Department of Chemical Engineering

Basic Environmental Engineering

Chemical Engineering Department

(EnEg4111)
Chapter I
Introduction
Presented by:
Bimrew Bizualem (MSc)
Academic Year:2023/2024

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1. Introduction to Environmental Engineering

Background

• Science : is systematized knowledge drained from and tested by recognition

and formulation of a problem, collection of data through observation, and
experimentation.

• Engineering is a profession that applies science and mathematics to make the

properties of matter and sources of energy useful in structures, machines,
products, systems and processes.

• Environmental engineering is a branch of engineering concerned with the

application of scientific and engineering principles for protection of human
populations from the effect of adverse environmental factors and improvement
of environmental quality.
.

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Industrialization, resource consumption and waste generation

Material flow and resource efficiency

• Three economic types that the world passing trough:

Economic types

Linear Circular Real Economy

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Industrialization, resource consumption and waste generation

Material flow and resource efficiency

• Products are made from primary (raw
or virgin) materials,
1. Linear economy
• Resources become waste after passing
once through economy,

• Large amounts of waste,

• Low resource-efficiency,

• High consumption of resources,

• High risk for: depletion of resource,
increase of commodity.
Eg. Plastic bottle
o From cradle to grave
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Industrialization, resource consumption and waste generation

Material flow and resource efficiency

• Products are made from secondary

2. Circular Economy materials,
• No use of resources,
• Waste is selectively collected and reused
or recycled (Recycling = production of
secondary materials, which will replace
primary materials),
• Only high quality recycling = unlimited
number of cycles, by: eco-design,
• Zero land filling,
• High resource-efficiency
• Eg., recycling plastic bottle
o ‘From cradle to cradle’
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Industrialization, resource consumption and waste generation

Material flow and resource efficiency

o In each step of production-
3. Real Economy consumption-recycling chain

• Resources are consumed

• Waste is generated

• Emissions and losses are

generated

o Resource efficiency strongly

dependent GDP and waste
management policy.

o Eg., Carbon burning

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Industrialization, resource consumption and waste generation

Material flow and resource efficiency

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 1. Why Environmental Engineering

These characteristics entail

• Contamination of fresh water bodies

(lakes, streams, aquifers) and oceans

• A global crisis of waste disposal,

as a result of over consumption
of resources. . .

• Air pollution: Fossil fuel (non

renewable natural resources);
Ozone Layer Depletion; Acid
Rain . . . • Climate Change, Global worming ,
frequent occurrence of floods, melting
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1. Introduction to Environmental Engineering

Industrialization, resource consumption and waste generation

Material flow and resource efficiency

• Awakening to environmental problems Reduced breeding success

DDT and other chlorinated chemicals

• 1962 (silent spring)

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❖ Biomagnification
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1. Why Environmental Engineering

Therefore, Environmental engineering was born to:

1 Design and implement systems that will maximize the

efficient use of ecological resources

2 Design and implement pollution control and rehabilitation

technologies for the polluted ecological components

Propose an appropriate perspective for future industrialization

3 processes and renewable energy technologies

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Historical Perspective to Air pollution, water and wastewater

• Wastewater Treatment

• Early efforts at sewage treatment involved carrying the sewage to the nearest river or
stream.

• In England, the Royal Commission on Rivers Pollution was appointed in 1868. over the
course of their six reports provided official recognition (in decreasing order of preference)

– Sewage filtration

– Irrigation

– Chemical precipitation

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Historical Perspective to Air pollution, water and wastewater

• Air pollution control history

• 19 74, Molina & Rowland discovery on the chemical mechanisms of ozone
distraction.
• The introduction of the now in use technologies for particulate matter control
(late 19th and early 20th century).
• smog in London

