Introduction To Environmental

Engineering I
BY : Ts.Kishan
Inti International University Nilai
What is Environmental Engineering??
 Def : The application of science and engineering knowledge and concepts to
care for and / or restore our natural environment and / or solve
environmental problems.

What is Environmental Engineering

Science??
 We are concerned with the QUALITY and AVAILABILTY of environmental
resources and with the waste streams that impact them
Science ?

 Improve our understanding of natural processes

Engineering ?

 Use this understanding to develop and apply

technologies that will maintain or improve
environmental quality
Are You an ENGINEER?

What is and Engineer in Environment ?

 Problem solver - Specifically , one who uses science to solve real

world problems!

 So ? – What about an environmental engineer ?

Solves environmental problems using scientific tools!

Who does it affect?
 Everyone & Everything!
 plants
 insects
 animals
 humans
 ecosystems
 our planet
What are
environmental issues?

 Three areas:
 air quality
 land quality
 water quality
Environmental Engineering
 Air Pollution
i. Control devices – control unit
ii. Permitting – license
iii. Modeling

 Water (surface and groundwater)

i. Treatment
ii. Disinfection
iii. Storage
iv. Distribution
v. Dispersion
vi. Quality
Air Quality

Why is air quality such a problem?

Poor air quality can lead to:
 smog
 respiratory & other illnesses
 acid rain
 global warming
What do we mean A definition!

 "Humanity has the ability to make development sustainable - to ensure that it

meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their needs." (WCED 1987, The Bruntland Report)
 Ecological Sustainability is about living now in a way that allows others to
have the same quality of life in the future.
 We are currently straining the planet.
Sustainable Development

 "Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising

the ability of future generations to meet their own needs"

 "Living off the interest of our environmental and resource capital rather
than spending the capital itself "

 "Thinking globally, acting locally"

 "Doing more with less"

Apply engineering principles in order to
improve and maintain the environment

 Uses science to make the world a safer place for humans and animals
 3 components of environmental engineering:
i. Disposal
ii. Disposing industrial and residential waste
iii. Remediation
iv. Cleaning a contaminated site
v. Prevention
vi. Reducing or eliminating the amount of waste from the manufacturing process

 Requires knowledge of engineering fundamentals and environmental laws and

regulations
Occupational Outlook
 Expected to grow as fast as the average for all occupations over the next decade
(about 11%)
 Growth will vary by specialty
 Environmental and Civil engineers should experience the largest growth
 Technological advances will not to limit employment in engineering, like in other
occupations, because engineers continue to develop new products and systems
 Offshoring of engineering work will slow domestic employment growth because
foreign engineers are willing to work for lower salaries
 Engineers work on long-term research and development projects so they are less
affected by economic slowdowns
 Engineers must continue their education throughout their careers since much of
their value depends on their knowledge of the latest technology
We Depend on Nature

 We exchange energy and

matter with our environment
as we
i. Eat
ii. Drink
iii. Breathe
 We use
i. Energy for heat and
mobility
ii. Wood for housing and paper
iii. Food and water for living
We Depend on Nature

 Nature
i. Absorbs our wastes
ii. Provides climate stability
iii. Protects us from ultraviolet
radiation
 In cities we tend to think of nature
as a collection of commodities we
obtain from around the world
 But nature is the very source of
our lives and well being
So what can we do?

As designers, we can
 incorporate sustainable thinking into our decision making when constructing
the built environment.
Ecologically Sustainable Development, ESD

 There are three major aspects to consider when trying to achieve ecologically
sustainable development:

i. environmental
ii. social
iii. economic.

 So how does this fit into designing and building an Ecologically Sustainable
Built Environment?
Environmental
 What we design and build should have a low impact on the environment, and if
possible, a positive impact.

Social
 The communities we develop and our places to live should be safe and healthy.
 We can achieve this through good design and by use of healthy materials.

Economic
 The decisions we make should maintain the welfare of our current population,
and bear in mind future the welfare of future generations.
 We should use materials that are renewable rather than exhausting the worlds
supply of natural resources.
Principle of ESD for buildings

 maintain and restore biodiversity;

 minimize the consumption of resources;
 minimize pollution of air, soil and water; and
 maintain health, safety and comfort of building users.
Keys to ecological construction practice

 Low construction cost;

i. Easy maintenance;
ii. Healthy natural environment;
iii. Healthy living environment; and
iv. Low operation cost.
 Adapted from
Ecological Construction Practice, 2001.
H. Preisig, W. Dubach, U. Kasser & K. Viriden
Zurich University of Applied Sciences