Describe the natural complex of the White Sea. Seas as large natural complexes Questions in the paragraph

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• White Sea

• It is located “on the threshold” of the Arctic and has a very cold climate. Summer is short and cool. On the southern shores the water warms up to +170C. Winter is long, from November to May the sea is covered with ice. There is a lot of precipitation, up to 500 mm per year. The White Sea is small in area. The bottom topography is uneven. The sea is shallow. Because located on the continental shelf. Average depth - 60 m. Salinity - 20-26% O The White Sea is small in area. The bottom topography is uneven. The sea is shallow. Because located on the continental shelf. Average depth - 60 m. Salinity - 20-26% in the south, 30%

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• - in the north. The Strait connects the White Sea Throat with the Bering Sea.

• Low-lying but heavily indented shores.

• Tides from 1m to 3.5m. Mezen Bay - up to 10m.

• Biological resources are poor.

• Fish: cod, navaga, herring, salmon.

• Animals: harp seal, seal, beluga whale. Kandalaksha Nature Reserve. Nesting sites are protected

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• eiders

• Brave people live here - Pomors.

• There is a large port of Kandalaksha.

• An artificial Belomorsk canal was dug near the city of Belomorsk (built from 1933 to 1933 by prisoners). It connects the sea with the Baltic. Length - 227 km.

At the entrance to Onega Bay on Solovetsky Island, the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Solovetsky Monastery was founded at the beginning of the 15th century.

• Sea of ​​Azov

• Surprising in its shallowness, its average depth is 7m, and the maximum is 15m.

• The climate is warm and dry, but the sea does not dry out and does not accumulate salts (Why?). The White Sea is small in area. The bottom topography is uneven. The sea is shallow. Because located on the continental shelf. Average depth - 60 m. Salinity - 20-26% The sea is desalinated to 11-13% The White Sea is small in area. The bottom topography is uneven. The sea is shallow. Because located on the continental shelf. Average depth - 60 m. Salinity - 20-26%. Sivash - 60%

• . The mouth of the Don and the Taganrog Bay are almost completely fresh.

At the entrance to Onega Bay on Solovetsky Island, the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Solovetsky Monastery was founded at the beginning of the 15th century.

• This is a paradise for sturgeon and stellate sturgeon.

• In December the sea becomes covered with ice and is freed at the end of March. There are strong storms, especially in the fall. In June, the water temperature rises to +23-250 C, July-August +290 C, in estuaries up to +350 C. Problem

: fertilizers with water end up in the sea, hence the blooms and algae. Living organisms die and hydrogen sulfide is released. The saltier waters of the Black Sea flow into Azov. Disruption of the salt balance leads to a decrease in fish resources.

1) What natural complexes of the ocean do you know?

In the World Ocean there are large natural complexes - individual oceans, smaller ones - seas, bays, straits, etc. In addition, in the ocean there are natural complexes of surface layers of water, various layers of water and the ocean floor.

2) How do they differ from natural sushi complexes?

Natural ocean complexes are distinguished by a different set of components and less diversity.

*Remember what you already know about ocean resources from your continental and oceanic geography course. What resources are the Russian seas rich in?

The world's oceans are rich mineral resources, which are mined from its bottom. Highest value has oil and gas that is produced from the continental shelf. The main wealth of the deep ocean floor are ferromanganese nodules containing up to 30 different metals. The potential of energy resources in the waters of the World Ocean is enormous. The greatest progress has been made in the use of tidal energy. The world's oceans are a source of food - fish, algae, seafood. The seas of Russia are important economic importance. First of all, these are cheap transport routes connecting our country both with other states and with its individual regions. The biological resources of the seas, primarily their fish resources, are of significant value. The importance is increasing mineral resources seas. The energy of sea tides can be used to generate electricity. The seas are also places of rest. Certainly, most of The seas of our country have too harsh natural conditions for people to relax there. But southern seas– Azovskoye, Chernoye, Caspian and Japanese attract a large number of vacationers.

*Name and remember the ports White Sea.

