Environmental Engineering and Historical Perspective PDF

Environmental Engineering and Historical Perspective EnvE 101 Fall 2024 Outline Environment Environmental Pollution Environmental Engineering History Sustainability Environment The environment is everything that surrounds you, including the air...

Environmental Engineering and Historical Perspective EnvE 101 Fall 2024 Outline Environment Environmental Pollution Environmental Engineering History Sustainability Environment The environment is everything that surrounds you, including the air, the land, the oceans, and all living things. 3 Environment The physical environment is divided into three spheres:  Atmosphere (gas)  Hydrosphere (liquid)  Lithosphere (solid) o Biosphere: biological environment including all life forms 4 Environment The physical and biotic habitat which surrounds us The total of our surroundings Living things Micororganisms, animals, plants, humans Nonliving things Physical environment - Continents, oceans, clouds, soil, rocks with their physical conditions (temperature, pH, light etc) and resources available (inorganics, organics, light) Our built environment Buildings, human-created living centers Social relationships and institutions Environment The physical and biotic habitat which surrounds us The total of our surroundings Living things Micororganisms, animals, plants, humans NonlivingHumans things exist within the environment Physical environment and - Continents, are oceans, clouds, soil, rocks with their physical conditions (temperature, pH, light etc) and resources partorganics, available (inorganics, of nature light) Our built environment Buildings, human-created living centers Social relationships and institutions Environment The physical and biotic habitat which surrounds us The total of our surroundings Living things Ourhumans Micororganisms, animals, plants, survival depends on a NonlivingHumans things existhealthy, withinfunctioning the planet. environment and are Physical environment - Continents, oceans, clouds, soil, rocks with Our interactions with its their physical conditions (temperature, pH, light etc) and resources part of nature other available (inorganics, organics, light) parts matter a great Our built environment deal. Buildings, human-created living centers Social relationships and institutions Environment Environment to the environmental engineer: May be in global dimension… May refer to very specific area where specific problem must be addressed… May refer to volume of liquid/gas/solid materials within treatment plant… Environment Environment to the environmental engineer: May be in global dimension… May refer to very specific area where specific problem must be addressed… May refer to volume of liquid/gas/solid materials within treatment plant… Environment Environment to the environmental engineer: May be in global dimension… May refer to very specific area where specific problem must be addressed… May refer to volume of liquid/gas/solid materials within treatment plant… Environmental Disturbances Many majorside Disturbing improvements effects; to our standard of living; Loss The production of more and better quality food of arable land The creation of housing as protection from extremes climate Loss of forests and as living space Dramatic increase in the use of resources The building of fast and reliable means of transportation Air Thepollution elimination of many infectious diseases Water pollution The invention of machines to replace human or animal power Microorganisms with antibiotic The invention of various systems ofresistance communication.... Environmental Disturbances Many majorside Disturbing improvements effects; to our standard of living; Loss The production of more and better quality food of arable land The creation of housing as protection from extremes climate Loss of forests  Natural pollutants and as living space Dramatic increase in the use of resources The building of fast and reliable Anthropogenic  means pollutants of transportation Air Thepollution elimination of many infectious diseases Water pollution The invention of machines to replace human or animal power Microorganisms with antibiotic The invention of various systems ofresistance communication.... Population Growth & Resource Use 1. Over population 2. Over consumption (= impact per person) Tremendous increase in human population, accompanied by an even greater increase in per capita consumption (of natural and manufatured resources) In many countries; overconsumption rather than overpopulation is the main cause… Over Population Slow start, rapid increase Human population – 2014 >7 billion people Projection – 2050 ~ 10 billion people  Global Human Population Growth Exponential Age Global Human Population Growth The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, killing an estimated 75 to 200 million people and peaking in Europe in the years 1348–50. (http://en.wikipedia.org/). Over Population Human population growth intensifies all environmental problems The growth rate has slowed, but we still add more than 200,000 people to the planet each day. That equals over 75 million more people every year Natural resources: vital to human survival Always available: sunlight, wind, wave energy Renewable over short periods of time: timber, water, soil, wildlife These can be destroyed Non-renewable resources: Oil, coal, minerals These can be depleted Over Consumption Resource consumption, degradation, depletion Our consumption of