96,000,000 black balloons in the Los Angeles reservoir: why are they there?

Millions of black plastic balls thrown into Los Angeles reservoir to fight drought

What is the danger of water from the reservoir?

However, despite the main idea of ​​​​saving water, these balls were not invented in order to reduce evaporation. The problem actually started with bromide, a natural substance found in salt water.

96,000,000 black balloons in the Los Angeles reservoir: why are they there?

The bromide itself is harmless to humans, but if some of this salt water ends up in a tank and is treated with ozone along with the rest of Los Angeles' drinking water, it can form the complex bromate. And bromate is a carcinogen and is already hazardous to health.

96,000,000 black balloons in the Los Angeles reservoir: why are they there?

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Energy thought it had adequate control over bromate levels, but for some reason, the carcinogen continued to show up in large quantities when the water entered the reservoir. It turns out that when bromide and chlorine interact with sunlight, the reaction produces even more bromate than when the former interacts with ozone. But chlorine one way or another has to be used in water purification. There are no alternatives yet.

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What are reservoirs for?

Currently, reservoirs exist in many countries of the world and on all continents except Australia.96,000,000 black balloons in the Los Angeles reservoir: why are they there? The need for them is caused by seasonal fluctuations in the level of river water. In our country, during the spring flood, depending on the region, up to 70% of the total annual river water flow flows along the riverbeds.

In winter and summer low water, on the contrary, there is a sharp lack of water in the river, and just when it is needed. The construction of reservoirs made it possible to solve this problem: excess water is accumulated in the reservoir, and then gradually discharged into the river, which maintains its more or less constant level.

The presence of reservoirs has a positive impact on human economic activity. With their help:

- the risk of floods, flooding of residential buildings, farmland, industrial enterprises, etc. is reduced;

- conditions for navigation of river transport are improving, it becomes possible to operate large deep-sea vessels, which are more profitable than small ones;

— cascades of hydroelectric power plants are being created to generate cheap electricity without environmental pollution;

- fish farms are being created to breed valuable species of river fish;

- the space of recreational zones is increasing.

At the same time, there are also negative aspects of creating reservoirs, which are expressed in the violation of existing ecosystems, the flooding of a large amount of arable land, sometimes even with settlements, because of which people have to be relocated, in the swamping of territories located upstream of the dam along the river, etc. .d.

Basic assignment theory

Among the inhabitants of California there were many assumptions and rumors about the purpose of these items. The main version was to protect the tank from evaporation.

In a new episode on the Veritasium channel, vlogger Derek Muller explores the history of this wild idea.

“It looks absurd,” Müller laughs in the video. "It's like we're in the biggest mine in the world."

96,000,000 black balloons in the Los Angeles reservoir: why are they there?

He is not wrong. Even from the middle of the tank, the boat on which the leader is standing seems to rise not by the water below, but by a sea of ​​balls that cover its surface.

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Below lies about 12.5 billion liters of water (3.3 billion gallons). The man specifically specifies that it is from this place in his house that drinking water appears when he turns on the tap.

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Terms of use

The negative impact of the balls can still be with improper use. All exercises in such a pool are divided into 2 categories: adaptive to strengthen relationships with children, and exercises that have a cognitive and sensory-motor function.

The rules for performing exercises-games include:

  1. Each complex includes movements so that children gain free action skills.
  2. All exercises can have a role-playing content.
  3. Parents or caregivers should take part in the game, helping children.

96,000,000 black balloons in the Los Angeles reservoir: why are they there?

If you do not want to endanger your children, then a dry pool can be used without balls.Sports equipment will be additional elements.

Do not leave children unattended. Parents or other adults should be nearby in order to come to the rescue in time in a difficult situation.

bird idea

The solution they found was originally called "birdballs" because they were previously used to prevent waterfowl from finding themselves on unsuitable bodies of water, such as near airports. The balls prevented the birds from settling here, and the latter did not suffer from harmful emissions and the danger of getting into the aircraft engine. This solution seemed both strange and surprisingly ideal at the same time. What has been used to protect birds has also been found to be effective in protecting them from sunlight.

96,000,000 black balloons in the Los Angeles reservoir: why are they there?

“They took care of the problem right away,” Los Angeles Water and Energy Department chief Marty Adams told Mueller in an interview.

Adams also explains that their black color allows each balloon to last up to ten years without toxic waste getting into the water. Another benefit of putting these balls in the reservoir is that the treatment plant can use less of the chlorine used to prevent the growth of algae, which tend to thrive in the sun.

96,000,000 black balloons in the Los Angeles reservoir: why are they there?

And although evaporation was not the original purpose for which these balls were used, they actually greatly reduce the heating of the water underneath. And the liquid is much cooler than under the open sun. This is possible, firstly, due to a decrease in the evaporation area, and secondly, due to the fact that there is enough air inside each sphere, which provides excellent thermal insulation.

96,000,000 black balloons in the Los Angeles reservoir: why are they there?

“So for all these reasons, shadow balls reduce evaporation by 80 to 90 percent,” explains Derek.

“This is very important in a dry climate like Los Angeles.”

What is a reservoir?

As the name implies, a reservoir is an artificial structure specifically designed to store water. It is quite comparable in size to a large or medium-sized lake: the vast majority of reservoirs hold more than a million cubic meters of water, and the largest of them have a volume in excess of 500 million cubic meters.

