use for rags), and only then throw it away.
Did you know that the population of the planet consumes more than the Earth is able to revive? Scientists have calculated that with this way of life we ​​need 3 planets.

How can we improve the situation?

1. Be a wise consumer. Buy things only if you really need them: think carefully before buying, refuse spontaneous purchases, prepare a list of necessary purchases before going to the store. And remember: it is better to buy a quality item once than a cheap one several times. The aphorism "The miser pays twice" now applies to the environment. Don't be wasteful.

2. Don't buy junk: give preference to products without extra packaging. Why do you need another beautiful bag-box-jar, if you still won’t use them?

3. Avoid single-use plastic bags. Plastic does not decompose naturally: in pacific ocean an island has already formed, which consists entirely of human waste. After eating such garbage, 100 thousand animals die every year. Therefore, it is better to carry a convenient reusable eco-bag with you, which will be good for the environment and help you save a hundred or two hryvnias, eliminating the need to buy a new plastic bag every time.

4. "No" - once. Try not to buy single-use products: dishes, napkins, razors, pens, instead, give preference to appropriate reusable items. Less waste, less problems!
5. Garbage sorting: 1 ton of waste paper will save 17-20 trees, and 1 ton of secondary polymers (plastic) will save 16 tons of crude oil. If you already have separate containers for household waste and plastic-glass-metal-paper under your house, then it’s a sin not to use this. If this is not the case, then you can contact the recycling centers, or carefully fold packs of paper, bottles, plastic near the trash can and they will definitely come in handy for someone.

6. Save water. If we compare the Earth with the head of a baby, then fresh water reserves are just a tear in the eyes. Scientists predict that by 2050 fresh water supplies will be almost exhausted, and 4 billion people will not even be able to meet their daily water needs. The banal “turn off the tap while brushing your teeth” has a deep meaning: if you do this, then 1 liter of water is consumed, while when the tap is open, 6 l / min flows out. Reduce the time spent in the shower, reduce the pressure, purchase a special economic nozzle with the air shower function (saturates the water flow with air). Repair leaky faucets.

7. Save energy. Get in the habit of turning off the lights when leaving the room for more than 15 minutes. Use energy-saving lamps that last 12 times longer and use 80% less energy. Unplug unnecessary appliances from the outlet, thus, you will save up to 40% of wasted electricity.

8. Economy mode. When buying, pay attention to the efficiency of equipment (marking A, A +, Energy Star), so you can reduce your electricity bill by 30%.

9. About paper. Save paper: print on both sides, use drafts. Saving 25 reams of paper saves one felled tree! Choose paper that is bleached without chlorine (PCF label) and from controlled plantations (FSC label).

10. About the car. Buy an economical car. Change the filter regularly and inflate your tires. Such actions will increase the number of kilometers per liter of gasoline.

11. About cleanliness. Conventional detergents contain phosphates, which, getting into water bodies, contribute to the rapid "greening" of water. Also, phosphates do not pass through filters and can again enter our home through the central water supply system. Therefore, preference should be given to environmentally friendly detergents or soap nuts, which are harmless and 98-100% biodegradable.

12. About cosmetics. Give preference to natural, and even better, organic cosmetics that do not contain artificial additives and petrochemicals.

13. About nutrition. Give up fast food, cook at home and have dinner together with the whole family. Choose foods that are local (this uses less fuel for transportation), seasonal and, if possible, organic. The latter do not use pesticides (most of which are made from oil), use less water and energy, and regenerate the soil.

14. About children. Imagine: if a child uses exclusively disposable diapers, then while the child grows up, a mountain of garbage will also grow, weighing 1,000 kg! Ditch diapers and switch to a natural swaddling system or disposable diapers that can decompose in nature.

15. About home comfort. Give preference to everything natural as much as possible: furniture, textiles, interior items.

16. Plant a tree and support the people who conserve and protect our forests. Trees absorb a ton of CO2 during their lifetime, purifying the air. Trees also provide shade and reduce air conditioning costs by 10 to 15%.