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1. Introduction to Environmental Engineering
1.3 Natural and Human activities in Environmental problems
1. Introduction to Environmental Engineering
1.3 Natural and Human activities in Environmental problems
1. Introduction to Environmental Engineering
1.3 Natural and Human activities in Environmental problems
1. Introduction to Environmental Engineering
1.3 Natural and Human activities in Environmental problems
1. Introduction to Environmental Engineering
1.3 Natural and Human activities in Environmental problems
1. Introduction to Environmental Engineering
1.3 Natural and Human activities in Environmental problems
1. Introduction to Environmental Engineering
1.3 Natural and Human activities in Environmental problems
1. Introduction to Environmental Engineering
1.3 Natural and Human activities in Environmental problems
1. Introduction to Environmental Engineering
1.3 Natural and Human activities in Environmental problems
1. Introduction to Environmental Engineering
1.3 Natural and Human activities in Environmental problems
1. Introduction to Environmental Engineering
1.3 Natural and Human activities in Environmental problems
1. Introduction to Environmental Engineering
1.3 Natural and Human activities in Environmental problems
 1. Introduction to Environmental Engineering

1.3 Human activities and Environmental problems

• Urbanization
• It is the physical growth of urban areas as a result of rural migration. Currently
there are more people living in urban area than rural areas. The primary cause of
the urban growth is due to two main reasons: the rural expulsion factors
(poverty, lack of land and work opportunities) and the city attractiveness factors
(better job offers and social services).
• Due to the availability of employment opportunities and other infrastructural
facilities migration of labour towards cities resulted leading to increase of
population densities in relatively smaller land areas. This increased stresses in
land use, transportation, sanitation and services. Urbanization is a global
phenomenon, which has affected both the developed as well as developing
nations. The problem is acute in our country where a majority of the city
population lives in slums and half of the population have no safe drinking water.

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1.3 Human activities and Environmental problems

• Agriculture
• Farming in the near future faces the discouraging task of feeding a growing
population using sustainable methods. Many current agricultural practices are
not sustainable because they damage the soil and other parts of the environment
due to the use of increased amounts of fertilizers and large quantities of toxic
pesticides. Destruction of Ecosystems to provide land for agriculture can cause
the widespread extinction of plant and animal species.
• Industrialization
• Our planet earth has a natural environment, known as ‘Ecosystem’ which
includes all humans, plant life, mountains, glaciers, atmosphere, rocks, galaxy,
massive oceans and seas. It also includes natural resources such as water, electric
charge, fire, magnetism, air and climate. Modern technologies used in
the engineering and manufacturing industry have a major impact on our life in
past few years.
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1.3 Human activities and Environmental problems

• Due to the rapid changes in the engineering and manufacturing industry have
been drastic changes in the environment. Here are 10 significant current
environmental issues, where human beings play an important role in its cause
• Pollution: More than half of the human population knows what pollution is, but
we are still not ready to face its damaging consequences. pollution is not only
limited to water, soil and noise but has extended to light, visual, point and non-
point sources. Human beings and their actions are majorly responsible for
causing all types of pollution.
• Climate Change: It is rapidly occurring due to the ill effects of human actions
responsible for disturbing and harmful out comings such as global
warming, green house effect urban heat etc
• Global Warming: It is another environmental issue which is increase in earth’s
temperature due to effect of greenhouse gases called carbon dioxide, methane,
water vapor and other gases. These gases possess heat trapping capacities that
are needed to create greenhouse
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1.3 Human activities and Environmental problems

• Acid Rain: Acid Rain simply means rain that is acidic in nature due to the
presence of certain pollutants in the atmosphere. It can also be caused due to
man-made sources which include combustion of fossil fuels which release sulfur
dioxide and nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere.
• Ozone Layer Depletion: ozone layer is a layer of gas that sits 25-30 km above
earth’s surface. It mainly contains ozone which is a naturally occurring molecule
containing three oxygen atoms. This layer is present in the stratosphere and
prevents too many harmful UV (ultra violet) radiations from entering the earth.
Ozone layer is capable of absorbing 97-99% of the harmful ultraviolet radiations
that are emitted by sun. The main cause of depletion of ozone layer is
determined as excessive release of chlorine and bromine from man-made
compounds such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Chlorofluorocarbons, halons,
Methyl chloroform, Carbon tetrachloride, hydro-chlorofluorocarbons,
hydrobromofluorocarbons and methyl bromide are found to have direct impact
on the depletion of the ozone layer.
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1.3 Human activities and Environmental problems

• Genetic Engineering: Genetic modification of food, human and animal organs

seems like the gem of science and technology but this has major harmful effects.
• Urban Sprawl: Today almost all countries are using the land irresponsibly to
meet the ever-growing demand of the greedy human wishes. The expansion of
industrial areas has not only led to land degradation and soil pollution, but the
habitat destruction is a terrible misery.