Arkhangelsk, Belomorsk, Vitino, Kem, Mezen, Onega, Severodvinsk, Kandalaksha.

Questions at the end of the paragraph

1. What components does it consist of? natural complex seas?

Components of the PC of the sea - underlying surface, water, vegetation and animal world.

2. What factors influence the formation of this complex?

Very many natural features seas are determined by their position within certain climatic zones: water temperature, ice cover, fog, wind strength, storms and hurricanes, currents. All these factors have a direct impact on navigation conditions, making it easier or more difficult. Big influence on marine complexes rivers provide.

3. Why is it so important to know the properties of the PC of the sea?

In the era of scientific and technological progress, the problems of comprehensive study and development of the natural resources of the seas and oceans are becoming one of the most important for humanity. Rational use ocean resources requires knowledge of the characteristics of the natural complexes of the seas.

4. Describe the natural complex of the White Sea.

The White Sea juts deep into the land between the Kola and Kanin peninsulas and connects with Barents Sea wide strait. The sea has bays - Kandalaksha, Dvinsky, Mezensky, Onega, which protrude deeply into the land. The rivers Northern Dvina, Onega and Mezen flow into the sea.

Underlying surface. The relief of the seabed is uneven, the depth increases from east to west.

Water. The volume of water is 5400 km3. Rivers bring significant volumes of water into the small sea, which desalinate the seawater. The salinity of the water is about 30 ‰, in the south – 20-26 ‰. From November to May the sea is covered with drifting ice.

Flora and fauna. The biological productivity of the White Sea is low. There are 194 species of algae, 57 species of fish, beluga whales, and two species of seals.

"Describe the natural complex of the White Sea."

Answers:

WHITE SEA, inland sea Northern. Arctic approx., off the northern shores of the European part Russian Federation. 90 thousand km2. Large islands: Solovetsky, Morzhovets, Mudyugsky. In winter it is covered with ice. Tides up to 10 m (in Mezen Bay). The White Sea in the north is connected by the White Sea Throat Strait with the Barents Sea. The sea has low-lying but strongly indented shores; this is the Kandalaksha Bay and the lips (they are called estuaries). Onezhskaya, Dvinskaya, Mezenskaya. The White Sea is small in area. The bottom topography is uneven. The sea is not deep. Average depth- 67 m. maximum - 350 m. Located on the shelf - continental shallows. The salinity of the White Sea is less than that of the Barents Sea, in the bays it is 10-14%o. In the north, salinity is higher (30%o) than in the south - 20-26%o. because in the south the rivers Onega, S. Dvina, Mezen flow into the sea, which desalinize the water of the White Sea, especially in the lips. Biological resources The White Sea is poorer than the Barents Sea. The White Sea is colder than the Barents Sea, into which a warm current enters, the White Sea freezes. Among the fish that live here are herring, salmon, brown trout, cod and others. Ports: Arkhangelsk, Onega, Belomorsk, Kandalaksha, Kem, Mezen. It is connected to the Baltic Sea by the White Sea-Baltic Canal, and to the Azov, Caspian and Black Seas by the Volga-Baltic waterway. In the White Sea there is the Kandalaksha Nature Reserve, where the eider nesting grounds are protected. This bird lines its nests with its down, which has the ability to retain heat. The fluff is light. People collect eider down.

2.1. Sources of sea water pollution………………………………….…14

2.2. Practical assessment of marine pollution………………….21

2.3. Analysis of the degree of pollution of Russian seas………………………......22

Chapter 3. Environmental consequences of pollution of the Russian seas. Protection of sea waters

3.1. Environmental consequences of sea pollution……………….….….….45

3.2. Protection of sea waters from pollution

3.2.1. Self-purification of seas and oceans…………………………….…..….…...49

3.2.2. Protection of seas and oceans………………………………………………………...….51

3.2.3. Marine protection coastal waters ………………………………….…...56

3.2.4. Monitoring the state of Russian sea waters…………………….….…58

Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………62

List of sources used……………………………..…..……..64

List of applications………………………………………………………..66

Introduction

Vast spaces of Russia are washed by a number of different natural conditions seas located mainly along the periphery Russian territory. Together with natural features, economic activities in marine and coastal spaces shape the ecological state of the sea, that is, environmental conditions that are real in time and space. They are not constant in time and space, which causes variability ecological state seas.

