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Environmental engineering, 1848-2016
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Environmental engineering involves the use of engineering principles to construct and improve processes and infrastructure related to environmental protection and conservation. Environmental engineers work in a variety of fields, including air and water pollution control, recycling, waste management, and public health.[1]
Environmental engineering is an interdisciplinary field that incorporates mathematics, chemistry, ecology (the study of ecosystems), geology, hydrology (the study of water), microbiology, and economics into its study of constructing, maintaining, and improving environmental protection. Examples of environmental engineering projects include dams, systems for recycling and reusing building waste in construction, municipal water supply and wastewater treatment facilities, plants to desalinate ocean water to irrigate crops, systems that assist refineries in reducing air pollutants, and more.[2]
Tasks
Environmental engineers develop processes and infrastructure to maintain public health and the environment. Environmental engineers specialize in fields such as air pollution control, water treatment, industrial or municipal facility inspection, quality control checks, government advising, and more.[3]
Environmental engineers design and modify technologies that are used to prevent the release of harmful chemical or biological compounds into the air, water, or soil. As part of this work, environmental engineers must consider biological and chemical properties of certain compounds, the ability of certain compounds to affect the environment, and the agricultural or industrial processes that release these compounds.[3]
Environmental engineers also identify the sources of harmful compounds. For example, environmental engineers study lakes or other bodies of water affected by harmful compounds and trace the contaminants' origin, which can be near or far from the contaminated body of water. Once the source is detected, environmental engineers work with private businesses to reduce or eliminate the discharge of pollutants or to implement processes to dispose of harmful compounds elsewhere. Additionally, environmental engineers advise federal, state, and local regulatory bodies on the supervision and approval of environmental engineering projects.[3]
Below is a list of regular tasks performed by environmental engineers, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:[4]
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Project areas
Environmental engineers work in the areas of drinking water quality, wastewater disposal, air pollution control, hazardous waste treatment, and more. Below is a brief summary of the project areas that involve environmental engineering.[6]
- The treatment and distribution of drinking water involves altering a water source to achieve a specific level of quality safe for human consumption. During the late 19th century and early 20th century, this mainly involved removing disease-causing microorganisms by using sand filtration and chlorine as a disinfectant. Once water-borne diseases were eradicated in developed countries, water treatment shifted to address chemical contamination related to chronic health effects, such as reproductive problems and neurological disorders.[7]
- The collection, treatment, and disposal of wastewater involves removing impurities from sewage before it reaches aquifers, rivers, lakes, and estuaries. Wastewater treatment plants use a variety of biological, physical, and chemical processes to remove bacteria, harmful chemicals, and other contaminants. For example, some plants use a process known as screening to trap and remove solids and sediments from raw sewage. Another treatment process is the use of microbes to dissolve organic matter that manages to escape the screening process.[8][9]
- Air pollution control involves adopting technologies and techniques to reduce or eliminate harmful compound emissions into the air. Pollution control devices for a specific facility depend on variations in the reactivity, shape, density, and size of certain air pollutants. One common device used to remove harmful compounds is a cyclone. Cyclones (or cyclone collectors) remove certain particles by directing a contaminated airstream to flow inside a cylindrical chamber. The contaminated air spins around the chamber and forms a vortex as larger particles move outward and stick to the chamber wall due to their inertia. The particles then fall down to a container at the bottom of the chamber, and the cleaned air flows upward and is released from an outlet at the top of the cyclone.[10]
- Hazardous waste treatment involves collecting, treating, and disposing of hazardous waste materials. These materials are generated by manufacturing, chemical production, and other industrial activities. Wastes can take the form of gases, solids, liquids, or sludges (residual, semi-solid material). Hazardous wastes are treated by chemical, thermal, biological, and physical processes. A common thermal process is high-temperature incineration in which organic wastes are detoxified and then destroyed. A common biological treatment involves adding microbes, such as genetically engineered bacteria, to metabolize the waste on specific plot of land.[11]
Major groups
- The American Academy of Environmental Engineering and Scientists is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization that began in 1955. Its stated mission involves "protecting public health and the environment by recognizing leadership and excellence through Board Certification of Environmental Engineers and Scientists...[and] providing professional development opportunities for students, engineers, and scientists." The academy organizes training workshops and seminars, participates with colleges and universities, publishes periodicals, and awards environmental engineers for outstanding achievement in the field. The academy is also influential in reviewing and shaping environmental engineering curricula.[12][13]
See also
External links
- American Academy of Environmental Engineering and Scientists
- World Health Organization
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Footnotes
- ↑ U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Environmental Engineers," accessed February 23, 2015
- ↑ Live Science, "What Is Environmental Engineering?" October 22, 2014
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Live Science, "What Is Environmental Engineering?" October 22, 2014
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "What Environmental Engineers Do," accessed December 1, 2016
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Encyclopedia Britannica, "Environmental engineering," accessed February 23, 2014
- ↑ Encyclopedia Britannica, "Water supply system," February 1, 2010
- ↑ Encyclopedia Britannica, "Wastewater treatment," April 15, 2016
- ↑ World Bank Group, "Introduction to Wastewater Treatment Processes," accessed December 1, 2016
- ↑ Encyclopedia Britanica, "Air pollution control," accessed December 1, 2016
- ↑ Encyclopedia Britannica, "Hazardous-waste management," March 7, 2016
- ↑ American Academy of Environmental Engineering and Scientists, "About AAEES," accessed February 24, 2015
- ↑ American Academy of Environmental Engineering and Scientists, "Who Is The Academy?" accessed February 23, 2015
