INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING I

CVEEN 3610
Fall Semester 2018

Instructor: Teaching Assistant:

Prof. Ramesh Goel Bishav Bhattarai
2064 MCE 1435 MCE
(801) 581-6110 Office hours: Fridays: 12:15 pm-2 pm.
E-mail: ram.goel@utah.edu Graduate Dungeon- Near transport lab
Office hours: Thursday 10 am-noon, or by appt.
Lectures:
T-Th 12:25 pm to 1:45 pm, L112 Warnock
Course description
CVEEN 3610 is a systematic introduction to the field of environmental engineering and science. We will first
develop a problem solving framework that can be applied to most problems in environmental engineering.
Then, we will review relevant fundamental concepts in chemistry and ecosystem science. Reactor models to
analyze the effects of processes on contaminant concentrations will be developed. These scientific ideas and
engineering analysis tools will be applied to study the principles and practice of water and wastewater
treatment technologies. We will also investigate air pollution problems and their control. Please note that this
is NOT an environmental issues survey course. The scope under this class is prepared in association with 10
other Universities in the United States. The following topics will be covered in this class.
1. Environmental measurements and units
2. Environmental chemistry
3. Mass balances.
4. Environmental Biology
5. Wastewater and drinking water treatment.
Student preparation
The only required prerequisite is one year equivalent of college chemistry and college math. Math through a
first course in differential equations is highly recommended, but not required. A first course in fluid
mechanics is useful, but not required.
Required Text
• M. D. Davis and S. J. Masten, Principles of Environmental Engineering and Science, McGraw-Hill, 2004;
3rd Edition
We will be covering material from Chapters 1, 2, 4, 5, 10 and 11. Some supplementary readings will also be
posted at the CANVAS. The lectures will complement rather than duplicate what is covered in the readings.
It is important to do the assigned reading. (Yes, even engineers have to read!)
Course goals
At the end of the semester, students should be able to…
• Identify major issues pertaining to water and wastewater, ecosystem health, and air pollution.
• Apply basic chemistry principles to solving engineering challenges.
• Carry out material balances within a standard problem solving framework
• Derive and solve mathematical expressions to describe simple transformation and transport process that
occur in environmental fluids
• Interpret the significance of the results – ask “does my answer make sense?”
My responsibilities and your responsibilities
My job as the instructor is to be your guide in the learning process. I personally believe in enquiry based
learning. Hence, I would expect lots of interaction between students and I in this class. Student class
participation is required in this class to ensure a high grade. It is my responsibility to provide you with access
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to the resources you need in order to master the course material. I will provide you with lectures, problem
sets, and quizzes to prepare you for exams. Ultimately, however, you are responsible for your own learning.
To maximize your learning, I recommend that you attend lecture regularly, complete all the problem sets,
take all the quizzes. If you work hard and demonstrate mastery of the material, you will get an “A”! See the
next page for more information on my grading policy.

Grading: Your grade will be based on this weighting scheme:

Course element Weighting
Problem sets 40%
Quizzes 20%
Midterm one 15%
Midterm two 15%
Midterm three 10%
Total 100%
Grades are not negotiable! The grade assigned in this course reflects my subjective assessment of each
student’s performance. The grade is based on objective data from problem assignments, quizzes, and
examinations. “Excellent” performance is necessary to earn an “A”. Problem sets and quizzes must be
completed on time and demonstrate a concerted effort to maintain consistent progress throughout the
semester. The exams must demonstrate thorough mastery of the concepts presented and an ability to apply the
concepts insightfully and accurately in engineering analysis. My professional evaluation includes an overall
assessment of your class participation, effort, and attitude.
Problem sets:
The purpose of the problem sets is to help you learn, to help your grade, and to help you prepare for your
future career by working in teams to solve problems and present work in a written format. An honest effort
on the problem sets is guaranteed to help your grade and will clearly provide the best preparation for the tests
and exam. Problem sets are due at the beginning of the class on Tuesday or Thursday depending upon when
they were assigned.
Quizzes:
The purpose of the quizzes is to provide you with an incentive to master the course material soon after it is
presented to you, instead of the night before the exam. Also, it will motivate you to contribute significantly
to the completion of your group’s problem sets.
• Quizzes will be administered at the END of the lecture.
• You will have 15-20 min to complete one or two problems.
• Usually, these problems will be very similar to those assigned in the previous problem set.
• Make-up quizzes will NOT be administered. The only exceptions to this policy are a death in the
family or your own illness (a doctor’s note must be presented).
Exams:

Three examinations will be administered during this course as follows. During each exam, I expect you to
demonstrate your mastery of the course material.
Exam dates (subject to change!!)
• Midterm Exam #1: Tuesday October 02, 2018
• Midterm Exam #2: October 30th (subject to change)
• Midterm 3: Thursday November 29th, 2018
Class participation: Very Important
I work hard to make lectures as interactive as possible. A large body of pedagogical research has
demonstrated that students learn best through “active learning.” Since this class is large, one mechanism to
make your experience more active is to ask questions. Questions should make sense and should be related to
the course material and environmental engineering. Instructor will form small groups in this class very
frequently to elaborate concepts.

