De La Salle University

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
ENVIRON (Environmental Engineering)

INTRODUCTION TO
ENVIRONMENTAL
ENGINEERING

DR. CARL RENAN ESTRELLAN

 Food for Thought . . .
UN International Conference on Non-Waste
Technology and Production (December 1976)

“Man has continually sought to improve

the quality of life: transforming nature
to provide food, better living conditions
and a longer life.”
“Technology has helped to accomplish
this transformation and to achieve
many of man’s goals. It has,
however, left a profusion of
environmental problems in its wake.”
Challenge . . .
“The question today is
whether technology can
solve the environmental
problems which technology
has helped to cause.”
 Environmental Engineering
The application of scientific and engineering
principles to assess, manage, and design
sustainable environmental systems for the
protection of human and ecological health,
and to minimize the adverse effects of human
activities (pollution) to the environment
Objectives
• Protecting human populations from the effects
of pollution
• Protecting the environment from the effects of
human activities
• Improving environmental quality for human
health and well being
 Brief History
Began in the US in the 1830’s
Challenges posed by urbanization and by the
Industrial Revolution in the late 1800’s
Replacement of manual labor with machinery
inadvertently causing pollution to the
environment
Before the 1900’s human wastes were
dumped in the nearest bodies of water
Spread of diseases like cholera and damage
to natural waters
1900’s – sewer systems were developed
1970 – first Earth Day Celebration
Public attention to clean up the environment