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Historical Perspective to Legal Framework for Protection

o Some examples of legal enactments designed to consciously preserve the

environment:
• Primary protection was found in the law of nuisance (early 18th )
– allowed for private actions for damages or injunctions if there was harm to
land.
• Metropolitan commission of sewer Act 1848
– sewers to close cesspits around the city in an attempt to "clean up" but this
simply led people to pollute the river.
• Clean Air Act 1956
– after smog 1952 in London
– which set limits on emissions for households and business (particularly
burning coal)

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Reading Assignment

• Legal framework for protection of the environment (polices,

legislations, proclamations)
» water
» air
» solid waste disposal

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1.4 Concepts to Environmental chemistry and microbiology
▪ Composition/ constituents of air, water (water and wastewater ),
soil and solid waste
Water and wastewater consists of:
➢ H2O molecules
➢ dissolved constituents:
▪ inorganic : salts , metals, clay minerals ...
▪ organics: suspended particles : viruses, bacteria, and organic
aggregates (BOD, COD).
➢ Nonaqueous phase liquids are typically classified as either light
nonaqueous phase liquids (LNAPLs) which have densities less
than that of water, or dense nonaqueous phase liquids
(DNAPLs) which have densities greater than that of water.
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1.4 Concepts to Environmental chemistry and microbiology
▪ Composition of dry air in the lower atmosphere of the earth

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1.4 Concepts to Environmental chemistry and microbiology
❖ Units of Concentration

▪ Pollutant concentration is the most important determinant in almost

all aspects of pollutant fate and transport in the environment and in
engineered systems.
▪ Concentration is also the driving force which controls the rate of
chemical reactions and pollutant effects, such as toxicity, are often
determined by concentration.

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1.4 Concepts to Environmental chemistry and microbiology
➢ Concentrations of pollutants and other chemicals in the
environment are routinely expressed in a variety of units.
➢ The choice of units to use in a given situation depends on the
pollutant, where it is located (e.g., air, water, or soil), and often on
what the measurement will be used for.
➢ It is therefore necessary to become familiar with the units used and
methods for converting between different sets of units.

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➢Most commonly used concentration units in environmental

measurements

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1.4 Concepts to Environmental chemistry and microbiology
1. Molarity : is the number of moles of solute (substance of interest –
pollutant etc.) dissolved in a liter of the solution.
M= ( moles of solute ) /L of solution).
➢ Example: 1.26 g AgNO3 is dissolved in a 250 ml volumetric flask.
Calculate the molarity of AgNO3.How many milli moles (mmole)
AgNO3 were dissolved?

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1.4 Concepts to Environmental chemistry and microbiology
2. Mass/mass Units: ppmm
➢ Parts-per-million by mass (ppm, or ppmm) is defined as the number
of units of mass of pollutant per million units of total mass. That is,

ppmm =g of pollutant in 10^6 g total.

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1.4 Concepts to Environmental chemistry and microbiology
Example
➢ A 1.0 kg sample of soil is analyzed for the pollutant
trichloroethylene (TCE) (C2HCl3). The analysis indicates that the
sample contains 5.0 mg of TCE. What is the TCE concentration in
ppm?
Given
➢ Mass of pollutant =5mg= 0.005g
➢ Mass of total sample = 1Kg=1000g

Ppm =( 0.005g/1000g)*1,000,000
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1.4 Concepts to Environmental chemistry and microbiology
3.Mass/volume Units: mg/l.
➢ In water, units of mg/L are common.
mg/L = mass of solute/ volume of solvent
Example
One liter of water is analyzed and found to contain 5.0 mg
trichloroethylene (TCE). What is the TCE concentration in mg/l.
Given
➢ mass of solute : TCE= 5.0 mg
➢ volume of solvent : Water= 1L
Solution
➢ Mg/l of TCE= 5.0 mg /1L
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1.4 Concepts to Environmental chemistry and microbiology
➢ To convert mg/L to ppm, which is a mass/mass unit, it is necessary
to convert the volume of water to mass of water, by multiplying the
volume by the density of 1000 g/l:

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1.4 Concepts to Environmental chemistry and microbiology

➢ In water ppm is equivalent to mg/l. This is because the density of

pure water is approximately 1000 g/l.

