Introduction to Environmental

Engineering

CE 3152: Fundamentals of
Environmental Engineering

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Environment is...?

Why do you need to be concerned about

the environment ?

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The Earth is like a Space Shuttle!

 Earth is travelling at very high

speed around the sun
 There are resources on earth for
us to use during our journey -
water, air, soil, minerals, plants
and animals
 But we cannot get anything
from outside, except the sun’s
light energy

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What is Environmental Engineering-
A Global Perspective

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 We have to be concerned, because of:

 Environmental  Environmental
Degradation Pollution
 Loss of productive land- due to
housing, roads, reservoirs  Water Pollution
 Soil erosion  Air Pollution
 Water-logging  Noise, Vibration
 De-forestation  Soil/Land Pollution

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Major Environmental Problems
 Air Pollution (including climate change,
ozone layer depletion, acid rain)
 Water Pollution (including over-use)
 Waste Production (including hazardous,
nuclear, biohazards etc.)
 Depletion of Biodiversity (including genetic
pollution)
 Human overpopulation (carrying capacity,
resource degradation, land-use, health,
energy, war, pollution – soil, air, water)
Examples of Environmental
Degradation
1. Excessively covering productivity and wildlife habitat.
 Decline in agricultural productivity and wildlife habitat.
2. Intensive land cultivation without proper soil
management
 Soil erosion and plant nutrient depletion.
3. Irrigation without proper drainage
 Water logging or salinization.
4. Uncontrolled deforestation
 Flooding, soil erosion.
5. Overgrazing on grass land
 Desertification

Degradation of Environmental Quality!!

 Environmental Engineering
Concerns about the impact of human activities
on the natural environment have stimulated
a new area of Engineering – known as
“Environmental Engineering”.

Environmental Engineers combine their knowledge

of the natural, social and physical sciences to
analyze and improve the interaction between
society, technology and the environment.

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 Environmental Engineering is:

A profession striving to balance between

Development and the Environment,
by providing the technological
inputs for Sustainability.
We look at:
 Human Welfare
 Industrial Development, and
 Environmental Protection

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• Environmental Engineering is one of the oldest
professions that we have on Earth. In fact it has
existed hand-in-hand with civil engineering for
over 5 millennia.

• From ancient cultures to modem cities,

environmental engineers have contributed not
only to technology, but also to civilization.

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 Pont du Gard in Roman Gaul
ca. 112 AD 1st Century BC

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Examples of Pollution Control (1739) -
Conflicting opinions
 -- Benjamin Franklin, editor of the
Gazette, and neighbors, petition
Pennsylvania Assembly to halt waste
dumping in Dock Creek and move
tanneries away from Philadelphia's
commercial district.
 -- William Bradford, editor of the
Mercury, writes of this as “A Daring
Attempt (attack) on the Liberties of
the Tradesmen of Philadelphia."
 Franklin argues for “public rights.” It wasn't a question
of the liberties of the tradesmen but rather "only a
modest attempt to deliver a great number of
inhabitants from being poisoned by a few, and restore
to them the Liberty of Breathing freely in their own
Houses."
 Michael
Faraday
handing his
“card” to
Father
Thames 1858
Ethyl leaded gas conflict 1924-26
 Media reported “mystery gas”
killing workers at Standard Oil
refinery in Oct. 1924
Air pollution 1939 St. Louis
Air Pollution, Pennsylvania
 Twenty died, 600
hospitalized
 Oct. 30, 1941,

Pennsylvania
 London
Dec. 4-8 1952
 Four thousand
people die in the
worst of the London
"killer fogs." Vehicles
use lamps in broad
daylight, but smog is
so thick that busses
run only with a
guide walking
ahead. By Dec. 8 all
transportation
except the subway
had come to a halt.
 1953 -- New York smog incident kills between
170 and 260 in November.
 Los Angeles 1954

