Week 1: The Environment - ESSE 2210

Week 1 The Environment: - What is “The Environment”; - Physical Environment that surrounds us. - Framing Environmental Issues; - Human Activities; Land and Water Use for housing, agriculture, industry, transportation, and recreation - Physical Changes; Deforestation...

Week 1 The Environment: - What is “The Environment”; - Physical Environment that surrounds us. - Framing Environmental Issues; - Human Activities; Land and Water Use for housing, agriculture, industry, transportation, and recreation - Physical Changes; Deforestation and other alterations of landscape, alternation of waterways - Chemical Changes; Changes to chemical constituents of soils and sediments - Biological Changes; Changes in the viability of plants, fish, animals and microorganisms. - Good or Bad Change; - Air pollutants and water contaminants entering the environment as byproducts of tech are sources of human illness and ecological damage. - Long Term global warming from anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide and other gasses - The Role of Engineering; - Engineers are involved in problems related to tech development and deployment - Study pollutants transported in the environment - Engineers are connected with and responsible for a wide range of activities that directly or indirectly contribute to environmental change. - Sources of Environmental Impacts - Material Selection - Manufacturing Process - Energy Use - Material Selection - Everything is made of something and impacts environment - Choice of material and quantity needed - Can alternative materials be used, can less materials be used without compromising function - Manufacturing Process - Turn raw materials to finished materials and products - Starts with raw material dug from earth's crust then goes through stages, each stage releases waste. - Energy Use - Quantities and types of energy affects environmental quality - Fossil fuels, oil, coil and natural gas supply most of the world's energy. Renewable sources like hydroelectric, biomass, solar energy and wind power are not good. - Any engineering improvement that reduces energy required is beneficial for environment - What is sustainability - Ability of a system to survive in extended periods of time and the capacity of the earth’s natural systems to survive, adapt and flourish to the changing environmental conditions. - Sustainable Development - As defined by the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED, 1987) Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability for future generations to meet their own needs. - How to achieve sustainability - Circulate and reuse material - Reduce amount of materials used to achieve functions - Protect living organisms by minimizing or eliminating the flow of harmful substances - Minimizing the use of energy and the flow of waste heat back to the environment - Make long-lasting product - Consider using more sustainable energy sources - Use materials as we need without overtaking - Learning from the earth and living things to live more sustainably. - Sustainable Development Goals - 2030 agenda for sustainable goals adopted by all UN members - 17 sustainable development goals - All tackle climate change and work to preserve our oceans and forests. - - Plan for action and strengthen universal peace in larger freedom - All countries and stakeholders will implement this plan. - Areas of critical importance - 5 P’s (People, Planet. Prosperity, Peace, Partnership) - People - Determined to end poverty and hunger in all their forms, ensure equality - Planet - Protect the planet from degradation - Prosperity - All humans can enjoy prosperous and fulfilling lives - Peace - Foster peaceful and inclusive societies which are free from fear and violence. - Partnership - Global solidarity focused on particular of the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable people - Ensure that the purpose of the new Agenda is realized. - Relationship between poverty and environmental problems - Poverty is a major threat to human health and the environment - They do not have the luxury of worrying about long term environmental quality or sustainability. - What is an environmentally sustainable society - Basic resource needs of its people are met without degrading or depleting natural supplies - Meets current needs of the people for wood, water, clean air, shelter and other basic resources - Living off natural income replenished by soils, plants, air and water - Sustainable living - We are living unsustainably by wasting, depleting and degrading the earth's natural capital at an accelerating rate. - Major environmental Problems - Air Pollution, Biodiversity depletion, Food supply problems, Waste Pollution, Water pollution - Causes of environmental problems - Rapid population growth - Poverty - Wasteful/unsustainable resources - Poor environmental accounting - Ecological ignorance - Pollution and Pollutants - Pollution; Presence of substances at high enough levels in air, water, soil, or food to threaten the health, survival, or activities of humans or other organisms. - Pollutants; Enter the environment naturally from volcanic eruptions or through human activities like burning coal. - Most pollution comes from industrialized agriculture