The topic of my thesis is the ecological state of the seas of Russia. Recent decades have been marked by increased anthropogenic impacts on marine ecosystems as a result of pollution of seas and oceans. The distribution of many pollutants has become local, regional and even global scale. Therefore, pollution of the seas and their biota has become the most important problem countries, and the need to protect marine environment from pollution is dictated by the requirements of rational use of natural resources. No one will dispute the advisability of protecting the seas and the life developed in it from the harm that waste emissions can cause. Because of this, the chosen topic of work is currently very relevant.

The purpose of the work is to comprehensively characterize the ecological state of Russian sea waters. The main objectives are:

1) Consideration of the seas of Russia as large natural complexes, highlighting their main properties;

2) Determination of the main substances polluting sea waters and the sources of their entry into the sea;

3) Analysis of the current ecological state of the seas of Russia (the basins of the Atlantic, Arctic and Pacific oceans, as well as the Caspian sea-lake);

4) Assessment of the environmental consequences of sea water pollution, clarification of the main protection measures and methods of controlling sea pollution.

The structure of the thesis corresponds to the assigned tasks. The material is presented in three main chapters.

The first chapter gives an idea of ​​the seas washing the shores of Russia as large natural complexes.

The second chapter reflects an analysis of the current ecological state of the seas of Russia (as well as a description of the main pollutants and sources of their entry into sea waters).

The third chapter is devoted to the environmental consequences of sea pollution, as well as the problem of protecting the seas from pollution.

In preparation thesis Various sources of information were used - literary, periodicals, statistical data, cartographic materials, resources of the global information network Internet (there are links in the text).

Chapter 1. The seas of Russia as large natural complexes

The territory of our country is washed by thirteen seas: 12 seas of the world ocean and the Caspian Sea, which belongs to the internal closed basin (Fig. 1). These seas are very diverse both in natural conditions and in natural resources, and according to the degree of their knowledge and mastery.

Figure 1. Seas of Russia

The total area of ​​Russia's territorial waters and exclusive economic zone is about 7 million square kilometers.

The area of ​​the continental shelf under the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation is about 5 million square kilometers, which is about 1/5 of the shelf area of ​​the World Ocean.

The Far Eastern Marine Reserve is the only reserve in Russia, founded in 1978. as exclusively marine. In addition to it, marine nature is protected in 8 more reserves and 2 sanctuaries Far East, 2 arctic reserves, 2 reserves and 1 reserve on the Barents and White Seas and 2 reserves on the Caspian Sea (see Appendix 1).

The seas of Russia have a number of unique features:

· The Barents, Bering and Okhotsk seas are among the most productive seas in the world, and the productivity of the West Kamchatka shelf is the highest in the world and amounts to about 20 t/km².

· In the Far Eastern seas of Russia, stocks of commercial species of global importance are concentrated: pollock, Pacific salmon, Kamchatka crab.

· Significantly larger cod stocks (compared to the North Atlantic) remain in Arctic and Pacific waters.

· Russian seas have the highest diversity of sturgeon and salmon fish in the world.

· The most important migration routes of marine mammals and birds of the northern hemisphere pass along the coast of the Russian seas.

· Unique ecosystems have been discovered in the Russian seas: the relict ecosystem of Lake Mogilnoye, relict ecosystems of kelps in the Arctic (Chaunskaya Bay), shallow hydrothermal communities in the bays of the Kuril Islands.

The seas of the Arctic Ocean are located within the continental shallows (shelf). Their depth rarely exceeds 200 m, and their salinity is below oceanic. The coastline is very indented. Almost everyone's climate northern seas very harsh, with the only exception being the Barents Sea, which receives the waters of the warm North Atlantic Current.