17. Eco-chips. Do not pass by various eco-objects, for example: notebooks or toilet paper made from recycled paper, bio-garbage bags that decompose for 3 years, or magnetic balls that allow you to soften water and reduce powder consumption.

18. Be creative. Do not rush to throw away or buy something new. Turn on your imagination and give the old thing a new life.

19. And finally, love nature . So, you will want to protect her and understand that every action you take has power! And your children and grandchildren will tell you: "Thank you for making the world a better place."

The ecological situation in the world is on the verge of catastrophe. And although numerous "green" organizations, funds for the conservation of nature and its resources, government agencies of all countries are trying to overcome the consequences of human economic activity, but it is not possible to radically correct the situation. Thoughtless use of the Earth's wealth, irresponsibility, material interests of the largest corporations, globalization lead to the fact that the ecological situation is not improving.

Environmental problems in the world

In fairness, I would like to note that countries with a developed economy, high standards of living can also boast a high level of nature protection, a culture of ecology. In many countries of Europe, America, Japan, they try to minimize the consequences of human handiwork. At the same time, the level of education of citizens is increasing, which they are trying to involve at the household level in processes that contribute to the preservation and cleanliness of the environment. But at the same time, serious gaps in such activities in developing countries, and even more so in lagging regions of the planet, kill all attempts to somehow protect nature in the bud. Thoughtless pollution of water bodies with industrial waste, waste products, absolutely irresponsible attitude towards the land fund is evident.

The poor state of the environment is a problem that can affect everyone. Such distant troubles as the thinning of the ozone layer, or the melting of glaciers, cannot make it clear to a person that he is making a mistake. But outbreaks of epidemics, unfavorable climatic conditions, dirty water and fresh water that does not give a good harvest, smog - these are all direct results of our hands.

Ecology of Russia

Unfortunately, Russia belongs to the list of countries with the worst environmental situation. This state of affairs is due to various factors and manifests itself in all areas. Traditionally, the greatest damage to indicators comes from the impact of industry. The economic crises that plague both the global and domestic economies, one after the other, contribute to a decline in production. It is logical to assume that this should reduce emissions of harmful substances in the world, but alas, here the disadvantage works working capital forcing businesses to save even more. This happens, first of all, due to the elimination of programs for modernization, installation of treatment facilities.

But not only in large metropolitan areas and industrial regions, the situation is of great concern. Uneven felling of coniferous forests, neglect of leafy plantations, negligence of local authorities and citizens provoke the destruction of 20% of the world's woodland.

ejection Wastewater into rivers and lakes, artificial drainage of swampy areas, plowing of coastal areas and sometimes vandal mining - this is a reality that exists, and the environmental situation in Russia is deteriorating daily in connection with this.

How to assess the real situation in the natural environment?

The complexity of the approach in the analysis of the state of the environment is the key to an adequate result. The study of only individual areas and the focal struggle against pollution of land, water and air will never bring a positive result on a global scale. Grade environmental situation This is the government's top priority. Based on this assessment, a long-term strategy should be developed with the implementation of programs at all levels.

Only truthful and adequate monitoring, which will be carried out by truly independent experts in the field of ecology, can give a clear picture. Alas, the reality is that even world-famous organizations are often affiliated branches of large corporations and work under their dictation, taking a position that is beneficial to the monopolist.

In Russia, the situation is aggravated due to the high level of corruption by public services which perform both supervisory and executive functions. To achieve legitimate decisions on the protection of nature becomes an impossible task. There are neither means nor mechanisms for this, and most importantly, the will of officials. Until the top leadership is personally interested in the fact that the ecological situation in Russia gets out of the impasse, real transformations are unlikely to occur.

Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation

In each country, there are both state and public organizations that deal with environmental issues at their own expense. Which of them do their job better is a complex and controversial issue. Definitely a good practice when the environmental apparatus in the country is empowered with extended functions.

