CHAPTER 1:

INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL
ENGINEERING

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Firman Allah
“Berlakulah kerosakan (bencana) di daratan
dan di lautan oleh kerana usaha manusia
sendiri, sehingga Allah menimpakan pada
mereka sebahagian azab daripada
perbuatan mereka itu, agar mereka kembali
ke jalan yang benar (bertaubat).”
(Surah Ar Rum ayat 41)

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3
4
The application of science and engineering
principles:
to improve the natural environment (air, water,
and/or land resources),
to provide healthy water, air, and land for
human habitation (house or home) and for
other organisms, and to
remediate polluted sites.
Environmental Scientist
Evaluate source and nature of pollution problem
Evaluate environmental impact
Environmental Engineer
Evaluate possible solutions
Design, build and operate pollution control systems

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Adverse Effects of
Environmental
Pollution
 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND TO THE EMERGENCE
OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
Major Global Meetings
1972 Stockholm United Nations
Conference on the Human Environment
1987 World Commission on Environment
and Development (WCED), Brundtland
report: Our Common Future
1987 Montreal Protocol
1992 Rio Summit in Brazil (Earth Summit):
Agenda 21
1997 Kyoto Protocol
2001 Johannesburg Earth Summit
Issues
Pollution, rates of depletion of non
renewable fossil fuels and population
growth
Idea of sustainable development
Substances that deplete the ozone layer
Ozone depletion, tropical deforestation,
loss of biodiversity, and global warming
Controlling the emissions of greenhouse
gases
Energy, freshwater, food security and
health
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 AIR
SOILS
WATER

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

FOREST
SOLID & HAZARDOUS WASTE
SEA

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 Human activity = Impacts

Ozone depletion
Global warming

Loss of
Air ,water & land biodiversity
pollution

Population increase
Resource depletion Economic growth
Global change includes natural
and human- induced changes in
the Earth's environment .
Global change can be defined as
changes in the global
environment (including
alterations in climate, land
productivity, oceans or other
water resources, atmospheric
chemistry, and ecological
systems) that may alter the
capacity of the Earth to sustain
life.
Human population growth
Population growth is the central
cause of the environmental crisis.
It also depends on the nature and
degree of industrialization.
The world’s population presently
grows by about 250,000 people per
day.
Latest official current world
population estimate, for mid-year
2011, is estimated at
6,928,198,253.
2014: 7, 297, 186, 554
 Year Population
1960 3 billion
1 200 million
1965 3.3 billion
1000 275 million 1970 3.7 billion
1500 450 million 1975 4 billion
1980 4.5 billion
1650 500 million
1985 4.85 billion
1750 700 million
1990 5.3 billion
1804 1 billion 1995 5.7 billion
1850 1.2 billion 1999 6 billion
2006 6.5 billion
1900 1.6 billion
2009 6.8 billion
1927 2 billion
2011 7 billion
1950 2.55 billion
2025 8 billion
1955 2.8 billion 2043 9 billion
1960 3 billion 2083 10 billion
Over-population leads to:

Resource depletion
Resource degradation
Pollution
Loss of biodiversity
Environmental Pollution
 Pollution : A silent Killer

People are exposed to harmful

Pollutants in the air they
breathe , the liquids they drink,
the food they eat, the surface
they touch, and the products
they use.

When the environment can not

process the load of pollutants ,
pollution takes place .
Every environmental system has a
carrying capacity .
 Visibility reduction - airborne
particles
 Material damage - damage to
rubber goods and textiles
 Agricultural damage – damages
all kinds of crops
 Psychological effects –
psychosomatic diseases (such
as stress)
 Physiological and health effects
– respiratory / cardiovascular
diseases and lung cancer
Impact of air pollution on plants

Interfere with photosynthesis , carbohydrates

production
Damage to leaf tissue, needles and fruit
Reduction in growth rate or suppression of growth
Increased susceptibility to disease, pests and adverse
weather
Reduced crop yields and makes fruit smaller, lighter
and less nutritions
 Global warming
 Global warming is caused by the emission of greenhouse gases.

 72% of the emitted greenhouse gases is made up of carbon dioxide

(CO2).

