What are environmental hotspots?

Environmental hotspots are places where pollution reaches the highest possible levels. It is the damage caused to nature and the environment by harmful substances, emissions, and waste

According to the sources, the following types of environmental problems are distinguished:

• physical - thermal, noise, electromagnetic, light, radioactive;
• chemical - pollution by heavy metals, pesticides, plastics, and other chemicals;
• biological - biogenic, microbiological, genetic.

By origin, environmental hotspots definition is divided into natural (volcanic eruptions, dust storms, and forest fires) and anthropogenic (combustion of fuel in industrial and domestic conditions, transport, and industry).

Environmental hotspots are one of the main problems of our time, as they can lead to a global ecological crisis.

How identified ecological hotspots

There are several signs by which we can determine that this or that place is a hotspot in the environment:

• Air pollution. It is the introduction of harmful substances into the air, which has a negative impact on the environment, as well as on humans. As a result, the air is no longer clean. In particular, hydrocarbons, various organic compounds, dust particles, and gasses are emitted into the air. This can lead to negative consequences for human health and the condition of animals and plants. Emissions from factories and factories are one of the most striking examples of the causes of air pollution.
• Water pollution. This includes harmful emissions into rivers, seas, oceans, lakes, and groundwater. This happens when foreign chemicals or materials enter the water, which can lead to negative consequences for the ecosystem of the reservoir.
• Pollution of the ground. This is the deterioration of the quality of the earth's surface, and its unsuitability for supporting the existence of living organisms. Land pollution occurs when garbage is not disposed of, which in turn leads to toxins and chemicals entering the soil.
• Noise pollution. This environmental crisis means a high level of noise that results in discomfort for humans as well as animals. Sound volume is measured in decibels. If the volume level exceeds certain values, then it is customary to talk about noise pollution. Volume levels above 100 decibels can cause hearing loss. According to the standards of the World Health Organization, the recommended noise level in enterprises should not exceed 75 decibels.
• Thermal pollution. This environmental degradation occurs when the temperature regime of water bodies is disturbed. As a rule, these ecological issues occur as a result of human activities, in particular as a result of industrial production. Thermal pollution affects lakes, rivers, oceans, and ponds. In the modern world, thermal pollution is associated with factories and plants that use water from reservoirs as a coolant.