Ministry natural resources and Ecology in Russia exists since 2008. It reports directly to the government. The scope of this organization is not very wide. The Ministry performs two functions - legislative and controlling. Direct activity is carried out by creating a regulatory framework, according to which, there is control, management of the activities of enterprises, state facilities that fall under a special status (zakazniks, nature reserves), mining facilities, in the field of development and extraction of resources. Unfortunately, there is no body that would control the implementation of the instructions and take active actions in case of violation of the law. Thus, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology takes a passive position regarding the preservation of the country's ecosystem.

The earth is our everything!

It is no coincidence that the agro-industrial complex occupies one of the most important places in the country's economy. The area of ​​agricultural land occupies more than 600 million hectares. This figure is colossal, no other country in the world has such a resource, wealth. Powers that really care about their soil, intended for growing crops used in food and light industry, prefer not to exploit the land mercilessly.

The unreasonable use of fertilizers, which is a consequence of the pursuit of high yields, outdated heavy equipment that violates the integrity of the soil, the deterioration of the chemical composition of the soil, not only in the fields and gardens, but also on non-agricultural lands - these are all the fruits of human intervention, they directly show how much we the world around is indifferent. Undoubtedly, in order to feed such a huge number of people, farmers are forced to plow every piece of land, but at the same time, the approach and attitude towards it must be radically revised.

Modern ways of doing business based on farms, in developed countries, are arranged in such a way that land owners take care of their “breadwinner”, and as a return they receive higher yields, respectively, and income.

Water situation

The beginning of the 2000s was marked by the realization that freshwater sources throughout the world are in a catastrophic state. Such ecological problem and the ecological situation, as pollution and is fraught with the extinction of man as a species. The seriousness of the issue forced a more responsible approach to water quality control. However, weak attempts to bring water resources to normal levels have not yet been successful.

The fact is that the southern and central regions have the highest population. They are where the largest industrial capacities of the country are concentrated, the highest indicator of development Agriculture. The number of reservoirs suitable for supporting the national industry, on the contrary, is not as high as necessary. The intense pressure on the existing rivers has led to the fact that some of them have practically disappeared, some are so polluted that their use is categorically impossible.

There is an improvement in the ecological situation, but this applies to water bodies that are taken under strict control. The figures that characterize the overall situation are catastrophic:

• Only 12% of water bodies, according to environmentalists, fall under the category of conditionally clean.
• The amount of harmful impurities, such as pesticides, heavy metals, exceeds the allowable norms in some water bodies hundreds of times.
• More than half of the country's population uses water that is not suitable for drinking for domestic purposes. Moreover, almost 10% of the population does not use life-giving moisture for cooking, but poison. This provokes outbreaks of epidemics of hepatitis, intestinal infections and other waterborne diseases.

What are we breathing?

The average indicators show that the current environmental situation in the airspace has improved somewhat in recent years. However, the statistics are good only on paper; in reality, the drop in harmful emissions occurred at an insignificant level, and in some regions it even increased. Every year, 18 thousand enterprises across the country emit more than 24 million tons of harmful substances into the atmosphere.

The most critical ecological situation is developing in such cities as Kemerovo, Grozny, Arkhangelsk, Novosibirsk. The list of cities with an unfavorable atmospheric background has 41 positions throughout the country.

In addition to the constant emission of gases and smoke, due to the increased number of vehicles on the roads, the intensive activity of enterprises, there is another factor that undermines the ecological situation - these are accidental emissions. Severe deterioration, obsolescence of treatment facilities are the reason why more than 40% of the population have respiratory diseases, almost 5% - oncological diseases.

Urboecology

City dwellers are the most affected by bad air. dirty water, lack of food labeled "environmentally friendly". IN major cities, for example in Moscow, officials are trying to establish a framework for enterprises, create modern treatment plants, modernize collector systems and water supply. Such actions of the authorities managed to raise the capital this year from 68th place to 33rd in terms of pollution in the overall ranking of cities in the country. However, these measures are not enough. Every summer, residents of large cities suffer from smog, smoke, and high levels of gases in the atmosphere.

