The ocean is the cradle of life, the source of oxygen and the well-being of many, many people. For centuries, its we alth was inexhaustible and belonged to all countries and people. But the twentieth century put everything in its place - there were coastal border zones, maritime laws, problems and ways to solve them.
Legal aspects of the use of ocean we alth
Until the seventies of the twentieth century, it was established that the we alth of the ocean belongs to everyone, and the territorial claims of coastal states can extend no more than three nautical miles. Formally, this law was respected, but in fact many states declared their claims to large maritime territories, up to two hundred nautical miles from the coast. The problem of using the World Ocean has been reduced to how to exploit coastal economic zones as profitably as possible. Many states have announcedtheir sovereignty over maritime territories, and the invasion of such was regarded as a violation of the borders. Thus, the problem of the development of the World Ocean, the use of its capabilities, collided with the mercantile interests of individual states.
In 1982, the Conference on the Law of the Sea was convened, which took place under the auspices of the UN. It addressed the main problems of the oceans. As a result of many days of negotiations, it was decided that the ocean is the common heritage of mankind. The states were assigned two hundred miles of coastal economic territories, which these countries had the right to use for economic purposes. Such economic zones occupied about 40 percent of the total area of water expanses. The bottom of the open ocean, its minerals and economic resources were declared common property. To control compliance with this provision, a special committee was created to regulate the use of coastal economic zones into which the World Ocean was divided. The problems that arise from human impact on the marine environment had to be addressed by the governments of these countries. As a result, the principle of free use of the high seas was no longer used.
It is impossible to overestimate the importance that the oceans have in the earth's transport system. The global problems associated with cargo and passenger transportation were solved thanks to the use of special ships, and the problem of transporting oil and gas - through the construction of pipelines.
Mineral mining is carried out on the shelvescoastal countries, deposits of gas and oil products are being developed especially intensively. Sea water contains many solutions of s alts, rare metals and organic compounds. Huge concretions - concentrated reserves of rare earth metals, iron and manganese - lie on the ocean floor, deep under water. The problem of the resources of the oceans is how to get these riches from the seabed without disturbing ecosystems. Finally, low-cost desalination plants can solve the most important human problem - the lack of drinking water. Ocean water is an excellent solvent, which is why the world's oceans work like a huge waste recycling plant. And ocean tides are already being successfully used to generate electricity at PPP.
From time immemorial, the ocean has fed people. The extraction of fish and crustaceans, the collection of algae and mollusks are the oldest crafts that arose at the dawn of civilization. Since then, the tools and principles of fishing have not changed much. Only the scale of extraction of living resources has increased significantly.
With all this, such a full-scale use of the resources of the oceans significantly affects the state of the marine environment. It is quite possible that an extensive model of economic activity will significantly reduce its ability to self-purify and recycle waste. Therefore, the global problem of using the oceans is to carefully exploit everything that it provides to humanity, while not worsening its ecological he alth.
Environmental aspects of using the resources of the ocean
The oceans are a giant generator of oxygen in nature. The main producer of this essential chemical element for life is microscopic blue-green algae. In addition, the ocean is a powerful filter and cesspool that processes and recycles human waste products. The inability of this unique natural mechanism to cope with waste disposal is a real environmental problem. Pollution of the oceans occurs in the vast majority of cases through the fault of man.
Main causes of ocean pollution:
- Inadequate treatment of industrial and domestic wastewater entering rivers and seas.
- Wastewater entering the oceans from fields and forests. They contain mineral fertilizers that are difficult to decompose in the marine environment.
- Dumping - constantly replenished burials at the bottom of the seas and oceans of various pollutants.
- Fuel and oil leaks from various sea and river vessels.
- Repeated failures of pipelines lying at the bottom.
- Garbage and waste from offshore and seabed mining.
- Precipitation containing harmful substances.
If you collect all the pollutants that pose a threat to the oceans, you can highlight the problems described below.
Dumping
Dumping is the dumping of waste from the economichuman activity in the oceans. Environmental problems arise due to an overabundance of such waste. The reason why this type of disposal has become common is the fact that sea water has high solvent properties. Waste from the mining and metallurgical industries, household waste, construction debris, radionuclides that arise during the operation of nuclear power plants, chemicals with varying degrees of toxicity are exposed to marine burials.
