CHE0323 Environmental Engineering

Module Introduction

By

Dr.Lakkim N Rao
Module Leader

1
What Is Environmental Engineering?
 Environmental engineering is the branch of engineering that is concerned with protecting people from the effects
of adverse environmental effects, such as pollution, as well as improving environmental quality.
 Environmental engineers work to improve recycling, waste disposal, public health, and water and air pollution
control
THE BIOSPHERE
 The environment which supports life and sustains various human activity is widely
known as biosphere
 Biosphere divided into ecosystems
 Biotic and Abiotic component
 Biotic –
1. Producers 2. Consumers 3. Decomposers
 Abiotic –
carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous, sulphur, water etc.,

 Abiotic components circulate in the ecosystem through the following cycles

1. The Hydrologic cycle
2. Biogeochemical cycles (Nutrient cycle)
Examples: Carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous, sulphur cycles etc.
Variety of known living species (refer CSRao text book page:2)
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM-POND

 Abiotic substances are water, nutrients, oxygen, CO2 etc.

 Producers – large rooted plants and phytoplankton (algae and small
floating plants)
 Consumers – benthos, zooplankton, frog, man etc
 Decomposers – Bacteria and fungi
 In Healthy system Carbon, Nitrogen and Phosphorous small quantity to limit
the production of algae.
THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE
NUTRIENT CYCLE

 Carbon cycle
 Nitrogen cycle
 Phosphorus cycle
 Sulphur cycle
CARBON CYCLE
NITROGEN CYCLE
PHOSPHORUS CYCLE
SULPHUR CYCLE
CONSEQUENCE OF POPULATION GROWTH
 Discovery of food production by cultivation or by taming animals
altered man’s life style
 Initially pests and femine kept the population under control.
 By the production fertilizer, food, medicine, cheap sources of
energy growth rate of population increased drastically.
 POPULATION GROWTH AND DOUBLING TIME

 Exponential growth rate of population is given by

P = Po exp[ k(t-to)
Where P - Population in number
Po – Initial population
K – exponential growth rate
t – final time
to– initial time
Doubling time, Td of population is expressed as Td = 69.3 / r
Where r – percentage rate of population growth per year
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF POPULATION  Cropland
GROWTH
 Pasture and Range land
 Loss of Biodiversity
 Fisheries
 Fresh water