Urban sprawl and high concentration of population in a small area threatens to deplete natural resources in an urban area. The unrealized energy conservation policy and the failure to comply with international standards regarding the provision of safe industrial activities also undermine the balance in nature. Thus, the ecological situation of the city cannot please.

WITH a prime example The consequences of bad ecology can be found by looking at the statistics of childhood diseases for several decades. A high level of congenital pathologies, acquired diseases, a weak immune system - these are the realities that one has to face every day.

And the adult population of cities has reasons for concern. The life expectancy of citizens and inhabitants of territories falling under the category of environmentally unfavorable is on average 10-15 years lower.

Collection, disposal and recycling of garbage

The problem of environmental pollution with waste is not new and lies on the surface in a literal sense. The trend towards waste disposal has outlived itself and is leading to the systematic transformation of the country into one large repository. Realizing that at the rate at which the population and industry produce waste, this prospect is getting closer, the Ministry of Ecology decided to create a new direction in its work. Namely, the organization of centers for the collection, sorting and processing of various waste for recyclables.

All the same West took care of this issue several decades ago. The amount of non-recyclable waste they do not exceed 20%, while in Russia this figure is four times higher. But according to the optimistic plans of the country's leadership, the situation will change and by 2020 it will reach full-fledged waste processing with their subsequent implementation in industry and energy. Such a statement of the task is very pleasing, because if ambitious plans are implemented, one can hope for favorable environmental situations and conditions in the country.

Catastrophes of recent years

In the meantime, we have to reap the rewards, and the realities are such that the current ecological situation is undermined and flares up in different places every year, showing all the gaps in the system

According to activists, Lately the inhabitants of Russia had to face problems in different regions of the country. So, in the Sverdlovsk region, in the Zhelezyanka River, the level of iron and manganese in the water exceeds the norm by 22 and 25 thousand times, respectively! Such figures defy any common sense, and the situation is getting worse. Despite the fact that local authorities are inactive.

Increasing cases of fuel release during its production and transportation also clearly demonstrate examples of environmental situations. Oil, fuel oil, spilling over the water, leads to the death of birds, animals, pollution of both the reservoirs themselves and groundwater. The same thing happened when in November this year there was an accident with the tanker "Nadezhda" off the coast of Sakhalin.

Environmentalists around the world are sounding the alarm to save Lake Baikal. The pride of Russia may soon partially turn into a swamp. The ingress of detergents into its waters, sewage from collectors, provokes abundant flowering of water. Toxic substances do not just pollute the water, but cause the extinction of the unique flora and various living organisms living in the lake.

Ways to solve problems in ecology

The ecological situation in Russia requires prompt intervention. Passive surveillance, which the state is now engaged in, is fraught with serious problems. The main paths that need to be developed relate to absolutely all levels of a person.

It is very important to engender in every citizen the foundations ecological culture. After all, even the best bills and programs of officials will not be able to overcome the problem if society is not concerned about this. Although often it is it that is engaged in the elimination of disasters, the cleansing of coastal zones, parks, recreation areas, which cannot but rejoice.

The introduction of energy efficient technologies at all levels, from private households to large industrial enterprises, is a priority task that must be addressed in the coming years.

The issues of the use of natural resources, their extraction, restoration cannot remain unresolved. To leave next generations opportunity for existence, it is necessary not to rely entirely on the independent revival of its natural wealth. Man differs from other inhabitants of the planet in that he is reasonable, which means that this mind must be shown not only for consumption, but also for the creation of something worthwhile!

Our health depends on the influence of many different factors. This is nutrition, and lifestyle, and the presence of stress. But we can independently correct all these influences to one degree or another. However, the activity of our body largely depends on how it is affected by the environment. One person cannot cope with such a global adversary as industry, which daily causes a huge amount of emissions into the atmosphere. But at the state level, many countries are already very serious about improving the environmental situation. And this approach implies, among other things, the participation of each individual separately.