resources has risen even faster than our population growth – Life has become more pleasant for us so far – However, rising consumption amplifies the demands we make on our environment Overpopulation & Overconsumption Possible results: We are withdrawing our – Huge amount of pollution and wastes Weplanet’s are natural increasing – Disrupt economies capital our 30% burden on of – Loss the planet faster farmeach than species, itland, yearsupplies is being water ! produced – Climate change  Balanced Ecosystem Concept Earth’s life forms live in equilibrium Natural processes: – Biological Through which nature is cleaning itself – Chemical – Physical Assimilative capacity Historically, cycling of elements (via natural processes) overcame pollution Carrying Capacity the population of organisms that can be sustained at a steady state considering the resources available in the ecosystem in which they reside. varies by: location standards of livings global changes types of technology uses to extract and process the resources Homeostatic Plateau-Carrying Capacity  The “ecological footprint” The environmental impact of a person or population – The amount of biologically productive land and water needed to provide the people in a region with indefinite supply of renewable resources, and to absorb and recycle wastes and pollution Unsustainable: footprint is larger than biological capacity for replenishment Humans have surpassed the Earth’s capacity Major Environmental Problems © Brooks/Cole Publishing Company / ITP Challenges in pollution Thousands of different artificial chemicals used in farms, industries, and households Each year, millions of people die from pollution  e.g.Endocrine disrupters Chemical pollutants – Endocrine disrupters interfere with hormone production & function within the body. Hormones are chemical messengers that regulate growth, reproduction, & other functions. Challenges in agriculture Expanded food production led to increased population and consumption It’s one of humanity’s greatest achievements, but at an enormous environmental cost Nearly half of the planet’s land surface is used for agriculture Chemical fertilizers Pesticides Erosion Changed natural systems Excessive use of herbicides/pesticides to increase product harvest results in good product yield at first, but is followed by catasrophies because of the fact that excessive usage of insecticides causes resistance in the weeds and also diminishes natural predators of pests or insects. Swiss scientist Paul Müller was awarded the 1948 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine for his discovery of DDT’s insecticidal properties in 1939. But, DDT now banned! (sperm decline, birth defects, possibly carcinogenic etc. Also came close to eliminating some species of animal all together- Bald Eagle. ) Challenges in climate Scientists have firmly concluded that humans are changing the composition of the atmosphere The Earth’s surface is warming (0.74 ± 0.18 °C during past century) Melting glaciers Rising sea levels Impacted wildlife and crops Increasingly destructive weather Since the Industrial Revolution, atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations have risen by 37%, to the highest level in 650,000 years  CO2 vs gasoline 1 gram of CO2e would be produced if you burned a pea sized blob of gasoline 1 Kilogram (2 lbs) of CO2e would be produced if you burned 2 cups of gasoline 1 Ton of CO2e would be produced if you burned 60 gallons of gasoline Challenges in biodiversity Human actions have driven many species extinct, and biodiversity is declining dramatically Declining Bird populations for the past 2 decades We are at the onset of a mass extinction event Biodiversity loss may be our biggest environmental problem; once a species is extinct, it is gone forever Challenges in Resource depletion Overexploitation; livestock overgrazing, wild medicinal plants, grazing pastures, game animals, fish stocks, forests, and water aquifers Overfishing (e.g for anchovy) in Black Sea resulted in the diminishing of Dolphins. Atlantic cod stocks were severely overexploited in the 1970s and 1980s, leading to their abrupt collapse in 1992 (en.wikipedia.org) © Brooks/Cole Publishing Company / ITP What is Environmental Engineering? Environmental Engineering Primary Focus: To apply science and engineering methods for the protection of public health and the environment. Environmental Engineering Environmental engineering is 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 and for other organisms, and – to remediate polluted sites. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_engineering Environmental Engineering the equipment, systems, and structures are for the protection and enhancement of the environment http://www.brighthub.com/engineering/civil/articles/96465.aspx Environmental Engineering Air pollution – Control devices – Dispersion Modeling Water (surface and groundwater): – Treatment & disinfection – Storage and distribution – Dispersion Modelling – Water Quality Wastewater – Treatment – Disposal Solid Wastes Hazardous Wastes Radioactive Wastes Integrated Systems (Waste Management) Pollution Prevention Other – noise pollution Historical Perspective of Environmental Engineering “One of World's Oldest Professions” Early History Period Civilization 3400-2450 B.C. Early Egyptian Evidence for the collection of Civilizations rainfall as well as the use of copper pipe for the disposal of sewage 1850-1400 B.C. Minoan civilization Evidence for the presence of (located on Crete) sanitation and drainage 2000 B.C. The Hindus Keep water in copper vessels, to expose it to sunlight and filter through charcoal. 