During the passage of pollution through the water column, a certain percentage of waste is dissolved in sea water and changes its chemical composition. Its transparency falls, it acquires an unusual color and smell. The remaining particles of pollution are deposited on the sea or ocean floor. Such deposits lead to the fact that the composition of bottom soils changes, compounds such as hydrogen sulfide and ammonia appear. The high content of organic matter in ocean waters leads to an imbalance in oxygen, which leads to a decrease in the number of microorganisms and algae that process these wastes. Many substances form films on the water surface that disrupt gas exchange at the water-air interface. Harmful substances dissolved in water tend to accumulate in the organisms of marine life. Populations of fish, crustaceans and mollusks are declining, and organisms are beginning to change. Therefore, the problem of using the World Ocean is that the properties of the marine environment as a giant utilization mechanism are used inefficiently.
Pollutionradioactive substances
Radionuclides - substances that appear as a result of the operation of nuclear power plants. The oceans have become a warehouse of containers that contain highly radioactive nuclear waste. Substances of the transuranium group remain active for several thousand years. And although highly hazardous waste is packed in sealed containers, the risk of radioactive contamination remains very high. The substance of which the containers are made is constantly exposed to sea water. After some time, the containers leak, and dangerous substances in small quantities, but constantly enter the oceans. The problems of waste reburial are of a global nature: according to statistics, in the 1980s, the deep-sea bottom accepted for storage about 7 thousand tons of harmful substances. Currently, the threat is posed by the waste that was buried in the waters of the oceans 30-40 years ago.
Polluted by poisonous substances
Toxic chemicals include aldrin, dieldrin, varieties of DDT, and other derivatives of chlorine-containing elements. Some regions have high concentrations of arsenic and zinc. The level of pollution of the seas and oceans by detergents is also alarming. Detergents are called surfactants, which are part of household chemicals. Together with river runoff, these compounds enter the World Ocean, where the process of their processing continues for decades. A sad example of the high activity of chemical poisonous substances ismass extinction of birds off the coast of Ireland. As it turned out, the reason for this was polychlorinated phenyl compounds, which fell into the sea along with industrial wastewater. Thus, the environmental problems of the oceans have also affected the world of terrestrial inhabitants.
Heavy metal pollution
First of all it is lead, cadmium, mercury. These metals retain their poisonous properties for centuries. These elements are widely used in heavy industry. Various purification technologies are provided for at factories and combines, but, despite this, a significant part of these substances enters the ocean with effluents. Mercury and lead pose the greatest threat to marine organisms. The main routes of their entry into the ocean are industrial waste, vehicle exhaust, smoke and dust from industrial enterprises. Not all states understand the importance of this problem. The oceans are not able to process heavy metals, and they get into the tissues of fish, crustaceans and mollusks. Since many of the marine life are the objects of fishing, heavy metals and their compounds get into the food of people, which causes serious diseases that are not always treatable.
Oil and oil pollution
Oil is a complex organic carbon compound, a heavy liquid of dark brown color. The greatest environmental problems of the World Ocean are caused by the leakage of oil products. In the eighties, about 16 million tons of them flowed into the ocean. This was 0.23% of the world oil production at that time. More oftenMost of the product enters the ocean through leaks from pipelines. There is a high concentration of oil products along busy sea routes. This fact is explained by emergency situations that occur on transport ships, the discharge of washing and ballast water from sea ships. Ship captains are responsible for avoiding this situation. After all, there are problems with it. The world's oceans are also polluted by seepage of this product from developed fields - after all, a large number of platforms are located on the shelves and in the open sea. Wastewater carries liquid waste from industrial enterprises to the ocean, in this way about 0.5 million tons of oil per year appears in sea water.
The product dissolves slowly in ocean water. First, it spreads over the surface in a thin layer. The oil film blocks the penetration of sunlight and oxygen into sea water, as a result of which heat transfer deteriorates. In water, the product forms two types of emulsions - "oil in water" and "water in oil". Both emulsions are very resistant to external influences; the spots formed by them move freely across the ocean with the help of sea currents, settle on the bottom in layers and are washed ashore. The destruction of such emulsions or the creation of conditions for their further processing - this is also the solution to the problems of the World Ocean in the context of oil pollution.