➢ Most aqueous solutions encountered in environmental engineering

and science are dilute, meaning that dissolved material does not
add significantly to the mass of the water, and the total density
remains approximately 1000 g/l.

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1.4 Concepts to Environmental chemistry and microbiology
➢ Concentration in air: pollutants in the air can be particulate matters
and gas.
➢ Particulate matter
▪ Dust fall: mg/cm2. .month
▪ Suspended particulates : are given mass per unit volume
(µg/m3)
➢ Gas pollutants : In ppm and µg/m
➢ Conversion one to the other unit :

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1.4 Concepts to Environmental chemistry and microbiology
➢ The L/mol part is dependent on the temperature and pressure of
the gas pollutant during the emission condition. Thus, it is
calculated from the Ideal gas law:
PV=nRT
• Where ; R= universal gas constant = (8.314m3*pa/k.mol,
8.314*10^-5 m*atm/k.mol )
• n= number of moles
• T= temperature of the gas(0 0c, 273.15 0K)
• P= pressure of the gas ( 1 Atm, 101.3 kPa)
• V= volume of gas (L, m3) (22.4L)

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1.4 Concepts to Environmental chemistry and microbiology
Example
▪ A sample of air is analyzed at standard temperature and pressure
reported to contain 9 ppm of CO. Determine the µg/m3
concentration of CO.
Given
▪ [CO] at STP= 9 ppm= 9*10^-6
▪ MM of CO= 12+16=28 g/mol

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1.4 Concepts to Environmental chemistry and microbiology
Exercise
1. Determine the volume of 3 mol of stack gas at 1400 mmHg and
1000 0c
(760mm Hg=1 atm=101325pa)
2. Gas from a thermal station has an SO2 content of 7 ppm at 1 atm
and 50 0c.Determine the concentration of SO2 in mg/l.

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1.4 Concepts to Environmental chemistry and microbiology
➢ Deferent reactions that happen in environmental systems
▪ Redox reactions (Bio, chemical)
▪ Dissolution and Precipitation reactions
▪ Acid base reactions
▪ Hydrolysis
▪ photolysis
➢ Balancing chemical reactions

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➢ In the life cycle of microbes they divide many times and build new
cell structures.
▪ Energy
▪ Basic cell building blocs (C, N, P….)
▪ Electron
➢ The reaction which leads to the production of energy and these
structures is called metabolic reaction.
➢ Carbon and Energy sources for microbes
➢ All cells require carbon as major nutrient , they abstract this carbon
from
1. Organic compounds (organic carbon)
▪ Heterotrophs
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▪ Autotrophs Bimrew B (MSc)
1. Introduction to Environmental Engineering
1.4 Concepts to Environmental chemistry and microbiology
Energy sources of microbes : Cells obtain their energy
1. Chemical compounds
➢ Chemotrophs
▪ Lithotrophs (inorganic compounds such as H, Fe…)
▪ Organotrophs (glucose, acetate …)
2. Light
➢ Phototrophs

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1.4 Concepts to Environmental chemistry and microbiology
Metabolic categories of M.O

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1.4 Concepts to Environmental chemistry and microbiology
▪ The role of microbes In the environment nutrient recycling in the
ecosystem, degradation and detoxification of chemicals, indicators
of environmental quality ...

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Mass and energy transfer in environment system
Mass balance
• There are three possible outcomes for a chemical present at a
specific location in the environment at a particular time:
o The chemical can remain in that location,
o Be carried elsewhere by a transport process, or
o Be eliminated by being biochemically/ chemically
transformed into another chemical.
• This very simple observation, known as mass balance or mass
conservation, has important practical implications.

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• Mass balance is a concept around which a discussion of the fate

and transport of any environmental chemical can be organized; it
also serves as a check on the completeness of our knowledge of a
chemical's behavior.

• For the application of the mass balance concept it is needed to

choose a control volume.