Most seas are covered with ice for 8-10 months.

The North Sea passes through the seas of the Arctic Ocean. sea ​​route- an important transport route in Russia. This is the shortest route from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok.

The Barents Sea is a marginal water area of ​​the Arctic Ocean on the border with the Atlantic Ocean, between the northern coast of Europe in the south and the Vaigach Islands, New Earth, Franz Josef Land in the east, Spitsbergen and Bear Island in the west (Fig. 2). The sea area is 1424 thousand km², depth up to 600m. The sea is located on the continental shelf. The southwestern part of the sea does not freeze in winter due to the influence of the North Atlantic Current. The southeastern part of the sea is called the Pechora Sea.

Figure 2. Barents Sea

In the West it borders with the Norwegian Sea basin, in the south - with the White Sea, in the east - with the Kara Sea, in the north - with the North Sea Arctic Ocean. The area of ​​the Barents Sea located east of Kolguev Island is called the Pechora Sea. The shores of the Barents Sea are predominantly fjord, high, rocky, and heavily indented.

The salinity of the surface layer of water in the open sea throughout the year is 34.7-35.0 ppm in the southwest, 33.0-34.0 in the east, and 32.0-33.0 in the north. In the coastal strip of the sea in spring and summer, salinity drops to 30-32, and by the end of winter it increases to 34.0-34.5.

The climate of the Barents Sea is influenced by warm Atlantic Ocean and the cold Arctic Ocean. Frequent intrusions of warm Atlantic cyclones and cold Arctic air determine great variability of weather conditions. In winter, southwestern winds prevail over the sea, and in spring and summer, northeastern winds. Storms are frequent. average temperature air in February varies from −25°C in the north to −4°C in the southwest. The average temperature in August is 0°C, 1°C in the north, 10°C in the southwest. Cloudy weather prevails over the sea throughout the year.

The influx of warm Atlantic waters determines relatively high temperature and salinity in the southwestern part of the sea. Here in February - March the surface water temperature is 3°C, 5°C, in August it rises to 7°C, 9°C. North of 74° N. w. and in the southeastern part of the sea in winter the water temperature on the surface is below −1°C, and in the summer in the north 4°C, 0°C, in the southeast 4°C, 7°C. In summer, in the coastal zone, the surface layer warm water 5-8 meters thick can warm up to 11-12°C.

The Barents Sea is rich various types fish, plant and animal plankton and benthos. U south coast common seaweed. Of the 114 species of fish living in the Barents Sea, 20 species are the most commercially important: cod, haddock, herring, sea bass, catfish, flounder, halibut, etc. Mammals include: polar bear, ringed seal, harp seal, beluga whale, etc. There is a seal fishery. Bird colonies abound on the coasts (guillemots, guillemots, kittiwake gulls). In the 20th century, the Kamchatka crab was introduced, which was able to adapt to new conditions and begin to reproduce intensively.

The seas of the Pacific Ocean wash the eastern shores of Russia from Chukotka to Vladivostok. They are separated from the ocean by archipelagos of islands, but freely communicate with it through numerous straits.

These seas are distinguished by significant depths - from 2500 to 4000 m.

The Bering Sea is a sea in the north of the Pacific Ocean, separated from it by the Aleutian and Commander Islands; The Bering Strait connects it to the Chukchi Sea and the Arctic Ocean. The Bering Sea washes the shores of Russia and the USA. In winter it is covered with ice.

Area 2.304 million km². The average depth is 1600m, the maximum is 4773m. The air temperature over the water area is up to +7, +10°C in summer and −1, −23°C in winter. Salinity 33-34.7 ppm.

Sea of ​​Okhotsk - part Pacific Ocean, separated from it by the Kamchatka Peninsula, Kuril Islands and the island of Hokkaido (Fig. 3). The sea washes the shores of Russia and Japan.

Figure 3. Sea of ​​Okhotsk

Area 1.603 million km². Average depth 1780m maximum depth 3521m. The western part of the sea has shallow depth and is located on the continental shelf. In the eastern part there is the Kuril Basin, where the depth is maximum.