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GRADING SCALE

The following scale will be used to determine letter grades:

92% to 100% A, 88% to <92% A-

85% to <88% B+, 80% to <85% B
75% to <80% C+, 70% to <75% C
65% to <70% D+, 60% to <65% D
<60% F
Students with Disabilities
The University of Utah seeks to provide equal access to its programs, services and activities for people with
disabilities. If you will need accommodations in the class, reasonable prior notice needs to be given to the
Center for Disability Services, 162 Olpin Union Building, 581-5020 (V/TDD). CDS will work with you and
the instructor to make arrangements for accommodations. All written information in this course can be made
available in alternative format with prior notification to the Center for Disability Services.

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PROFESSIONALISM AND PLAGIARISM/CHEATING
While some students have the misconception that school is a part of their social life, it is actually a part of
their professional life. Your conduct in this class should be professional. Besides the obvious professional
habits (e.g. speech, grooming) a portion of your grade related to neatness, tardiness, absenteeism, and class
participation should be some motivation to improve your professionalism. The course rules were designed to
facilitate order in the classroom, respect for your classmates, and the overall learning experience. Do not feel
that you are somehow entitled to bending of the rules. Plagiarism and cheating in this class will be treated
according to academic misconduct guidelines set forth by the University of Utah and employed by the college
of Engineering.
Questions During Exams or Quizzes
An exam is a serious thing. Even if a student is discrete, questions during an exam are disruptive. I will
answer no questions during an exam/quiz. If you feel your exam/quiz has a page missing or if you think you
have a bad photocopy, there will be extra copies of the exam/quiz on the instructor’s desk and you may
quietly come up to the desk and get one. If something is unclear on an exam, make an assumption. Never
approach me with a question during the exam.
Recommended homework solution format

The purpose of the problem sets in this class is to give you practice in (a) solving problems that arise in
environmental engineering, and (b) communicating results to others. The following approach is
recommended in preparing papers:
1) Restate the objective of the problem - many errors arise from not understanding what a problem asks.
2) Identify the physical setting of the problem
a. If appropriate, draw a figure of the system, and label the dimensions, axes, and list other important
parameters.
b. Differentiate among the information that is given by the problem statement, information that you
obtain from other sources, and your assumptions.
3) Solve the problem, showing all assumptions, without skipping steps, and including a brief running
commentary. Circle all answers and call attention to important intermediate results.
4) Discuss briefly the significance of the results.

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You are responsible for the clarity of your work. If the grader cannot follow what you have done, then you
may not receive full credit even if the work is correct. To minimize the risk of grader burnout (something
none of us wants!), please (a) express your answer in the units requested, and (b) box, circle, or otherwise
clearly identify your answer. NEATNESS COUNTS (Both in school, and in the real world)! The grader is
authorized to mark down for work that is sloppy or just difficult to follow.
COURSE TOPICS
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
1 Overview Chapter 1
ENVIRONMENTAL MEASUREMENT AND UNITS
1 Definition of concentration Handout
2 Definition of “parts per million” Chapter 2
3 Conversions between different units of measure Handout
4 Measurements of contaminants in water and air Chapter 2
5 Using the ideal gas law Chapter 2
6 Partitioning of pollutants/Henry’s law Chapter 2 page 54
ENIVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY
Unit Concept Reading/book reference
1 Stoichiometry/balancing chemical equations Chapter 2
2 Reaction kinetics and reaction order Chapter 2
3 Chemical Equilibrium, Partitioning, Equilibrium Constants Chapter 2
4 Alkalinity/Buffer Capacity, hardness Chapter 2
5 pH Chapter 2
6 Transfer of Electrons-redox conditions Chapter 2
MASS BALANCES
1 Reactor theory (including differences between CMFR, PFR, Chapter 4
batch)
2 Identifying a control volume Chapter 4
3 Differentiating between transient and steady-state Chapter 4
4 Quantifying rates of reaction (production, consumption) Chapter 4
5 Mass transport by advection, dispersion, diffusion Chapter 4
6 The balance equation Chapter 4
Environmental Microbiology
1 Cell biology and tree of life Chapter 3
2 Cell metabolism- anabolism, catabolism, enzyme kinetics Chapter 3
3 Nucleic acids Chapter 3
4 Importance of microbiology in Environmental Engineering Chapter 3
Wastewater Treatment (Environmental Biology)
1 Why wastewater treatment, standards, clean water act Chapter 11
2 Wastewater strength, BOD, COD Chapter 11
3 Different unit operations (preliminary and primary) Chapter 11
4 Secondary treatment- microbial processes Chapter 11
5 Application of microbial processes Chapter 11
6 Sludge handling Chapter 5
Water Treatment
1 Drinking water quality and treatment train Chapter 10
2 Coagulation and flocculation Chapter 10
3 Water softening Chapter 10
4 Sedimentation Chapter 10
5 Sand filtration Chapter 10
6 Filtration Chapter 10
7 Make up material if needed Different Chapter

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