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• The mass balance expression for any chemical in any control
volume during any time interval can be written as:

• change in storage of mass = mass transported in – mass transported

out + mass produced by sources - mass eliminated by sinks
Symbolically,

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Simplification in mass balance
1. steady state (no change with time dm/dt=0 or it is to mean no
accumulation)

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Steady state and non reactive

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• Application of mass balance in environmental systems and
engineering
1. Read the problem carefully (know what is asked)
– Key words /phrases
– Be careful of assumptions
2. Draw the control volume – label knows and un knows commonly
used symbols
– m mass
– n moles
– X mass fraction
– Y mole fraction

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Example 1
• An industrial outfall discharges small amounts of various alcohols
to a given lake from an industrial fermentation process. It is desired
to estimate the rate at which alcohols are degraded in the lake. One
of them, butanol (C4H9OH), is released to the lake at the rate of 20
kg/day. Butanol is measured in the lake water at a steady-state
concentration of 10-4 kg/m3. There are streams one outflowing
from the lake and the other is inflowing to the lake. No butanol is
detected in the inflowing stream. Stream flow at the outlet of the
lake is measured to be 3*104m3/day. Assuming no internal sources
for butanol, no transfer to the air, and a well-mixed lake (i.e.,
concentration is the same everywhere in the lake), what is the
magnitude of internal sinks of butanol?

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• Given
▪ The outfall input is 20 kg/day.
▪ The stream input is zero.
▪ Stream output= CLake*Qs= (3*
104m3/day) (10-4 kg/m3 ) = 3
kg/day.
▪ There are no known internal
sources
▪ Since concentration of butanol
in the lake water is steady over
time at 10-4 kg/m3 , the change
in storage is zero.

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Solution
General mass balance equation
• change in storage of mass = mass transported in - mass transported
out + mass produced by sources - mass eliminated by sinks
• For this particular situation, we can rewrite this equation more
explicitly for the mass balance of butanol:
• Internal sinks = outfall input + stream input - stream output+
internal sources - change in storage.
• Therefore, for the mass balance we have:
• Internal sinks = 20 kg/day + 0 - 3 kg/day + 0 - 0 .
• The internal sink consumes 17 kg of butanol per day.

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Example 2
• Wet air containing 4.0 mole % water vapor passes through a
column of CaCl2 pellet. The pellets absorb 25% of the water and
none of the other constituents of the air. The column packing was
initially dry and had a mass of 60 g. After 5.0 hr of operation, it has
a mass of 78 g. what is the total molar flow rate of the feed and
molar flow of water in the outlet stream.
• Given

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Solution
ACCMH2O =78g-60g= 18g
MMH2O = 18g/mol
ACC moles of H2O= 18g/18g/mol= 1 mol
mass balance of water
▪ nw Acc = nw in- nw out
▪ 1 mole = 0.04*5hr*nin- 0.75*(0.04*5hr*nin)
▪ nin= 20 mol
Overall Mass balance
▪ macc= min –mout
▪ nacc = nin – nout
▪ 1mol= 20 mol- nout =nout= (20-1)mol
▪ nout = (20-1)mol = 19
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Concepts in hydrology and pollutant transport
Hydrogeology is the study of the laws governing :
➢ The movement of water (surface and ground water)
➢ The mechanical, chemical and thermal interaction of these water
with the porous solid;
➢ transport of energy and chemical constituents by the flow
(Domenico & Schwartz, 1990).

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Concepts in hydrology and pollutant transport
• Knowledge of the principles underlining the fate and transport of
chemicals in the environment allows a problems ranging from local
to global scales to be defined and analyzed.
• Most physical mass transport in the environment occurs in the
fluids air and water.
• There are primarily two kinds of physical processes by which
chemicals are transported in fluids in the environment.
These are;
1. Advection, is due to bulk movement of air or water, as seen in
blowing wind and flowing streams.
▪ A chemical present in air or water is passively carried by this bulk
advective movement, resulting in chemical transport.