From October to May-June, the northern part of the sea is covered with ice. The southeastern part practically does not freeze.

The coast in the north is strongly indented; in the northeast of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk its largest bay is located - Shelikhov Bay.

The Sea of ​​Japan is a sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean and is separated from it Japanese islands and the island of Sakhalin. It washes the shores of Russia, Korea, Japan, and the DPRK. In Korea, the Sea of ​​Japan is called the "East Sea". A branch of the warm Kuroshio Current enters in the south.

Area 1.062 million km². The greatest depth is 3742m. The northern part of the sea freezes in winter.

The Atlantic Ocean basin includes the Baltic, Black and Azov seas, connected to the ocean through neighboring seas and narrow straits.

The Black Sea is an inland sea of ​​the Atlantic Ocean. The Bosphorus Strait connects with the Sea of ​​Marmara, then, through the Dardanelles, with the Aegean and Mediterranean seas(Fig. 4). The Kerch Strait connects with the Sea of ​​Azov. From the north it cuts deep into the sea Crimean peninsula. The water border between Europe and Asia Minor runs along the surface of the Black Sea.

Figure 4. Black and Sea of ​​Azov

Area 422,000 km² (according to other sources - 436,400 km²). The outline of the Black Sea resembles an oval with the longest axis about 1150 km. The greatest length of the sea from north to south is 580 km. The greatest depth is 2210m, the average is 1240m.

The sea washes the shores of Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey and Georgia. On the northeastern coast of the Black Sea there is an unrecognized public education Abkhazia.

A characteristic feature of the Black Sea is the complete (with the exception of a number of anaerobic bacteria) absence of life at depths above 150-200 m due to the saturation of the deep layers of water with hydrogen sulfide.

The Sea of ​​Azov is the northeastern side basin of the Black Sea, with which it is connected by the Kerch Strait (Fig. 4). This is the shallowest sea in the world, its depth does not exceed 15 meters.

Its greatest length is 343 km, its greatest width is 231 km; coastline length 1472 km; surface area - 37605 km². (this area does not include islands and spits, which occupy 107.9 sq. km).

According to its morphological characteristics, it belongs to the flat seas and is a shallow body of water with low coastal slopes. In terms of distance from the ocean to the mainland, the Sea of ​​Azov is the most continental sea on the planet.

In terms of biological productivity, the Sea of ​​Azov ranks first in the world. The most developed are phytoplankton and benthos. The hydrochemical features of the Sea of ​​Azov are formed primarily under the influence of the abundant influx of river water (up to 12% of the water volume) and difficult water exchange with the Black Sea.

The salinity of the sea before the regulation of the Don was three times less than the average salinity of the ocean. After the creation of the Tsimlyansky hydroelectric complex, the salinity of the sea began to increase (up to 13 ppm in the central part). Average seasonal fluctuations in salinity values ​​rarely reach 1%.

During the 20th century, almost everything more or less large rivers flowing into the Sea of ​​Azov were blocked by dams to create reservoirs. This has led to a significant reduction in discharge fresh water and mud in the sea.

The Baltic Sea (from antiquity until the 18th century in Russia was known as the “Varangian Sea”) is an inland marginal sea that protrudes deeply into the mainland (Fig. 5). The Baltic Sea is located in northern Europe and belongs to the Atlantic Ocean basin.

Figure 5. Baltic Sea

Area: 415 thousand km². Depth: average - 52m, maximum - 459m. The Baltic Sea is rich in seafood, in addition, there are oil reserves, in particular, the D-6 field is being developed (territorial waters Kaliningrad region Russian Federation)

The Caspian Sea is the largest lake on Earth, located at the junction of Europe and Asia and called the sea because of its size. The Caspian Sea is an endorheic lake, and the water in it is salty, from 0.05 ‰ near the mouth of the Volga to 11-13 ‰ in the southeast. The water level is subject to fluctuations, currently approximately −28 m below sea level. The area of ​​the Caspian Sea at present is approximately 371,000 km², the maximum depth is 1025 m (Fig. 6).

