INTRODUCTION

ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

Engr. Veronica F. Acosta

Faculty
College of Engineering
UPHSD
 Think about this:

Today, one individual

can manipulate
an incredible amount
of resources
thanks to TECHNOLOGY !
What is Environmental Engineering?
• The application of science and engineering principles:
- To care for and/or restore our natural environment.
- To solve environmental problems associated with human activities.
• Impacts everyone and everything:
- Plants
- Animals
- Humans
- Ecosystem
 THE BIG PICTURE
Human overpopulation (~7.7 Billion as of November 2018 : United Nation estimates )
Resource use (land, water, fossil fuels, crops, meat…)
Intensive farming
Higher meat production and crop farming
Increased irrigation
 Nutrient pollution
Land Use
Desertification
Habitat change
Land pollution
Hydrology
Distribution of water resources
Quality of water resources
 Main Umbrella : Air
• Air Pollution
- Acid rain
- Greenhouse gases
- CO
- Particulate matter
• Indoor air quality
- CO
- Radon
- Moisture and mold
 Greenhouse Gases and Global Warming
• Global warming: An increase in the average air temperature of the
Earth.
• Greenhouse effect: Heat from the sun gets trapped inside the glass of
a greenhouse and heats up its air.
• More carbon dioxide (CO2) being released in the atmosphere traps
more heat.
 Main Umbrella: Land
• Land/soil quality
- heavy metals
- insecticides
- pesticides
- fertilizers
Pesticides and herbicides

Acid mine drainage

 Main Umbrella: Water
• Water Quality
- Surface
- Ground
* Physical
* Chemical
* Biological
Areas of Environmental Engineering
• Pollution Prevention
- at the source rather than at the end pipe

• Treatment of effluents

• Environmental remediation
- contaminant removal from environmental media

• Sustainable engineering