 Carbon dioxide emissions therefore are the main cause of global

warming.

 CO2 is caused by burning fuels.

Oil, natural gas, diesel, organic-diesel, petrol, organic-petrol, ethanol.

 Emissions of CO2 have been increasing at a rate of approximately

3% yearly for the past 50 years.
It is released to the atmosphere where it remains for 100 to 200
years..
 A warming of 2ºC corresponds to an amount of 250 parts per
million (ppm) carbon dioxide concentration in environment.
 Heat - trapping gases -Greenhouse gases (GHGs)

Nitrous
carbon dioxide oxide

GHGs
Chlorofluorocar
bons
Methane
(e.g. Freon)
Halons
A refrigerant Water vapour
(halocarbons)
Fire-extinguisher
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 Impact of Global warming

1. Temperature extremes
2. Rise in sea level, and change in precipitation
3. Storms, coastal flooding
4. Contamination of drinking water
5. Drought
6. Food shortages due to shift in agricultural food production
7. Air pollution ( made worse by warming)
8. Asthma, bronchitis, emphysema complications
9. Strain on public health systems
10. Increased need to population migrations
11. Unable to control spread of infectious diseases
In 1980s scientists discovered a "hole" in the ozone over
Antarctica.

In 1990s atmospheric scientists reported an annual loss

of 40-50% of the ozone above Antarctica.

One CFC molecule can destroy 100,000 ozone molecules.

UV-B radiation from the Sun is partially
absorbed in ozone layer.

As a result, the amount of UV-B

reaching Earth’s surface is greatly
reduced.

UV-A and other solar radiation are not

strongly absorbed by the ozone layer.
Health impacts of Ozone depletion
Each 1% drop in ozone is thought to increase human
skin cancer rates by 4-6%.
The United Nations Environment Program predicts a
26 percent rise in cataracts and non-melanoma skin
cancers for every 10% drop in ozone.
This translates to 1.75 million cases of cataracts and
300,000 more cases of skin cancer every year.
Impact of Acid rain on the
Environment

Sterilization of lakes and forests.

Reducing the populations of small invertebrates and
decomposers.
Reducing agricultural yields.
Causing extensive structural damage by corroding
marble, metal, and stonework.
Degrading water supplies by leaching heavy metals
from the soil.
Increasing lung cancer and colon cancer.
 Water pollution

Over 1 billion people lack access to safe water

supplies, while 2.6 billion people lack adequate
sanitation.
Water-associated infectious diseases kills 3.2
million lives each year, approximately 6% of all
deaths globally.
The burden of disease from inadequate water,
sanitation, and hygiene totals 1.8 million deaths.
Water pollutants
Industrial Effluents

Mining and
Agricultural Wastes

Agricultural pesticides,
fertilizers and
herbicides

Sewage Disposal and

Domestic Wastes
Impact of water pollution
Nutrient loading may lead to
eutrophication .
Organic wastes cause oxygen depletion.
Industrial discharges contain heavy
metals , resin pellets, organic toxins, oils,
nutrients, and solids.
Discharges from power stations can also
have thermal effects, and these too reduce
the available oxygen.
Impact of water pollution
POPs and heavy metals cause immune
suppression ,reproductive failure or acute
poisoning.
Organic pollutants deplete DO and mass
fish-kills.
Suspended particles reduce quality of
drinking water, amount of light
penetration and growth of photosynthetic
plants and microorganisms.
 Water-borne diseases

Bacterial infections –
nTyphoid, cholera,
nparatyphoid fever,
n Bacillary dysentery.

Viral infections
Protozoal infections ninfectious jaundice
– ,
amoebic dysentery npolio myelitis ,
Health impacts of water pollution

Water related Diseases

Water – borne infections

-typhoid, cholera,
hepatitis

Water – washed
infections
scabies , conjunctivitis,
diarrhea

Water – based infections

Schistosomiasis,guinea
worm

Water – related insect

vectors
Yellow fever, sleeping
sickness

Defective sanitation
-Hook worm
Impact of Biodiversity loss

Climate change is one

of the significant causes
of biodiversity loss
Biodiversity is a
fundamental
determinant of health
The most significant impact of climate change is likely to
be warming of the oceans.
By the 2050s, surface seawater temperatures may be as
much as 2.5°C higher in summer and 2.3°C higher in
winter than in 2000 (Viles, 2001).
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
IN MALAYSIA
National Environmental Policy, Climate Change Policy and National
environmental Quality Act 1074 are the basis of environmental
management in our country.