Figure 6. Caspian Sea

The seas of Russia are of great economic importance. First of all, these are cheap transport routes, the role of which is especially important in foreign trade transport. The biological resources of the seas are of significant value. The seas washing the territory of our country are home to almost 900 species of fish, of which more than 250 are commercial, and many marine mammals, mollusks and crustaceans. The importance of the mineral resources of the seas is increasing. You can use the energy of sea tides to generate electricity; in addition, the sea coasts are vacation spots.

Recently, as a result of the increasing influence of human economic activity on the World Ocean, the ecological situation of the seas has sharply worsened. To preserve the natural complexes of the seas, a special state program is needed.

Chapter 2. Characteristics of the degree of pollution of Russian sea waters

2.1. Sources of sea water pollution

Every body of water or water source is connected with its surroundings. external environment. It is influenced by the conditions of formation of surface or underground water flow, various natural phenomena, industry, industrial and municipal construction, transport, economic and domestic human activities. The consequence of these influences is the introduction of new, unusual substances into the aquatic environment - pollutants that worsen the quality of water (Fig. 7).

Figure 7. Pathways for pollutants to enter the sea

According to international terminology, sea pollution is the introduction by humans, directly or indirectly, into the marine environment of substances that harm animals and plants, cause danger to human health, deteriorate the quality of the marine environment, and reduce its beneficial properties.

Pollutants entering the aquatic environment are classified differently, depending on approaches, criteria and objectives. Thus, chemical, physical and biological contaminants are usually isolated.

1) Chemical pollution is a change in natural chemical properties water due to an increase in the content of harmful impurities in it, both inorganic (mineral salts, acids, alkalis, clay particles) and organic (oil and oil products, organic residues, surfactants, pesticides).

A) Inorganic pollution e. The main inorganic (mineral) pollutants of sea waters are various chemical compounds, toxic to the inhabitants of the aquatic environment. These are compounds of arsenic, lead, cadmium, mercury, chromium, copper, fluorine. Most of them end up in water as a result of human activity. Heavy metals are absorbed by phytoplankton and then transferred along the food chain to higher organisms. The toxic effects of some of the most common hydrosphere pollutants are presented in Appendix 2.

In addition to the substances listed in the table, dangerous sources of infection in the aquatic environment include inorganic acids and bases that change the acidity of water.

Among the main sources of sea pollution with minerals and nutrients, food industry enterprises and agriculture should be mentioned.

B) Organic pollution e. Among the soluble substances brought into the seas from land, not only mineral and biogenic elements, but also organic residues are of great importance for the inhabitants of the aquatic environment. Wastewater containing suspensions of organic origin or dissolved organic matter has a detrimental effect on the condition of water bodies. As they settle, the suspensions flood the bottom and delay the development or completely stop the vital activity of these microorganisms involved in the process of self-purification of water. When these sediments rot, harmful compounds and toxic substances, such as hydrogen sulfide, can be formed, which lead to complete pollution of the water in the river. The presence of suspensions also makes it difficult for light to penetrate into depth and slows down the processes of photosynthesis.

One of the main sanitary requirements requirements for water quality is the content of the required amount of oxygen. All contaminants that, in one way or another, contribute to a decrease in the oxygen content in water have a harmful effect. Surfactants - fats, oils, lubricants - form a film on the surface of the water that prevents gas exchange between water and the atmosphere, which reduces the degree of oxygen saturation of the water.

A significant volume of organic substances, most of which are not characteristic of natural waters, is discharged into rivers along with industrial and domestic wastewater. Due to the rapid pace of urbanization and the slow construction of treatment facilities or their unsatisfactory operation, water basins and soil are polluted by household waste.

Oil and petroleum products are the most common pollutants.

The greatest oil losses are associated with its transportation from production areas. Emergency situations involving tankers draining washing and ballast water overboard - all this causes the presence of permanent fields of pollution along sea routes. Large masses of oil enter the seas through rivers, domestic wastewater and storm drains.

