CE 214 Environmental Quality and Processes

First Course Handout (FCH)

Course Structure: 3L-0T-0P-0A (9 credits)

Meeting Times and Place:

Lectures 10:00 - 10:50 am Mon, Wed, Fri L2
Webpage: https://hello.iitk.ac.in/course/ce214sem22324
(each student will have login-based access to this MOOKIT portal)

Instructors:
Part 1: Prof. Abhas Singh, FB 306, Civil Eng, 512-259-7665, abhas@iitk.ac.in
Part 2: Prof. Purnendu Bose, WLE 304, Civil Eng, 512-259-7403, pbose@iitk.ac.in

Office Hours: To be decided based on student’s availability

Tentative open slots M, W, Thu 12 noon to 1 pm;

Although we will be typically available just after each class for discussion, this office hour is your
opportunity to work on your doubts and seek clarifications, if needed.

Teaching Assistants: Himadri Bhowmik (himadrib@iitk.ac.in; 6393059256),

Shivam Singh (shivamnov20@iitk.ac.in; 8707718032),
Shivam Srivastava (shivamsri23@iitk.ac.in; 8418940149)

Course Description:
Objectives:
The course is designed to give the students a broad scientific understanding of all issues related to
environmental science, engineering, and management.

Outline:
This is an introductory course for undergraduate students. The course provides an overview of the
different facets of Environmental Engineering, particularly the underlying concepts and the intended
applications so as to prepare a graduating engineer with the skills needed to effectively intervene in
the safeguarding of the environment, in whatever role they ultimately play in the society.
Pollutant mobility, toxicity, and amenability to treatment in the environment depend on the physical
and chemical reactions the pollutant undergoes in the environmental systems. This course introduces
fundamental principles and processes that govern the fate and transport of these chemicals in pristine
and polluted soil, air, surface, and groundwater environments. The course examines the equilibrium
and kinetics of chemical reactions relevant to environmental systems. For each reaction, the
fundamental molecular interactions are first examined. The quantitative application of the reaction to
environmental behaviour is then presented.
Topics covered include acids and bases, mineral solubility, carbonate chemistry, chemical
speciation, reduction-oxidation (redox) reactions, adsorption and ion exchange, and the speciation,
mobility, and toxicity of metals. Furthermore, the theory and application of the physical and chemical
processes of coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, softening, filtration, and disinfection in water
and wastewater treatment is presented. Principles that can be used in the analysis and modeling of
environmental engineering processes, including material and energy balances, mass transfer, and
reaction engineering are elucidated.

Conduct:
The course will be conducted in 2 parts. The first part will be taught by Prof. Abhas Singh (AS) and
will be over with the mid semester examination. This part of the course will have half the weightage
for the entire course. The second part of the course will be taught by Prof. Purnendu Bose (PB) and
will start after the mid semester examination. This part of the course will have half the weightage for
the entire course.

Contents:
Sr. Broad Title Topics No. of
No. Lectures
1 Introduction and General concept of Environmental 1
Scope Engineering

2 Ecology and Impact of pollution on the environment 1

Environment
3 Environmental Various pollutants in different media, 2
Quality Parameters Introduction to environmental standards, Brief AS
mention of development of standards; concept
of mass balance and control volume
4 Aquatic Chemistry Acid-base chemistry, alkalinity, metal 8
complexation, precipitation, reduction-
oxidation (redox), sorption, etc
5 Mass Transfer Inter-media transfer of pollutants e.g. gas- 8
liquid, solid-liquid transfers, kinetics of
processes and rates
6 Particles in Formation, Settling, Deposition, 3
Environment Flocculation, Coagulation, Attachment
7 Pollutant Transport Mechanisms of Pollutant Transport 2
8 Air Pollution Pollutant sources, effects, Meteorology as 8
applied to air pollution, Air pollution control
9 Environmental Pollutant transport equations; Development 4 PB
Modeling of analytical/ predictive environmental
models for various environmental media
10 Solid and Definition; Control measures; Disposal of 3
Hazardous Waste Wastes, Management
Management
Course Responsibilities:
Course grades will be determined based on the following: (50% Part I + 50% Part II).

