Methodical instructions for laboratory work "Assessment of atmospheric air quality in settlements" in the discipline "Ecology"

Abstract

Atmospheric air is the most unstable component of the natural environment, the composition of which can change rapidly and widely. Due to anthropogenic activity, air pollution occurs with harmful substances that negatively affect human health and the conditions for the existence of plants and animals. The report of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe indicates that residents of only 10 out of 56 countries breathe clean air. According to the conclusions of the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution is the most significant environmental risk to human health. It is associated with 7 million premature deaths in the world and 556 thousand in Europe. The most harmful to human health are solid particles in the air, nitrogen dioxide and ozone concentrations. In particular, excess nitrogen dioxide levels in the air caused about 79 thousand deaths in the countries of the European Economic Area, and ozone concentrations caused 17.7 thousand. According to WHO estimates, in 2016, about 58% of premature deaths associated with air pollution occurred as a result of ischemic heart disease and stroke, 18% as a result of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or acute lower respiratory tract infections, and 6% as a result of lung cancer. The European Alliance for Public Health estimates the costs of air pollution to the health system of EU countries at 166 billion euros per year. The main source of atmospheric air pollution according to the European Economic Commission (EEC) is road transport, as well as agricultural activities, energy production, industry and the activities of individual households. The main polluter of atmospheric air in Ukraine is industry ⁓ 65% and ⁓ 35% belongs to motor vehicles. The largest contribution to atmospheric air pollution is made by metallurgical and chemical industries, building materials factories, thermal power plants. The share of boiler houses and food industry enterprises is significant in pollution. Emissions from ferrous metallurgy enterprises include dust, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrogen sulfide, phenol, benzo(a)pyrene, etc. A large number of harmful substances enter the atmosphere from oil industry enterprises. These are sulfur and nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, hydrogen sulfide, mercaptans, etc. According to state statistical reporting in Ukraine, 148 kg of pollutants are emitted into the atmosphere and 5.1 tons of carbon dioxide per person. Over 64% of hazardous substances released into the air were from stationary sources of pollution of industrial enterprises. The operation of engines of mobile sources of pollution released 2.4 million tons of pollutants into the air, the majority of which (2196.3 thousand tons, or 90.6%) are emissions from automobile transport, 46.1 thousand tons, or 1.9% - from railway transport, 7.8 thousand tons, or 0.3% - from aviation, 6 thousand tons, or 0.2% - from water transport and 168.5 thousand tons, or 6.9% - from production equipment. The main air pollutants in Ukraine are nitrogen dioxide, formaldehyde and benzo/a/pyrene. About 17 million people, or 34% of the total population, suffer from the negative impact of air pollution in our country. In cities with a polluted environment, respiratory diseases are registered twice as often, the overall incidence rate of the population is also 25–40% higher. Thus, the incidence of lung cancer caused by harmful emissions into the air is 1.2–1.3 times higher than the “background level” of incidence in the last decade in Ukraine. Since the composition of atmospheric air is of paramount importance for the life of living organisms, it is necessary to have information about the content of pollutants in it and assess their harm to human health.