Once in the marine environment, oil first spreads in the form of a film, forming layers of varying thickness. You can determine its thickness by the color of the film (see Appendix 3).

The oil film changes the composition of the spectrum and the intensity of light penetration into water.

Pesticides– constitute a group of artificially created substances used to combat pests and plant diseases. Pesticides are divided into the following groups: insecticides - to combat harmful insects, fungicides and bactericides - to combat bacterial plant diseases, herbicides - against weeds.

It has been established that pesticides, while destroying pests, cause harm to many beneficial organisms and undermine the health of biocenoses. IN agriculture The problem of transition from chemical (polluting) to biological (environmentally friendly) methods of pest control has long been an issue.

Industrial production of pesticides is accompanied by the emergence large quantity by-products polluting wastewater. IN aquatic environment representatives of insecticides, fungicides and herbicides are most common.

Synthetic surfactants (surfactants)– belong to a large group of substances that reduce the surface tension of water. They are part of synthetic detergents (SDCs), widely used in everyday life and industry. Together with wastewater, surfactants enter continental waters and the marine environment.

The presence of surfactants in industrial wastewater is associated with their use in processes such as product separation chemical technologies, obtaining polymers, improving conditions for drilling oil and gas wells, combating equipment corrosion. In agriculture, surfactants are used as part of pesticides.

Compounds with carcinogenic properties. Carcinogens are chemical compounds that disrupt development processes and can cause mutations.

Substances with carcinogenic properties include chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons, vinyl chloride, and especially polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Maximum amount PAHs in modern sediments of the World Ocean (more than 100 μg/km of dry matter mass) were found in tectonically active zones.

Heavy metals. Heavy metals (mercury, lead, cadmium, zinc, copper, arsenic) are common and highly toxic pollutants. They are widely used in various industrial processes, therefore, despite treatment measures, the content of heavy metal compounds in industrial wastewater is quite high. Large masses of these compounds enter the seas through the atmosphere. The most dangerous: mercury, lead and cadmium.

Contamination of seafood has repeatedly led to mercury poisoning of coastal populations. By 1977, there were 2,800 victims of Minomata disease, which was caused by industrial waste. Insufficiently treated wastewater from factories flowed into Minomata Bay.

Lead is a typical trace element found in all components of the environment: rocks ah, soil, natural waters, atmosphere, living organisms. Finally, lead actively dissipates into environment in the process of human economic activity.

Dumping of waste into the sea for the purpose of burial (dumping). Many countries with access to the sea carry out sea burial various materials and substances, in particular soil removed during dredging, drilling slag, industrial waste, construction waste, solid waste, explosives and chemical substances, radioactive waste.

The basis for dumping at sea is the ability of the marine environment to process large quantities of organic and inorganic substances without much damage to the water. However, this ability is not unlimited.

Therefore, dumping is seen as a forced measure, a temporary tribute from society to the imperfection of technology. In the slags industrial production a variety of organic substances and heavy metal compounds are present.

During the discharge and passage of material through a column of water, some of the pollutants go into solution, changing the quality of the water, while others are sorbed by suspended particles and pass into bottom sediments.

At the same time, the turbidity of the water increases. The presence of organic substances often leads to the rapid consumption of oxygen in water and often to its complete disappearance, dissolution of suspended matter, accumulation of metals in dissolved form, and the appearance of hydrogen sulfide.

The presence of a large amount of organic substances creates a stable reducing environment in the soil, in which a special type of silt water appears, containing hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and metal ions. Benthic organisms and others are affected to varying degrees by the impact of discharged materials.

In the case of the formation of surface films containing petroleum hydrocarbons and surfactants, gas exchange at the air-water interface is disrupted. Pollutants entering the solution can accumulate in the tissues and organs of aquatic organisms and have a toxic effect on them.