Break-up of evaluation for Part 1:-

In-class attendance, conduct and 10-15%
viva:
Quizzes (4; closed book) 35-40%
HW Assignments No marks Not to be graded but students are expected to
solve them
Exam-1 (during mid-sem week): 50% Mandatory
Break-up of evaluation for Part 2:-
Quizzes (5; closed book) Weightage and modality to be communicated by Prof. Bose
Exam-2 (during mid-sem week): Mandatory

Quizzes:
Part 1
Four quizzes will be held on: Jan 13 (Sat; tentatively 12 noon); Jan 20 (Sat; tentatively 12 noon);
Jan 31 (Wed; time to be decided); Feb 10 (Sat; tentatively 12 noon); Venue to be decided.
Scores of all quizzes will be considered for the final grade.
Part 2
Five quizzes (all on Saturdays) in the second half of the semester on the following days:
Mar 9 (L7; 12 noon); Mar 16 (L7; 12 noon); Apr 6 (L7; 10 am);
Apr 13 (L7; 12 noon); Apr 19 (L20; 10 am)
This is early notification and requests of clashes will not be entertained later.

Problem Sets: Practice problems will be provided during the semester. Solving these problems will
be immensely helpful in understanding the course materials as well as for the examinations and/or
viva, but the students do not have to submit them for evaluation. Students are encouraged to discuss
the course material by posting questions on the discussion forum on the course webpage on Hello
MOOKIT portal:
https://hello.iitk.ac.in/course/ce214sem22324. Responses to these questions would be provided
online or during the lectures.

Exams: Two exams will be given. Although focused on the most recent material covered, students
will be expected to recall information from the Part 1 portion to complete Part 2 successfully. More
details will be provided during the lectures.

Relevant Texts and Readings:

Environmental Engineering Science, 1st ed., Nazaroff, W.W. and Alvarez-Cohen, L. (2004);
reprinted (2011) John Wiley and Sons Inc.
Chemistry for Environmental Engineering and Science, 5th ed., Sawyer, C.N., McCarty P.L. and
Parkin, G.F. (2003) McGraw Hill.
Introduction to Environmental Engineering and Science, 3rd ed., Masters, G.M. and Ela, W.P. and
Parkin, G.F. (2007) Prentice Hall.
Additional reading will made available from time to time on the course webpage or in class.
Grading:
Marks obtained by a student in Part 1 and Part 2 of the course will be added and grading will be done
on the basis of the combined score. If you end up scoring less in a few quizzes, especially at the start
of the semester, the scheme of continuous evaluation will provide enough opportunities for you to get
back in the course. Final grades will be determined by the two instructors based on relative grading
with respect to peers as well as with respect to previous year’s scores. Attendance and conduct will
be used to decide marginal cases between two grades.

Grade Cutoffs:
µ + 2.0σ : A*/A
µ + 1.5σ : A/B+
µ + 1.0σ : B+/B
µ + 0.5σ : B/C+
µ : C+/C
µ – 0.5σ : C/D+
µ – 1.0σ : D+/D
µ – 1.5σ : D/E
µ – 2σ : E/F

µ = Mean of all marks; σ = std. dev. of all marks

These cutoffs are not absolutely firm and may be made slightly higher or lower based on the instructors’
discretion.
The above cutoffs have been proposed considering the expected class average for the course to
be ~65 with standard deviation of ~16. Hence, a student getting below 40 marks will likely get a failing
grade in this course. Also, grade cutoffs may change if the class average is substantially above or below
the expected value.

Exam Policy: Please do not miss an exam. It is mandatory to take the two exams corresponding
to each Part in order to pass this course. If you miss an exam and provide an acceptable written
excuse, we may choose to schedule an oral or written make-up exam. No make-up will be provided for
missing a quiz for any reason.

Attendance and Expected Conduct: Students are expected to attend all classes. A problem-solving
approach is followed in the lectures and the interactions in the class help learn the subject. Attendance
will be marked each day and will be also used to decide grades for borderline cases.

Academic Integrity: All students are expected to adhere to high standards of academic integrity of
IIT Kanpur. If you have any doubts or questions about the policies, please ask the instructor. Any
disciplinary breach or academic misconduct could lead to deregistration from the course and
intimation to DUGC and SSAC for further action.