Department of Environment (DOE) to enforce the

Environmental Quality Act while the Division of Environmental
Management and Climate Change, Ministry of Natural Resources
and Environment (NRE) is reponsible for the policies relating to
environmental and climate changes such as the National
Environmental Policy and National Climate Change Policy.
Important link: Good link for regulations, legislations, rules, acts!!
http://www.nre.gov.my/English/Environment/Pages/environme
nt.aspx
and http://www.doe.gov.my/portal/
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT

Department of Environment (DOE) was originally created as

Environment Division under the Ministry of Local Government and
Environment on 15 April 1975.

Environment Division was then placed under the Ministry of Science,

Technology and Environment in March 1976.

Based on the importance of environmental protection and conservation, on 1

September 1983, the Environment Division has been upgraded to a
Department known as the Department of Environment.

On March 2004, DOE was then placed under the Ministry of Natural
Resources and Environment.
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT
The establishment of Department of Environment is based on the
Environmental Quality Act, 1974 which was enacted in March 1974 and came
into force on 15 April 1975.

DOE became one of the government agencies charged with implementing

the principles listed under the National Environmental Policy (DASN).
DASN been established to pursue economic, social and cultural as well as
improving the quality of life of Malaysians through environmentally sound
and sustainable development.

The main function of the DOE is to prevent, eliminate, control pollution and
improve the environment, consistent with the purposes of the Environmental
Quality Act 1974 and the regulations thereunder.
Managed by DOE

Concept of the National Policy Of The Environment

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The objectives are to achieve :
1. A clean, safe, healthy and productive environment
for present and future generations
2. Conservation of the country’s unique and diverse
cultural and natural heritage with effective
participation by all sectors of society
3. Sustainable lifestyles and patterns of consumption
and production

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The regulatory and legal framework governing
environmental issues is set out in the Environmental
Quality Act 1974, commonly referred to as the EQA.
The EQA establishes the Director-General of
Environmental Quality who heads the DOE and the
Environmental Quality Council comprising
Government and industry representatives.
The EQA is designed for the prevention, abatement,
control of pollution and enhancement of the
environment.

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 Sets of environmental regulations, governing specific
industries, such as the following:

1. Licensing regulations
2. Clean Air regulations
3. Compounding of Offence rules
4. Sewage and Industrial Effluents regulations
5. Motor Vehicle Noise regulations
6. Environmental Impact Assessment List of Prescribed
Activities
7. Three sets of regulations pertaining to generation, treatment
and disposal of Scheduled Wastes
8. Control of Smoke and Gas Emission rules

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 Malaysia has many agencies and laws that are responsible for
the control of traffic on toxic and dangerous products and
wastes. These include :

1. Petroleum Development Act 1974

2. Petroleum Mining Act 1966
3. Petroleum (Safety Measures) Act 1984
4. Dangerous Trade Enactment
5. Poisons Act 1955
6. Poisons (Agricultural and Industrial) Ordinance
7. Pesticides Act 1974
8. Explosives Act 1975
9. The Technical Instruction for Safe Transport of Dangerous
Goods by Air
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The National Water Services Act 2006 or the
Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Air Negara Act 2006
which came into effect on 1 February 2007 is
enforced by the Ministry of Energy, Water and
Communication.
This Act was enforced to establish a body known as
the Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Air Negara, or the
National Water Services Commission to regulate
and enforce the provisions of the Water Industry
Services Act 2006 (Act 655) known as WSIA.