The discharge of dumping materials to the bottom and prolonged increased turbidity of the bottom water lead to the death of sedentary benthos from suffocation. In surviving fish, mollusks and crustaceans, their growth rate is reduced due to deteriorating feeding and breathing conditions. Often changes species composition of this community.

When organizing a control system over waste discharges into the sea, the determination of dumping areas and the dynamics of pollution of sea water and bottom sediments are of decisive importance. To identify possible volumes of discharge into the sea, it is necessary to carry out calculations of all pollutants in the material discharge.

2) Physical pollution is created by the discharge of heat or radioactive substances into them. Thermal pollution is mainly due to the fact that the thermal and nuclear power plants water (and, accordingly, about 1/3 and 1/2 of the generated energy) is discharged into the same reservoir. Some also contribute to thermal pollution industrial enterprises. With significant thermal pollution, the fish suffocate and die, as its need for oxygen increases and the solubility of oxygen decreases. The amount of oxygen in water also decreases because, with thermal pollution, rapid development of unicellular algae occurs: the water “blooms,” followed by rotting of the dying plant mass. In addition, thermal pollution significantly increases the toxicity of many chemical pollutants, in particular heavy metals. During normal operation nuclear reactors Neutrons can enter the coolant, which is mainly water, under the influence of which the atoms of this substance and impurities, primarily corrosion products, become radioactive. In addition, the protective zirconium shells of fuel elements may have microcracks through which nuclear reaction products can enter the coolant. Although such waste is weakly active, it can still increase the overall background radioactivity. In case of accidents, the waste may become more active. In natural bodies of water, radioactive substances undergo physicochemical transformations, concentration on suspended particles (adsorption, including ion exchange), precipitation, sedimentation, transfer by currents, absorption by living organisms, and accumulation in their tissues. First of all, radioactive mercury, phosphorus, cadmium accumulate in living organisms; vanadium, cesium, niobium, zinc accumulate in the soil; sulfur, chromium, and iodine remain in the water.

3) Biological pollution. Biological pollution is created by microorganisms, including pathogens, as well as organic substances capable of fermentation. The main sources of biological pollution of coastal sea waters are domestic wastewater that contain feces, food waste; wastewater from food industry enterprises (slaughterhouses and meat processing plants, dairy and cheese factories, sugar factories, etc.), pulp and paper and chemical industries, and in rural areas wastewater from large livestock farms. Biological pollution can cause epidemics of cholera, typhoid fever, paratyphoid fever and others intestinal infections and various viral infections, such as hepatitis. The degree of biological pollution is characterized mainly by three indicators. One of them is the number of E. coli (the so-called lactose-positive, or LPC) in a liter of water. It characterizes water contamination with animal waste products and indicates the possibility of the presence of pathogenic bacteria and viruses. According to the State Standard of 1980, for example, swimming is considered safe if the water contains no more than 1000 paints per liter. If the water contains from 5,000 to 50,000 paints per liter, then the water is considered dirty, and there is a risk of infection when swimming. If a liter of water contains more than 50,000 paints, then swimming is unacceptable.

To characterize pollution with organic substances, another indicator is biochemical oxygen demand (BOD). It shows how much oxygen is required for microorganisms to process all organic matter susceptible to decomposition into inorganic compounds (within, say, five days, then this is BOD 5). Finally, the third indicator is the content of dissolved oxygen. It is inversely proportional to the military-industrial complex.

2.2. Practical assessment of marine pollution

The degree of water pollution in the sea is characterized by maximum permissible concentrations (MPC) of pollutants. Based on the maximum permissible concentrations, the state and quality of the marine environment is monitored. Exceeding the maximum permissible concentration, especially multiple times, means an unfavorable and even crisis state of the marine environment.

Practical pollution assessment sea ​​basin is given based on a set of maximum permissible concentrations for the main pollutants. An indicator of pollution is the pollutant index (PSI).

Calculation of WPI for sea waters is carried out according to the formula:

C – concentration of pollutants and dissolved oxygen,

MPC is their maximum permissible concentration. Depending on the WPI values, water quality classes are adopted (Table 1).

Table 1

WPI of sea waters