900 B.C. to 476 AD Roman Civilization Many hygienic achievements; the great aqueducts, sewers, drains and public bath. 19th Century SANITARY ENGINEERING; Sanitary engineering emerged as a separate engineering field within civil engineering in the mid 1800's as the importance of drinking water treatment and wastewater treatment became recognized. Sanitary engineering, which had an emphasis on water supply, water treatment, and wastewater collection and treatment for many years, is the precursor of the present day field of environmental engineering. 1950s After World War II, the emergence of synthetic chemicals became common place in the marketplace. Ex: synthetic detergents which are not biologically degradable were a visual indication of pollution; due to foam formed, the public quickly became aware of pollution. 20th Century Public concern about environmental quality issues like air pollution and water pollution emerged in the middle third of the 20th century, leading to development of environmental engineering as a separate discipline that deals with air pollution control, hazardous waste management and industrial hygiene as well as the traditional sanitary engineering fields of water supply and waste water treatment. By the end of 1980’s The field expanded to include soil and groundwater remediation, toxicology, risk assessment, atmospheric modelling, regional and global scale transport of pollutants, and more fundamental process design… Development of the Field A sub-set of civil engineering Traditionally Focusing on sanitation Problems caused by Later Wastewaters, air emissions, solid wastes, workplace conditions and worker safety Toxic and hazardous wastes come to the 40 years ago forefront... Increasing emphasis on waste minimization, recycle and reuse… Recent years Worldwide environmental issues; acid rain, global warming, ozone depletion New challenges and Paradigmatic Changes From pollution control and waste handling technologies to process integrated prevention, From environmental aspects of manufacturing processes to the entire life of products, From sole emphasis on sole technology to broader perspectives (non-tech measures) Sustainability ! Sustainability A guiding principle of environmental science Living within our planet’s means – The Earth can sustain humans and other organisms for the future – Leaving our children with a rich, full world – Developing solutions that work in the long term – Requires keeping fully functioning ecological systems Sustainability is broadly defined as meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (Report of the Brundtland Commission, “Our Common Future,” 1987). Sustainability «A state of dynamic equilibrium achieved by taking responsibility for balancing long term economic, environmental and social health for ourselves, our communities, and our world " The Sustainability Triangle Sustainable Society manages its economy and population size without exceeding all or part of the planet’s ability to absorb environmental detriments, replenish its resources, and sustain human and other forms of life over a specified period (hundreds of years) Environmentally Sustainable Societies  … meets basic needs of its people in a just and equitable manner without degrading the natural capital that supplies these resources.  Key Natural Resources and Services Environmental Science G. Tyler Miller,Scott Spoolman Pollution, Natural Cleansing and Environmental Engineering As pollutants enter air, water or soil, natural processes such as dilution, biological conversions and chemical reactions convert waste materials to more acceptable forms (natural cleansing) Environmental engineers design treatment facilities based on the principles of self-cleansing observed in nature. Environmental engineers adapt the principles of natural mechanisms to engineered systems for pollution control. Solutions: Prevention vs. Cleanup Problems with relying on cleanup: – Often removes a pollutant from one part of the environment to cause problems in another. – Pollutants at harmful levels can cost too much to reduce them to acceptable levels. Waste Management Hierarchy Working Toward Sustainability Rely more on renewable energy from the sun, including indirect forms of solar energy such as wind and flowing water – Take no more than we need – Try not to harm life, air, water, soil Protect biodiversity by preventing the degradation of the earth’s species, ecosystems, and natural processes, and by restoring degraded areas Help to sustain the earth’s natural chemical cycles by reducing pollution, not overloading natural systems with harmful chemicals, and not removing natural resources faster than those natural cycles can replace them Help maintain Earth's capacity for self repair Don't waste resources Slow the rate of population growth. © Brooks/Cole Publishing Company / ITP We need to understand: Environment and human interaction with it. how nature works how the environment affects us how we affect the environment how we can live more sustainably without degrading our life-support system Environmental Engineers; Major Task: To develop solutions to environmental problems…  © 2011 Cengage Learning Engineering. All Rights Reserved. Environmental Engineering Source: Introduction to Environmental Engineering SI; Vesilind, Morgan, Heine