They are created, as a rule, in river valleys by blocking the river bed with a dam. There are, in addition, lake-type reservoirs, when excess water is discharged into the lake, and then, as necessary, flows from there into the river system or canal system.

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The water in the reservoir does not remain completely immobile, as in a lake, and retains the forward movement of the river current, however, it is significantly slowed down compared to the river. In addition, for reservoirs of this type are characteristic:

— Significant seasonal fluctuations in the water level, which rises in spring and autumn, gradually decreasing during the winter and summer seasons;

- colder water than in lakes, due to the incessant flow;

- freezing of small reservoirs earlier, and large ones later than rivers, and ice melting is observed later than near rivers, in both cases;

- content in more water dissolved minerals than in the river.

In addition to the bowl, any reservoir necessarily includes a dam (dam), which is installed across the river, as well as a water purification station. The depth of the bottom near the dam is usually much greater than near the shore opposite the dam.

Reservoirs: history and modernity

Mankind has experienced the need to build reservoirs ever since the first states began to take shape around the settled settlements of cultivators. Small reservoirs existed in ancient Egypt: in them, farmers stored water during the flood of the Nile, and then gradually spent it to irrigate the land. Reservoirs existed in ancient China and India, and then in medieval Europe. But only with the advent of the century of steam and electricity, the energy of the flow of rivers began to be used in industrial production.96,000,000 black balloons in the Los Angeles reservoir: why are they there? The largest number of reservoirs that currently exist were built in the 1950s and 1960s. Their construction continued later, but not so actively. Today, there are about 30,000 reservoirs all over the world, the total volume of water in which reaches 6,000 cubic kilometers.

Economic activity uses about 3,500 cubic kilometers of water - an amount approximately equal to a tenth of the total annual flow of all the world's rivers. At the same time, territories with a total area of ​​​​up to 350,000 square kilometers were subjected to flooding.

Danger

Do you have such a pool at home? How often do you wash balloons? Researchers from the UK have found that dry pools are dangerous due to the presence of many bacteria. For example, children can play with drinks by pouring them. Still dirt is brought through shoes, clothes. Dust builds up in the pool.

96,000,000 black balloons in the Los Angeles reservoir: why are they there?

Since a lot of bacteria remain on the balls, they can lead to allergies, skin irritation. It can also increase the temperature, decrease immunity.

In the mall, playgrounds are usually disinfected. It will not work to check this, although you can ask the employees.For the home, you can buy a special machine that sucks up balloons, where they are washed with a disinfectant and then dried. During the operation of the device, the balls do not deform and do not burst.

A cheaper and more time-consuming way is to wash the balls in the bathroom. In this case, disinfection should be carried out with a safe baby detergent. Finally, a rinse is required.

Choice

More balls are divided according to the degree of rigidity into:

  • soft;
  • medium;
  • solid.

The latter are advised to choose for problems with the spine and legs. And soft and medium ones also perform massage, but less strong

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The quality of the plastic matters. It is better to choose balls that, when pressed, are somewhat compressed, providing a gentle effect on the child's body.

But after pressing the ball should take its shape.

It is important that they are sealed. This will help to use them for playing in a regular pool.

Also, the balls should not have protruding seams, notches, or a strong smell.

Although such pools have many advantages, they should not be used when:

  • fungal or purulent problems;
  • elevated temperature;
  • inflammation;
  • exacerbation of the disease.

Thus, pool balls can have a negative impact on the child's body. Proper care must be taken to prevent them from becoming a source of bacteria accumulation.

Care

The disadvantage of a dry ball pool is the difficulty of careful maintenance. After each game, the product, its sides must be treated with ultraviolet light for an hour

It is also important to pay attention to the condition of the balls. If necessary, they should be purchased

Cotton underwear is required for classes.It is necessary to enter the pool in socks, if necessary, a diaper is put on. You can not visit it in the presence of skin and infectious diseases.

Compliance with such rules helps to improve the health of children and helps social adaptation and rehabilitation in violation of the musculoskeletal system, defects in the feet and joints. This acquisition is inexpensive, it will be an effective element of work programs.

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What are they doing there?

In such a pool, children can do almost the same thing as in the water. For example, jump, dive, imitate strokes with arms and legs. Even in the pool they tumble, roll over, run.

96,000,000 black balloons in the Los Angeles reservoir: why are they there?

But do not jump there with a running start head first. This risky action can cause injury. The advantage of a dry pool is its versatility. The toy is suitable for children who cannot swim or are afraid of water. It is also ideal for those who miss the sea or the river.

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Harm

The danger lies in the presence of non-natural chemical components. Plastic contains toxins. Studies confirm that these substances penetrate the skin into the respiratory system. A small amount of these components is enough to disturb the balance of the body.

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96,000,000 black balloons in the Los Angeles reservoir: why are they there?

Balloons are often made from Bisphenol-A and phthalate. These components provide plastic elasticity and strength. They affect our body differently. They knock down the hormonal balance, because they are considered pseudohormones, which causes serious consequences.

Bisphenol-A is a synthetic compound used to make plastics. Penetrating into the body, it behaves like the female hormone estrogen. Phthalate is a chemical that makes plastic flexible and durable. It mimics the male hormone testosterone.

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