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Concepts in hydrology and pollutant transport

Atmospheric advactive transport Advacitive transport in GW

Quantification of Advective Transport

• The bulk motion of fluid is common throughout the environment;
this advective motion is described mathematically by the direction
and the magnitude of its velocity.
• The rate at which a chemical is transported per unit area is often
expressed in terms of flux density.
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Concepts in hydrology and pollutant transport
2. Diffusion: caused by concentration gradients. dispersion consists of
different types:
➢ molecular diffusion; due to random movement of molecules.
➢ Turbulent diffusion; due to eddy flow or swirling motion of the
fluids in which the chemicals exist.
➢ mechanical dispersion; it occurs in case of ground water which
moves in pores of soil (micro and macro pores).
• It is dispersion resulting from velocity differences, caused by the
flow and the matrix characteristics (existence of the pore system,
differences in hydraulic conductivity).

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Concepts in hydrology and pollutant transport
• Hydrodynamic dispersion is the sum of molecular and mechanical
dispersion

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Ecological systems and disturbances
➢ Environment : Organism and non organism surround us which
include natural and man-made environment

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Ecological systems and disturbances
➢ Ecosystem: the system resulting from the interaction of all the
living and non living factors of the Environment.
➢ An ecosystem consists of the biological community that occurs in
some local, and the physical and chemical factors that make up its
non-living or abiotic environment.

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Types of Ecosystem
▪ Artificial (man made/ Engineered) Ecosystems: These are
maintained artificially by man where by addition of energy and
planned manipulation, natural balance is disturbed regularly e.g.,
crop land ecosystem, artificial lakes, constructed wetlands.

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➢ Natural Ecosystems : These operate under natural conditions
without any major interference by man.
▪ Terrestrial Ecosystem : Forest, grassland, desert, …
▪ Aquatic Ecosystem

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• Aquatic ecosystem is an ecosystem in a body of water. It can be
further classified into:
1. Fresh water Ecosystem
▪ Lotic (running water like spring, stream, or rivers) or
▪ Lentic (standing water as lake, pond, pools, etc.)

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2. Marine Ecosystem: cover approximately 71% of the Earth's surface
and contain approximately 97% of the planet's water.

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Components of ecosystem

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➢ Abiotic: Consists of Non-living , Physical & chemical factors that
influence living organisms in land (terrestrial) ecosystem & aquatic
life zones.
• Components such as water, air, nutrients in the soil or water &
Solar Energy.
❖ Abiotic factors can act as LIMITING FACTORS that keep a
population at acertain level.
Abiotic Components are mainly of two types:
1.Climatic factors: which include rain, temperature, light, wind, etc.
2.Edaphic factors (soil): which include soil, pH, Topography,
Minerals, etc.

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➢ Biotic: Made up of biological components consisting Of living
plants, animals and microorganisms.The Major Biological
Components of Ecosystem : Producers (Autotrophs)(self-feeders)
▪ Make their own food from compounds that are obtained from their
environment
▪ Are the source of all food in an ecosystem
▪ On land most producers are green plants, and some
microorganisms
▪ In freshwater and marine ecosystems, algae and plants are the
major producers near shorelines
▪ In open water, the dominant producers are phytoplankton (most of
them microscopic) that float or drift in the water.
▪ Most producers capture sunlight to make carbohydrates (such as
glucose) by photosynthesis.
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➢ Consumers (Heterotrophs) (“other feeders”): get their energy and
nutrients by feeding on other organisms or their remains
i. Primary consumers : Are those that eat producers (plants) as a
source of food. They are also known as herbivores
ii. Secondary consumers or carnivores : Eat other animals
iii. Tertiary Consumers : Large Carnivores which feed on secondary
consumers
iv. Quaternary Consumers : Largest Carnivores that feed on tertiary
consumers
v. Omnivores : Have mixed diet that include both plants and animals.

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➢ Decomposer: Mostly certain types of bacteria and fungi are
specialized consumers that recycle organic matter in ecosystems.
▪ They do this by breaking down (biodegrading) dead organic
material to get nutrients and releasing the resulting simpler
inorganic compounds into the soil and water, where they can be
taken up as nutrients by producers.

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➢ Ecological disturbance : is temporary change in the environment
which have a pronounced effect on the ecosystem.
▪ Environmental pollution
• Water
• Air
• Soil
▪ Climate change

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 Thank you
End of chapter 1

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