Environmental engineering: Difference between revisions
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'''Environmental engineering''' is a broad [[science]] devoted to remediation of all forms of [[pollution]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Danny D. Reible|title=Fundamentals of Environmental Engineering |publisher=CRC Publishers|year=1998|id=ISBN 1-56670-047-7}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=James R. Mihelcic, Martin T. Auer, and others |title=Fundamentals of Environmental Engineering |publisher=John Wiley |year=1999|id=ISBN 0-471-24313-2}}</ref> Much of it deals with preventing pollution by application of [[chemical engineering]] and [[mechanical engineering]] principles to destroy or remove the pollutants before they get into the [[environment]]. | '''Environmental engineering''' is a broad [[science]] devoted to remediation of all forms of [[pollution]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Danny D. Reible|title=Fundamentals of Environmental Engineering |publisher=CRC Publishers|year=1998|id=ISBN 1-56670-047-7}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=James R. Mihelcic, Martin T. Auer, and others |title=Fundamentals of Environmental Engineering |publisher=John Wiley |year=1999|id=ISBN 0-471-24313-2}}</ref> Much of it deals with preventing pollution by application of [[chemical engineering]] and [[mechanical engineering]] principles to destroy or remove the pollutants before they get into the [[Natural environment|environment]]. | ||
== Environmental engineering work areas == | == Environmental engineering work areas == | ||
Revision as of 13:38, 21 February 2009
Environmental engineering is a broad science devoted to remediation of all forms of pollution.[1][2] Much of it deals with preventing pollution by application of chemical engineering and mechanical engineering principles to destroy or remove the pollutants before they get into the environment.
Environmental engineering work areas
Environmental engineering involves water and air pollution control, recycling, waste disposal, and public health issues as well as a knowledge of environmental engineering law. It also includes studies on the environmental impact of proposed construction projects.
Environmental engineers perform hazardous-waste management studies to evaluate the impact of such hazards, advise on their treatment and containment, and develop regulations to prevent hazardous waste problems. Environmental engineers also design municipal water supply and industrial wastewater treatment systems[3][4] as well as being concerned with issues such as the effects of acid rain, ozone depletion, water pollution and air pollution from automobile exhausts and industrial sources.[5][6]
The working definition of environmental engineering has been broadened over the past few years to encompass drainage and hydrology design work and the development of drainage plans and stream flow and flood zones from developed areas. Part of this expansion also involves the area of property risk assessment evaluation and restoration and remediation of various types of contaminated environments including soils and waterways. The International Maritime Organization considers prevention of contamination caused by ships as one of its major responsibilities.
Example applications
A good example is the control of air pollution from combustion sources such as the flue gases from the combustion of fuels in furnaces where special burner designs are used to remove nitrogen oxides and flue gas desulfurization systems are used to remove sulfur dioxide from the combustion flue gases. Currently, a great deal of research and development is being devoted to the removal, capture and disposal of carbon dioxide from flue gases.
Water pollution control relies heavily on chemistry, microbiology, biology, chemical engineering and civil engineering. In some cases, as little as 0.0001% or less of a noxious substance can contaminate a resource such as water. For example, sewage contamination of 10 parts per million (1% = 10,000 ppm) can contaminate a water resource such as a lake. The maintenance of drinking water quality is even more restrictive because the limits of many contaminants are significantly less than one part per billion (one part per billion is the equivalent of one second in 31.688 years, or 31 years, 8.5 months).
References
- ↑ Danny D. Reible (1998). Fundamentals of Environmental Engineering. CRC Publishers. ISBN 1-56670-047-7.
- ↑ James R. Mihelcic, Martin T. Auer, and others (1999). Fundamentals of Environmental Engineering. John Wiley. ISBN 0-471-24313-2.
- ↑ Beychok, Milton R. (1967). Aqueous Wastes from Petroleum and Petrochemical Plants, 1st Edition. John Wiley & Sons. LCCN 67019834.
- ↑ Tchobanoglous, G., Burton, F.L., and Stensel, H.D. (2003). Wastewater Engineering (Treatment Disposal Reuse) / Metcalf & Eddy, Inc., 4th Edition. McGraw-Hill Book Company. ISBN 0-07-041878-0.
- ↑ Turner, D.B. (1994). Workbook of Atmospheric Dispersion Estimates, 2nd Edition. CRC Press. ISBN 1-56670-023-X. www.crcpress.com
- ↑ Beychok, M.R. (2005). Fundamentals of Stack Gas Dispersion, 4th Edition. author-published. ISBN 0-9644588-0-2. www.air-dispersion.com