Russia faces serious ecological challenges, which are having adverse effects on both the naturalenvironment and the health of the population. We want this speech to attract your attention to the problem ofenvironmental pollution because we treat those who are not indifferent

Leonova, Yu. S.

Zogol, R. V.

Electronic archive of Tomsk Polytechnic University

77 Yu.S. Leonova, R.V. Zogol National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University Tomsk, Russia The Environment in Russia Abstract Russia faces serious ecological challenges, which are having adverse effects on both the natural environment and the health of the population. We want this speech to attract your attention to the problem of environmental pollution because we treat those who are not indifferent. The Consequences of Environmental Neglect Every year in Russia, approximately 490,000 people die as a result of environmental-related diseases. Furthermore, experts claim that about half of Russia’s 180,000 miscarriages per annum are due to environmental causes. Russia is the only developed country where life expectancy has declined over the past 20 years. It is significant that the average life expectancy is 3–5 years shorter in the most environmentally-unfavorable areas of the Russian Federation compared with less polluted areas. This trend illustrates the huge impact that ecological contamination has on life expectancy. Air Quality According to official figures approximately 60 million Russians live in areas of “high” or “very high” levels of air pollution. Industrial emissions have significantly increased since 2000. In major cities and some regions, traffic accounts for 80–90 % of air pollution. Water Quality The use of environmentally unfriendly technology in industry and agriculture, the dumping of inadequately treated waste and the uncontrolled flow of such polluted waters has led to widespread water pollution. Water quality in the majority of Russia’s water-bodies does not meet normal regulatory requirements. Only 12–14 % of Russia’s lakes and rivers are ecologically clean. As a result, every other Russian drinks water that does not meet hygienic standards. Contamination of Land and Soil The dumping of waste and contamination of soil and vegetation is a universal phenomenon in Russia. On average, 11 % of Russia’s residential areas are contaminated by dangerous metals. In some administrative units, such contaminated land comprises half of the inhabited areas. A major ecological problem remains such as the storage and reuse of solid industrial and home waste, the amount of which is growing. There are hundreds of thousands of unsanctioned dumping sites, which have a negative impact both on air quality and the quality of groundwater. Radiation and Chemical Contamination  Many areas in the particular Novosibirsk, Tomsk remain contaminated by radioactive fallout from the production and testing of nuclear weapons. Dozens of radioisotope thermoelectric generators, which were used in the 1990’s at meteorological stations and lighthouses, have been abandoned or lost and are now the source of dangerous radioactive contamination. Public Health and the Environment The poor condition of the atmosphere, water and soil in Russia influences our health. Environmental pollution is an important factor in the high mortality rate in Russia. Illnesses related to poor environmental conditions touch the majority of the Russian population. A lot of people die due to environmental causes which can be preventabled.  78 Conclusion During the analysis of the environmental situation and the survey among students, we found what types are the most common contaminants and their impact on the environment, as it turned out that the majority of respondents do not want to interfere, and it is very upsetting, because we have to take care of the nature of the place where we live, even making a small contribution to the preservation of the environment. Literature 1. http://www.eco-oos.ru/biblio/sborniki-nauchnyh-trudov/ekologicheski-ustoichivoe-razvitie-racionalnoe-ispolzovanie-prirodnyh-resursov/02/ 2. http://www.novrosen.ru/Russia/nature/condition.htm 3. http://www.ecosystema.ru/07referats/zagr.htm 4. http://www.moreprom.ru/article.php?id=55 Scientific supervisor: M.A. Yuzhakova, Senior teacher, TPU (Tomsk polytechnic university), Russia  

The Environment in Russia

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