CE 352
ENVIRONMENTAL
ENGINEERING PRINCIPLES
DR. SULTAN SALAMAH
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WHAT IS ENVIRONMENTAL
ENGINEERING?
DEFINITION: THE APPLICATION OF SCIENCE
AND ENGINEERING PRINCIPLES AND
CONCEPTS TO CARE FOR AND/OR
RESTORE OUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
AND/OR SOLVE ENVIRONMENTAL
PROBLEMS.
IMPORTANT RELATED SCIENCES INCLUDE
MATH, PHYSICS, BIOLOGY, CHEMISTRY
WHAT IS MEANT BY
ENVIRONMENT?
SIMPLY: YOUR SURROUNDINGS
This includes everything around us, i.e. the
non-living (abiotic) and living (biotic)
environment.
The abiotic environment consists of air,
water and soil, while the biotic environment
includes all the living organisms (plants,
animals, microorganisms).
WHAT IS MEANT BY ENVIRONMENT?
• TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER, THE
ENVIRONMENT MAY BE A VERY LOCALIZED AREA
WITH A PROBLEM NEED TO BE ADDRESSED, A BIG
OR SMALL CONTAMINATED SITE, A SMALL
VOLUME OF LIQUID OR SOLID OR GAS THAT
NEEDS TREATMENT, OR IT MAY TAKE A GLOBAL
DIMENSION.
WHAT IS MEANT BY ENVIRONMENT?
• BASIC COMPONENTS OF GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT
- ATMOSPHERE: A MIXTURE OF GASES (MAINLY NITROGEN, OXYGEN,
CARBON DIOXIDE, WATER VAPOR) EXTENDING OUTWARD FROM THE
SURFACE OF THE EARTH.
-HYDROSPHERE: INCLUDES OCEANS, SEAS, RIVERS, STREAMS, LAKES,
AND SHALLOW GROUNDWATER BODIES THAT INTERFLOW WITH
SURFACE WATER.
-LITHOSPHERE: THE SOIL MANTLE THAT WRAPS THE CORE OF THE
EARTH.
WHAT IS MEANT BY
ENVIRONMENT?
-Biosphere: The biosphere comprises of
all the zones on earth in which life is
present. Biosphere is spread over the
lower part of the atmosphere, the top of
the lithosphere and the entire
hydrosphere
Life-sustaining resources-air, food,
and water withdrawn form the biosphere
and waste products in gaseous, liquid
and solid forms are discharged into it.
WHAT ARE
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES?
• THREE AREAS:
– AIR QUALITY
– LAND QUALITY
– WATER QUALITY
AIR QUALITY
Why is air quality such a problem?
POOR AIR QUALITY CAN LEAD TO:
• SMOG
• RESPIRATORY & OTHER ILLNESSES
Effects of acid rain on
• ACID RAIN
plants
• GLOBAL WARMING
FROM WHERE DO AIR
POLLUTANTS COME?
AIR QUALITY
• AIR POLLUTANT: A KNOWN
SUBSTANCE IN THE AIR THAT CAN
CAUSE HARM TO HUMANS AND THE
ENVIRONMENT.
– NITROGEN OXIDES (NOX)
– SULFUR OXIDES (SOX)
– CARBON MONOXIDE (CO)
– CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2)
GREENHOUSE GASES & GLOBAL
WARMING
• GLOBAL WARMING: AN INCREASE IN THE AVERAGE AIR
TEMPERATURE OF THE EARTH.
• GREENHOUSE EFFECT: HEAT FROM THE SUN GETS TRAPPED
INSIDE THE GLASS OF A GREENHOUSE AND HEATS UP ITS AIR.
• MORE CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2) BEING RELEASED IN THE
ATMOSPHERE TRAPS MORE HEAT.
HOW DO WE REDUCE AIR
POLLUTANTS?
• CARPOOL
• HYBRID CARS
• NEW: GEOLOGIC CARBON
SEQUESTRATION
• ALTERNATIVE FUELS
• WALK, BIKE OR USE
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
LAND QUALITY
• LAND POLLUTION: DESTRUCTION OF THE EARTH’S SURFACE
CAUSED BY HUMAN ACTIVITIES AND THE MISUSE OF NATURAL
RESOURCES.
• NATURAL RESOURCES: LAND AND RAW MATERIALS THAT EXIST
NATURALLY IN THE ENVIRONMENT UNDISTURBED BY HUMANS.
• RENEWABLE RESOURCE: A NATURAL RESOURCE THAT CAN BE
REPLACED BY A NATURAL PROCESS.
• NON-RENEWABLE RESOURCE: A NATURAL RESOURCE THAT
CANNOT BE PRODUCED OR RE-GROWN OR REUSED.
EXAMPLES
RENEWABLE RESOURCES NON-RENEWABLE
RESOURCES
WHAT PROBLEMS ARISE FROM LAND
POLLUTION?
Acid mine Pesticides and Landfills
drainage herbicides
HOW DO WE REDUCE LAND
POLLUTION?
WATER
Water is a basic necessity of nature and
humans.
We use water for: - drinking - food preparation –
washing - growing crops - industrial processes –
recreation … and in many more activities.
Different uses require different level of purity.
In addition, we have to make sure that natural
water bodies such as rivers, lakes and estuaries
remain healthy habitats for the ecosystems they
contain.
MAJOR POLLUTION SOURCES FOR
FRESH AND SALINE WATERS
ENSURING WATER QUALITY
Two components to water quality:
1. Safe for intended use → treatment of
surface or subsurface water for
consumption
2. Safe release → treatment of municipal
sewage and industrial wastewater before
discharge
ENSURING WATER QUALITY
Historically, the design and operation of
treatment systems for both drinking water
and wastewater were activities conducted as
a branch of civil engineering, because it
involves some hydraulics. It was called
Sanitary Engineering.
Environmental Engineering grew out of
sanitary engineering as additional issues
arose, including air quality, solid-waste
disposal, hazardous waste, etc.