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The Commission, which is fully functional since 1
January 2008, is a central regulatory agency to oversee
adequate, clean and healthy water supply including the
treated water supply.
The Commission shall have all the functions conferred
on it under the water supply and sewerage services
laws and shall also have the following functions:

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to implement and enforce the water supply and sewerage
services laws and to recommend reforms to the water supply
and sewerage services laws;
to ensure the productivity of the water supply and sewerage
services industry and the monitoring of operators’ compliance
with stipulated services standards, contractual obligations and
relevant laws and guidelines;
to ensure national development goals related to coverage,
supply and access to water supply services and sewerage
services are achieved;

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The air quality
standards are set by
Department of
Environment Malaysia
(DOE) with reference of
the United States
Environmental
Protection Agency (US
EPA).

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Recommended Malaysian Air Quality Standards
(At 25 degree Celsius and 101.13 kPa)
Averaging Malaysia Guideline
Pollutant Time (ppm) (µg/m3)
1 Hour 0.10 200
Ozone
(O3) 8 Hour 0.06 120
1 Hour 30 35 mg/m3
Carbon Monoxide
(CO)# 8 Hour 9 10 mg/m3
Nitrogen Dioxide
1 Hour 0.17 320
(NO2)
10 Minute 0.19 500
Sulphur Dioxide
1 Hour 0.13 350
(SO2)
24 Hour 0.04 105
24 Hour 260
Particles TSP 1 Year 90
24 Hour 150
Particulate Matter (PM10) 1 Year 50
Lead
3 Month 1.5
(Pb) 52
(Source: Department of Environmental Malaysia)
The objective of these standards is not only to
give guidelines for continual quality of water
supplied to public but also to ensure effective
protection of public health besides to improve the
management of the water utilities.

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 Determines
Conformity
Assessment
The Malaysian National Standard for
Drinking Water Quality recommends
levels for both raw water quality and
drinking water quality Physical,
chemical,
microbiologic
The standards ensure that the drinking water al and
is safe to drink and not hazardous to health or radiological
objectionable to the physical senses of parameters
consumers are included
with
frequency of
testing

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WATER STANDARD Anak Syarikat Milik Penuh RANHILL UTILITIES BHD

QUALITY
Parameters Unit Raw Water Treated
(average) Water

pH - 5.8 -6.9 6.5 - 9

Iron mg/l < 1.0 < 0.3

Manganese mg/l < 0.2 < 0.1

Turbidity NTU 300 <5

Suspended Solid mg/l 100 -

DO ppm 4-7 8 -10

Color TCU 300 < 15

Aluminium mg/l < 0.1 < 0.2

Fluoride ppm < 1.5 0.5 – 0.7
Res. Chlorine ppm - 1.5 – 2.5
Ammonia ppm - < 1.5

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Scope of activities: All phases of drinking water
quality
Surveillance
of drinking
water quality
Controlling of Testing of
pollution at water
source
Supplying of
potable water

•Department •Water Purveyor •Chemistry

•Ministry of
of and Public Works Department
Health
Environment Department Laboratory
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 The ultimate goal of waste water management
is the protection of the environment in a
manner commensurate with better waste
quality, publics health, economic, social and
political comments.
 The effluents from industries and sewerage are
required to be treated to a certain quality
before they are discharged into the water
course.

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Typical Connection

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EFFLUENT DISCHARGE STANDARDS TO MALAYSIA INLAND WATER

• "Environmental Quality (Sewage and Industrial Effluents)

Regulations 1979" was replaced by new three laws in 2009,
which are "Environmental Quality (Sewage) Regulations",
"Environmental Quality (Industrial Effluent) Regulations",
and "Environmental Quality (Control of Pollution from
Solid Waste Transfer Stations and Landfills)
Regulations". In addition, other discharge standards is
established for the prescribed premises (raw natural rubber
and crude palm-oil) ("Environmental Quality (Prescribed
Premises) (Raw Natural Rubber) Regulations 1978" and
"Environmental Quality (Prescribed Premises) (Crude Palm-
Oil) Regulations 1977").