There are simple and rather inexpensive things in terms of time and effort that each of us can do for the benefit of the world around us and ourselves. Let's talk about some of them in more detail, about measures that improve the ecological situation in the environment.

Garbage

Probably, every schoolchild knows that the problem of waste on our small planet is very acute. However, in the last few decades, mankind has realized and began to actively develop methods for recycling waste. And at the same time, its sorting plays a particularly important role even in apartments and houses. Ecologists are trying to teach the inhabitants of the whole Earth to teach how to separate household waste into components, and then throw it away separately. In many cities, bins of different colors have long been installed on the streets, into which paper, glass and other waste must be thrown. You can do the same at home. However, it is worth considering Russian realities. We usually have garbage chutes and garbage containers in common, they have only one compartment for garbage. However, you can hand over jars and bottles in glass containers, and paper, etc. - in waste paper. It is also worth sorting accumulators, batteries, thermometers and other dangerous items, handing them over to hotel collection points so as not to harm the environment.

Public events

Take part in the beautification of your city or at least the yard. Participate in subbotniks and public actions, planting trees, collecting garbage in parks. Such events will be held with health benefits and will not affect your budget in any way. By the way, such a Saturday outing can be done by the whole family, and joint work will have a bringing together effect.

Cars

Try to save fuel. If you have the opportunity, periodically give up the use of the car, switching to a bicycle and public transport. You can also reduce your fuel consumption a bit while driving by keeping your speed between forty and ninety kilometers per hour. Also, do not forget to keep the car in order, clean it in a timely manner (thus reducing weight) and check the technical condition.

Electrician

Try to reduce the electricity consumption a little. Give up the habit of leaving the computer in standby mode, and keep the microwave open. It seems that such measures are just a drop in the ocean, but even in one year, these simple tips will help you avoid unnecessary waste of electricity and save your finances. Try to disconnect all unused devices from the network.

Right materials

Try to avoid using plastic bags and disposable items. Think for yourself, polyethylene and plastic take a very long time to decompose, so they can be easily replaced with suitable alternative products. So you can go to the supermarket with a canvas bag, and to go on a picnic, use a special reusable set.

Water

Don't forget to save water. Every year, the reserves of clean fresh water are gradually depleted. Think about the future, using natural gifts rationally. Take a shower instead of a bath, and while brushing your teeth, turn off the water tap. Not only will this help the planet, but it will also save you some money on utility bills.

Give away what you don't need

At home, we often keep a variety of things that are not used, but throw them away until the hand rises. But as practice shows, sooner or later all this ends up in a landfill. However, you may well pass such things to those who need them. There are a huge number of people in the world who will be happy with an old-fashioned jacket and trousers, used shoes and various shabby toys. You can post ads with photos of unnecessary items on the net, you can contact the church with such a question, or simply put a bag of things near the trash can - they will be quickly sorted out.

Use urns

Probably everyone knows that throwing garbage is not good. However, on the streets we can see a lot of cigarette butts and candy wrappers, and beautiful places outside the city often turn out to be polluted by the previous group of vacationers. Of course, the culture of behavior must be taught from childhood, but even in adulthood, you can learn to take care of yourself - at least bring cigarette butts and packs of ice cream and chips to the nearest trash can. And after a picnic, you can grab not only your own garbage, but also other people's, scattered in the nearest bushes, bottles and plates. It is not difficult and not energy-consuming, but it will benefit both you and the world around you.

So, in order to slightly improve the state of the environment, it is enough just to start with yourself. Following simple recommendations by each person will help make our planet healthier and more livable.

Last Tuesday, the district administration held a " round table» on Pollution atmospheric air on the territory of the Shelekhovsky district and its impact on human health. Among the participants of the meeting were representatives of supervisory environmental authorities, public environmental organizations, heads of industrial enterprises.