Heat pollution
The problem of thermal pollution is less visible. However, over time, a change in the temperature balance of currents and coastal waters disruptslife cycles of marine life, which is so rich in the oceans. Global warming problems arise from the fact that high-temperature waters are discharged from factories and power plants. Liquid is a natural source of cooling for various technological processes. The thickness of the heated waters disrupts the natural heat exchange in the marine environment, which significantly reduces the level of oxygen in the bottom water layers. As a result, algae and anaerobic bacteria, which are responsible for the processing of organic substances, begin to actively multiply.
Methods for solving the problems of the oceans
Global oil pollution has forced a series of meetings with the governments of maritime powers, concerned about how to save the oceans. The problems have become threatening. And in the middle of the twentieth century, a number of laws were adopted establishing responsibility for the safety and cleanliness of the waters of coastal areas. The global problems of the World Ocean were partially solved by the London Conference of 1973. Its decision obligated each ship to have an appropriate international certificate certifying that all machines, equipment and mechanisms are in good condition, and that the ship that crosses the ocean does not harm the environment. The changes also affected the design of vehicles transporting oil. New rules oblige modern tankers to have a double bottom. The discharge of polluted waters from oil tankers was completely prohibited; cleaning of such vessels should be carried out at special port facilities. And recently, scientists have developed a special emulsion thatallows you to clean the oil tanker without discharging contaminated water.
And accidental oil spills in water areas can be eliminated with the help of floating oil skimmers and various side barriers.
Global problems of the World Ocean, in particular oil pollution, have attracted the attention of scientists. After all, something needs to be done about it. The elimination of oil slicks in the waters is the main problem of the World Ocean. Ways to solve this problem include both physical and chemical methods. Various foams and other unsinkable substances are already in use, which can collect about 90% of the stain. Subsequently, the material impregnated with oil is collected, the product is squeezed out of it. Layers of such a substance can be used repeatedly, they have a fairly low cost and are very effective in collecting oil from a large area.
Japanese scientists have developed a drug based on rice husks. This substance is sprayed on the area of the oil slick and collects all the oil in a short time. After that, a lump of substance impregnated with the product can be caught with an ordinary fishing net.
An interesting method was developed by American scientists to eliminate such spots in the Atlantic Ocean. A thin ceramic plate with a connected acoustic element is lowered under the oil spill. The latter vibrates, oil accumulates in a thick layer and begins to gush over the ceramic plane. A fountain of oil and dirty water is set on fire with an electric current applied to the plate. Thusthe product burns without causing any harm to the environment.
In 1993, a law was passed banning the dumping of liquid radioactive waste (LRW) into the ocean. Projects for the processing of such waste were developed already in the mid-90s of the last century. But if fresh disposal of LRW is prohibited by law, then the old warehouses of spent radioactive substances, which have been lying on the ocean floor since the mid-1950s, pose a serious problem.
Results
Large-scale pollution has increased the risks of using natural resources, which are so rich in the oceans. Problems related to the conservation of natural cycles and ecosystems require quick and correct solutions. The steps taken by scientists and governments of the leading countries of the world show the desire of man to preserve the we alth of the oceans for future generations of people.
In the modern world, human impact on natural cycles is decisive, so any measures that correct anthropogenic processes must be timely and sufficient to preserve the natural environment. A special role in the study of human impact on the ocean is played by constant monitoring based on long-term observations of a living organism called the World Ocean. Environmental problems resulting from all types of human impact on the water space are studied by marine ecologists.
All the variety of problems requires the introduction of common principles, common steps that must be taken at the same timeby all interested countries. The best way by which the population of the Earth will be able to solve the environmental problems of the ocean and prevent its further pollution is to prevent the storage of harmful substances in the ocean and the creation of waste-free closed cycle production. The transformation of hazardous waste into useful resources, fundamentally new production technologies should solve the problems of pollution of the waters of the World Ocean, but it will take more than a dozen years for environmental ideas to come true.