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EFFLUENT DISCHARGE STANDARDS TO
MALAYSIA INLAND WATER

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For sewage discharge of Standard A and B
ACCEPTABLE CONDITIONS OF SEWAGE DISCHARGE OF
STANDARDS A AND B
ACCEPTABLE CONDITIONS FOR DISCHARGE OF INDUSTRIAL
EFFLUENT OR MIXED EFFLUENT OF STANDARDS A AND B
ACCEPTABLE CONDITIONS FOR DISCHARGE OF
LEACHATE
References:
1. Environmental Quality Act 1974
2. Environmental Quality (Sewage) Regulations 2009.
3. Environmental Quality (Industrial Effluent)
Regulations 2009
4. Environmental Quality (Control of Pollution From
Solid Waste Transfer Station and Landfill) Regulations
2009
5. Environmental Requirements: A Guide for Investors
(for list of regulations and order enforced under EQA
1974 by DOE).
It is important to maintain high quality level for
natural water.
Therefore, the Department of Environment has
set up the minimum quality standard that
reflects its beneficial uses.

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Table 1.2: Interim National Water Quality Standard
Parameter Classes
Unit
I IIA IIB III IV V

Ammoniacal
mg/L 0.1 0.3 0.3 0.9 2.7 >2.7
Nitrogen
Biochemical
mg/L 1 3 3 6 12 >12
Oxygen Demand
Chemical
mg/L 10 25 35 50 100 >100
Oxygen Demand
Dissolved
mg/L 7 5-7 5-7 5-9 5-9 -
Oxygen
pH - 6.5-8.5 6-9 6-9 5-9 5-9 -
Color TCU 15 150 150 - - -
Electrical
μS/cm 1000 1000 - - 6000 -
Conductivity*
Floatables - N N N - - -
Odor - N N N - - -
Salinity % 0.5 1 - - 2 -
Taste - N N N - - -
Total Dissolve
mg/L 500 1000 - - 4000 -
Solid
Total Suspended
mg/L 25 50 50 150 300 300
Solid
oC Normal Normal
Temperature - - - -
+ 2 oC + 2 oC
Turbidity NTU 5 50 50 - - -
Faecel Count/ 5000 5000
10 100 400 -
Coliform** 100ml (20000)a (20000)a
Count/ 73
Total Coliform 100 5000 5000 50000 50000 >50000
100ml
Source: Environmental Quality Report 2010

Table 1.4: Classification of Water Based on INWQS

Class
Parameter Unit
I II III IV V
Ammoniacal Nitrogen mg/L <0.1 0.1-0.3 0.3-0.9 0.9-2.7 >2.7
Biochemical Oxygen Demand mg/L <1 1-3 3-6 6-12 >12
Chemical Oxygen Demand mg/L <10 10-25 25-50 50-100 >100
Dissolved oxygen mg/L >7 5-7 3-5 1-3 <1
pH - >7 6-7 5-6 <5 >5
Total Suspended Solid mg/L <25 25-50 50-150 150-300 >300

Table 1.5: Water Classes and Uses

Class Uses
I Conservation of natural environment.
Water Supply I – Practically no treatment necessary.
Fishery I – Very sensitive aquatic species.
IIA Water Supply II – Conventional treatment required.
Fishery II – Sensitive aquatic species.
IIB Recreational use with body contact.
III Water Supply III – Extensive treatment required.
Fishery III – Common, of economic value and tolerant species; livestock
drinking.
IV Irrigation
V None of the above 74
 The aim of EIA is to assess the overall impact on the
environment of development projects proposed by the public
and private sectors. The objectives of EIA are:
1. To examine and select the best from the project options
available
2. To identify and incorporate into the project plan appropriate
abatement and mitigation measures
3. To predict the significant residual environmental impacts
4. To identify the environmental costs and benefits of the project
to the community.

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EIA is essentially a planning tool for preventing
environmental problems due to action. It seeks
to avoid costly mistakes in project
implementation, or modifications in order to
make the action environmentally acceptable.

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 Addressing environmental issues is imperative in the quest of
making Malaysia an advanced nation. Law and legal
obligations must be considered obligation must be
considered when undertaking any development, which may
impact the environment, no matter how small. Professionals
and people of various backgrounds play a major role in using
their skills to manage and control pollution. The oft-quoted
native Indian proverb which was at the heart of the
Brundtland Report rings true:
“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we owe it to
our children.”

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