 Heavy smog
conditions shut
down industry
and schools in
Los Angeles for
most of
October.
Why wait till 1955?
We may not even be alive
Life Magazine info-graphic on
Air pollution, 1963
1988 2006 2008
Expose Consequences Solutions
Environmental issues
are clearly part of
the news agenda in
1928
Some Responsibilities of
the Environmental Engineer

Environmental
Engineer

Water Supply Water Air Quality Solid Waste

and Pollution and Management
Sanitation Control Noise Control

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 Drinking Water Supply

Objective
Provide safe drinking water in adequate quantity at
accessible points

Functions of the Engineer

 Planning & Design of Water Supply Schemes
 Construction
 Operation
 Maintenance
 Monitoring of water quality
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 Wastewater Disposal
Objective
Disposal of wastewater without harming
the environment

Functions of the Engineer

1. Domestic Wastewater Disposal
 Design & maintenance of sewer
systems
 Design, operation and maintenance of
treatment plants

2. Industrial Wastewater Disposal

 Waste Minimization
 Design of waste water treatment plant
 Operation and maintenance of disposal systems
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 Water pollution control and restoration

Objectives
1. Prevent deterioration of water bodies
2. Restoration of polluted water bodies
Functions of the Engineer
1. Treatment of waste water before
discharging to water bodies
2. Water quality monitoring
3. Development of models for studying pollution
4. Remedial actions for polluted water bodies

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 Air Pollution Control
Objective
Prevention of pollution of air by controlling
emission of harmful substances to the
atmosphere.
Functions of the Engineer
1. Design, operation and maintenance of air
pollution control devices
2. Development of models to study behavior of
pollutants.

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Noise and vibration control

Objective
Reduction of environmental noise due to
various activities

Functions of the Engineer

Measurement & control of noise from industries,
traffic, generators etc.

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Municipal and Hazardous Waste Management

Objectives
1. Reduction, recycling and reuse of waste
2. Proper disposal of waste without
polluting the environment

Functions of the Engineer

1. Find methods of reduction of solid waste
generation
2. Collection and transport of solid waste
3. Design, construction, operation and
maintenance of disposal facilities
4. Recycling of waste products
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Opportunities
 Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation
1. National Water Supply and Drainage Board
2. Local authorities-Municipal Councils, Urban
Councils
3. Ministry of Housing & Urban Development
4. Non Governmental Organizations
5. The World Bank, ADB & other funding agencies
 Environmental Pollution Control
1. Local authorities -Municipal Councils, Urban
Councils, Pradeshiya Sabhas
2. Industries
3. Consultancy Firms
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  Environmental pollution control & solid
waste management
1. Research Organizations
2. Central Environmental Authority, BOI
3. Ministry of Environment
4. Provincial Councils
5. Industries
6. Consultancy firms
 Environmental Impact Assessments and
Project Appraisal
1. Development Banks
2. Funding agencies
3. Consultancy firms
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OUR CURRICULUM

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 Lecture Lab/ Credits
Cat
Module Module s Assignmen
eg
Code Name hrs/we ts Seme NG
ory
ek hrs/weeks ster PA
Fundamentals
of
5 CE3152 Environmental C 1.5 3/2 2.0
Engineering
Environmental
7 CE4052 Engineering C 2.5 3/2 3.0

Water &
8 CE4552 Wastewater E 2.5 3/2 3.0
Treatment
Environmental
8 CE4562 Impact E 2.0 3/1 3.0
Assessment

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Learning Outcomes
On completion of the module, you will be able to:
 convince a client about the need for conservation of
resources in a project to be undertaken,
 analyse a given scenario based on key environmental
concepts and to propose solutions to environment-
related problems such as water, air and soil pollution,
 assess the magnitude of environmental
consequences related to human activities and
propose mitigatory actions.

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Outline Syllabus (Topics)

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Coursework

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Assessments

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Lecture schedule for CE 3152:
Fundamentals of Environmental
Engineering (2018)

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Lecture schedule for CE 3152: contd.

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 Thanks, enjoy your lectures!!

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