INTRODUCTION TO

ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
 What is the difference between
ENVIRONMENT and ENVIRONMENTAL
SCIENCE?

ENVIRONMENT – everything that surrounds us is called

environment.

- derived from the French word “environ” which

means encircle or surrounds.

- acts as a life support system

 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

– study about nature and the facts about

environment

- the way people interact with their natural

surroundings and use natural resources
Three reasons for studying the state of the environment :

1. Need for information that clarifies modern environmental

concepts
2. Need to change the way in which we view our own
environment
3. Need to create a concern for our environment that will
trigger pro-environmental action
Principles of environmental education :

• Examine the major environmental issues

• Discover the root cause
• Develop problem solving skills
• Promote co-operation in solving problems
• Emphasis active participation in prevention and solution to
problems
 RISK AND HAZARDS IN THE ENVIRONMENT

Hazards may be classified into:

o Chemical hazards – Combustion of Fossil fuels,

industrial effluence, pesticides heavy metals.

o Physical hazards – Radioactive and UV radiations,

Global warming, Chlorofluro carbons, Noise etc.

o Biological hazards – Bacteria, Viruses, Parasites.

 .
What is Environmental Engineering?

Environmental Engineering is the integration of science and engineering principles to improve

the natural environment, to provide healthy water, air, and land for human habitation and for
other organisms , and to remediate pollution sites
According to ancient man the environment was the Panchaboodhas:
• Air
• Water
• Land
• Sky
• Energy

According to modern man the environment is only:

• Air
• Land
• Water
 Exploitation of various resources to satisfy the increasing needs of human population has
resulted in:
1. Depletion of various resources of earth
2. Pollution
Natural resources: vital to human survival

• Natural resources = substances and energy

• sources needed for survival
Renewable Resources:
Sunlight, wind, wave energy; renew
over short periods of time

Nonrenewable Resources:
Oil, coal, minerals
 So, what about an environmental engineer?
Solves environmental problems using scientific
tools
 What is an “ environmental problem”?

The perception of what constitutes a problem varies between individuals and

societies
Ex. DDT (Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane), a pesticides
-In developing countries it is welcome because it kills malaria-carrying mosquitoes

-In developed countries it is banned, due to health risks

Environment: the total of our
surroundings
 All the things around us with which we interact:
Living things
- Animals, plants, forests, fungi , etc.
Nonliving things
- Continents, oceans, clouds, soil, rocks
Our built environment
- Buildings, human-created living centers
Social relationships and institutions
Natural resources: vital to human
survival
 Natural resources = substances and energy
 sources needed for survival

 Renewable Resources:
Sunlight,wind,wave energy; renew over short periods of time

 Nonrenewable Resources:
Oil, coal, minerals
What are the challenges we face?

What are the environmental issues we

are facing today?
We face challenges in agriculture

 Expanded food production led to increased

population and consumption
It’s one of humanity’s greatest achievements,
but at an enormous environmental cost
We face challenges in pollution

 Wasteproducts and artificial chemicals used in

farms, industries, and households.
We face challenges in climate

 Scientistshave firmly concluded that humans are

changing the composition of the atmosphere.
 The Earth’s surface is warming
Melting glaciers
Rising sea levels
Impacted wildlife and crops
Increasingly destructive weather
We face challenges in biodiversity

 Human actions have driven many species extinct,

and biodiversity is declining dramatically
Our energy choices will affect our future

 The lives we live today are due to fossils fuels

Machines
Chemicals
Transportation
Products
THE END