What is Environmental Engineering?

Environmental Engineering

Definition:

"...specializing in controlling damage to the environment caused by pollution and other hazards;"

The Oxford English Dictionary,

2nd Ed., Vol. V, Clarendon Press, 1989.

In the past, the environment has been considered a place of wild forces that must be tamed, manipulated and harnessed for the progress of humankind. In this way, many engineering activities have always included environmental considerations. But, as our understanding of the complexity of the environment in which we live has slowly grown, we have become increasingly aware of the impact we have had and continue to have on the world around us. In the last few decades, this growing awareness has caused the term "environmental engineering" to come into use.

Originally, in the early 1970s, the term was used to describe the role of heating and ventilation engineers, because they engineer the environment within our structures. But, as the negative impact of our activities on our surroundings became more clearly recognized and more frequently exposed, the need for environmental engineering, that is, the need for controlling the damage to the external environment caused by pollution, grew rapidly.

There already were engineers working to cope with the problems of pollution. Civil engineers and chemical engineers were working and continue to work within their own disciplines to treat pollution's damage to the environment. Now, there are environmental engineers who also design and implement technologies that treat and prevent pollution; they incorporate the skills of both the chemical and civil engineer.

The discipline of environmental engineering has continued to grow in its responsibilities. There are now many areas of specialization. Some of these are:

Water and Wastewater Treatment

Many water sources contain chemical or biological substances that make them unsuitable for human consumption. Municipal and industrial wastewaters contain substances that may be harmful if they are released to the environment without treatment. Environmental engineers design processes for removing undesirable elements from drinking water and wastewater.

Air Pollution Control

Fossil fuel combustion, industrial processes, and the wide use of petrochemical substances by society can release pollutants into the atmosphere that can have undesirable effects on human, animal and plant life. Environmental engineers implement processes and practices that prevent the formationof these pollutants, or capture and immobilize them.

Groundwater Flow and Contaminant Transport

Groundwater is a valuable source of drinking water but can be susceptible to contamination as a result of surface spills, leaking storage facilities and improper disposal practices. The study of groundwater flow and contaminant transport by environmental engineers evaluates the physical and chemical processes which govern the movement of groundwater and various contaminants below the ground surface.

Solid and Hazardous Waste Management

Modern society generates large quantities of household, industrial, commercial, and institutional waste. Some of these wastes are classified as hazardous because they pose a substantial danger to human, animal, or plant life. Environmental engineers implement processes and practices that minimize the amount of solid waste and dispose of it in a safe manner.

Environmental Impact Assessment

Most industrial activity and application of technologies have an impact on the environment. Environmental impact assessment is the management tool to delineate and possibly quantify the impact of engineering projects on the environment and includes environmental auditing and life-cycle analysis of industrial products and outputs. Environmental engineers carry out impact assessments on a wide variety of projects that assist in environmental planning and decision-making.

Radioactive Waste Management

Use of radioactive materials in applications such as electric power generation and production of medical isotopes (Canada is a primary producer in the world) results in radioactive products and residuals that need to be properly managed or disposed of to prevent any potential harm to the biosphere. Environmental engineers are involved in the development of chemical processes and engineered barriers for the long-term isolation of radioactive residuals.

The opportunities for environmental engineers are expanding daily. Within the areas of specialization there are many interesting topics. Environmental engineers may work for private industry or municipalities, consulting engineering firms, federal or provicial regulatory bodies, or even research establishments. In our increasingly technical world, with its never-ending desire for progress, environmental engineering will continue to be a very important field.