It is known that Shelekhov is one of the most polluted cities in Russia and is one of seven cities in the Irkutsk region with a very high air pollution index, and this creates a danger to the health of its residents.

Conducted comprehensive clinical and environmental studies have shown that air pollution leads to the development of ENT pathologies, frequent respiratory diseases, allergic diseases, and other diseases in children. The number of children seeking medical help for respiratory diseases in the area of ​​emissions from industrial enterprises exceeds this indicator in areas not affected by atmospheric pollution.

According to the head of the Irkutsk Center for Monitoring Environmental Pollution of Roshydromet Natalya Singkevich, air pollution control in Shelekhov is carried out at two stationary posts located in the 4th microdistrict, in the building of the registry office, and on Komsomolsky Boulevard. It runs around the clock, seven days a week. An automatic station with the most modern French equipment operates on Komsomolsky Boulevard. The post in the 4th microdistrict takes measurements four times a day. Roshydromet, under the contract, has been conducting research for PJSC RUSAL for three years on the border of the sanitary zone of IrkAZ on the content of benzapyrene, suspended solids, and hydrogen fluoride in the air. In recent years, RUSAL enterprises have been big job for the modernization of gas cleaning equipment. But the level of air pollution in Shelekhov is estimated to be very high.

According to the head of the department of Rospotrebnadzor for the Irkutsk region Inga Zhdanova, for 9 months of 2018, 878 atmospheric air samples from Shelekhov were examined, 113 of them did not meet sanitary standards. Measurements are carried out in Shelekhov, Olkha, Baklashy, seven chemicals are controlled. The main sources of pollution are industrial enterprises and vehicles. All information about violations is sent to Rosprirodnadzor and local authorities.

Soil pollution is alarming, although studies show that the level of harmful substances in Shelekhov has not increased in recent years, it remains stable.

The participants of the meeting expressed their common opinion: the only way reducing the concentration of harmful substances in the soil - a gradual reduction of emissions into the atmosphere.

— Are there emergency gas emissions at IrkAZ? - asked Nina Davydova, Leading Researcher at the Institute of Geography named after V.B. Sočava:

“Accidental or salvo emissions imply shutdown of gas cleaning equipment,” explained IrkAZ’s environmental director Alexey Tenigin.– This is not possible in our factory. The employees of the enterprise cannot work without a functioning gas cleaning system, and the residents of the city may suffer. If problems with gas cleaning occur, we turn on backup equipment. We are constantly working in this direction, we are building a dry gas cleaning system with a “wet” tail. Since 2015 alone, the enterprise has spent more than 1 billion 100 million rubles on environmental protection measures and the reconstruction of the purification system.

One of the main air pollutants in Shelekhov is Kremniy CJSC. Enterprise Managing Director Vladimir Kryuchkov spoke about plans for the reconstruction of equipment. Dry gas cleaning will reduce emissions of inorganic dust by 2,000 tons, or twice. Large-scale construction has begun. Builders are already hammering piles, made a spillway. Equipment procurement will begin in November. The work will be completed in 2019.

— Improving the environmental situation of the Shelekhovsky district, including the state of atmospheric air, is possible only as a result of the use of effective technologies for cleaning harmful emissions into the atmosphere, discharging wastewater into water bodies, and recycling industrial waste in safe ways. - noted Maxim Modin.– The state of the air, the presence of harmful impurities in it can adversely affect the health of residents. Therefore, the district administration, in cooperation with the government of the Irkutsk region, the city-forming enterprise, is doing a lot of work to study the impact of chemicals contained in the emissions of industrial enterprises on human health. This year, medical scientists of the Federal scientific center of Medical and Preventive Technologies for Public Health Risk Management (Perm) conducted a medical examination of 220 children from kindergartens and 80 parents in order to establish a relationship between health disorders and multi-environment exposure to chemical factors in the zone of influence of aluminum and silicon production enterprises. Rospotrebnadzor also participated in the research. Currently, the executors are preparing recommendations that will form the basis for the development of a rehabilitation program.