Noise and light pollution
Agricultural pollution
Agricultural pollution comprises: • wastes, emissions, and discharges arising from farming activities; • includes runoff and leaching of pesticides and fertilizers; • pesticide drift and volatilization; • erosion and dust from cultivation; • improper disposal of animal manure and carcasses; • radiation pollution
Special concern is caused by the contamination of agricultural lands by chemical compounds, and technogenous substances from industry. As a result, toxic substances which have a negative impact on the quality of vegetable and animal produce accumulate in soil stratum. In many districts in Ukraine, the productivity of the land has been markedly reduced owing to the bad quality of sprinkling and dry land reclamation.
• Radiation pollution, caused by the consequences of the Chenobyl accident, exposes agriculture and the population to a great danger. The main contributor to radiation in the nearest zone (Kyiv, Zhytomyr regions) is made by cesium; 134137 isotopes; over 80 percent. Beyond the bound of the 30 kilometers zone, on the territory of “cesium spots”, the contribution of these isotopes is close to 100 percent. Agricultural lands make up 3. 5 million hectares, forests - 11 million hectares; 32 districts of six regions suffered from radiation to different extent.
• Sprinkling land irrigation has a negative impact on chernozems. It leads to consolidation of the humus horizon, the alkalization of water extract, and an increase in Ph value of 88. 5, secondary already salinized stratum with gradual increase of toxic salts content, increase of extremely toxic soda content, secondary superficial salinization while watering with sewage, etc.
• Sediment (loose soil) washed off fields is the largest source of agricultural pollution. Nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) are typically applied to farmland as commercial fertilizer; animal manure; or spraying of municipal or industrial wastewater (effluent) or sludge. Nutrients may also enter runoff from crop residues, irrigation water, wildlife, and atmospheric deposition. Farmers can develop and implement nutrient management plans to reduce excess application of nutrients.
All this has a negative effect on the level of ecological safety of agricultural products and, therefore, on the state of the Ukrainian population.
The Chernobyl disaster
Location of Chernobyl nuclear power plant Pripyat, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union, now Ukraine
The nuclear reactor after the disaster. Reactor 4 (center). Turbine building (lower left). Reactor 3 (center right).
The accident is regarded as the largest of its kind in the history of nuclear power, as alleged by the number of casualties caused by its effects on both people and economic damage
Residual radioactivity in the environment Rivers, lakes and reservoirs
In contrast to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the explosion resembled a very powerful "dirty bomb" - the main damaging factors become radioactive contamination.
The radioactive cloud from the accident took place on the European part of USSR, Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. Approximately 60% of the radioactive fallout fell on the territory of Belarus.
About 200 000 people were evacuated from areas affected by pollution.
The Chernobyl accident was an event of great social and political significance for the Soviet Union, and it left a definite imprint on the course of an investigation of its causes.
In 2011, Ukraine plans to open up the sealed zone around the Chernobyl reactor to tourists who wish to learn more about the tragedy that occurred in 1986