and human activities near urban area - Most pollutants are unintended by projects such as burning coal to generate electricity, driving cars or growing crops - Pollutants contaminate the area they are produced and some are carried by wind or flowing water to other areas. Pollution does not respect the near political lines we draw on maps. Week 2 Water Pollution: - The Hydrologic cycle - Water is the only molecule on earth that is present in all states of matter - Movement of water between reservoirs on either a local or global scale - Evaporation, Condensation, Precipitation, Infiltration into the soil, Groundwater flow, Transpiration, Overland flow - Distribution of Earth’s Water - 97% ocean water salt, 3% freshwater - Majority of stored in ice caps and glaciers - 1.2 Billion People lack access to clean drinking water - Facts about water pollution - WHO estimates that 5 million people die prematurely each year from waterborne diseases - Diarrhea kills 1.5 million people - 1.6 million people are affected in north america from infectious agents found in food and water - How is water quality measured - Physical Parameters (Temp, Suspended solids, Odour), Chemical Parameters (pH, Nutrients, Metals, Pesticides, Herbicides), Biological Parameters (Fish, Bacteria, Algae) - Critical Parameters - Dissolved Oxygen - Important water quality parameters affecting health of aquatic ecosystems, fish morality and odors. - If falls too low, fish can range from reduction in reproductive capacity to suffocation and death - Bacterial degradation oxidizes organic molecules to stable inorganic compounds, and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) is the amount of oxygen required to biochemically oxidize organic matter present in water - Waste discharges that contain significant amounts of biodegradable organic matter have high BOD levels and consume significant amounts of dissolved oxygen from receiving waters. - BOD Level in ppm, 1-2 = very good, 3-5 = moderately clean, 6-9 = somewhat polluted, 100+ = contains organic waste - Salinity - Measure of the content of salts in soil or water - High concentrations of salt pose hazards for the environment as well as affecting agriculture and infrastructure and therefore, the wider economy. - High levels of salinity means corrosion of machinery and poor health of vegetation. - Water Pollutants - Infectious Agents (Pathogens) - Bacteria, Parasites, Human waste - Oxygen demanding wastes - Plant debris, Sewage - Plant nutrients - Nitrate, Sewage and animal wastes - Organic Chemicals - Oil, Gasoline, Industry, Farms - Inorganic Chemicals - Acids, Bases, Salts, Industry - Sediments - Soil, Land erosion from farms and urban streets - Heavy metals - Lead, Unlined landfills - Thermal - Excessive heat, electric power - Major sources of water pollution - Agriculture, Industries, Mining - Point sources of water pollution - Discharge pollutants at specific locations - Easy to identify, monitor and regulate - Nonpoint sources of water pollution - Broad, diffuse areas - Rainfall or snowmelt washes pollutants from land into surface waters - Pollution of Freshwater Streams - Streams and rivers - cleanse themselves of biodegradable pollutants if not overloaded - Cleaning processes - Dilution and bacterial biodegradation take time, cannot work if overloaded, does not eliminate degradable pollutants - Oxygen sag curve - Steps toward reduction of stream pollution - Developed countries - Sharply reduced point source pollution - Developing countries - Discharge of untreated sewage and industrial waste is a growing problem - Poverty or religious belief - Unable to afford water treatment plants and do not have the manpower to enforce water pollution laws - Pollution of Freshwater Lakes and Reservoirs - More vulnerable to pollution than streams - Less effective at diluting pollutants than streams - Take up to 100 years to flush and change the water in the lake - What is cultural eutrophication - Eutrophication - natural nutrients enriching shallow lakes, caused by runoffs - Oligotrophic Lake - low nutrients, clear water - Cultural eutrophication - Excessive nitrates and phosphates from human sources - Prevention of Cultural Eutrophication - Prevent or reduce cultural eutrophication - waste treatment to remove nitrates and phosphates, soil conservation, banning or limiting the use of phosphates - Methods to clean up lakes - Remove excess weeds, use herbicides, pump air, most lakes recover if excessive input of nutrients is stopped - 1972: Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, new or upgrade treatment plants - Remaining problems; Increasing nonpoint runoff of pesticides and fertilizers - Atmospheric deposition, 25% of fish had unsafe mercury content - Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI); 1.3 billion provided, focus on reduce pollution - Prevention Approach; Call for ban on toxic chlorine compounds - Pollution of Groundwater - Contaminated with variety of chemicals - Prime source of water for drinking and irrigation - Common pollutants; Fertilizers, Gasoline, Organic Solvents, Fracking - Groundwater pollution solutions - Find subs for toxic chemicals, keep toxic chemicals out, require leak detectors, ban hazardous wastes, Store harmful liquids in aboveground tanks - Ocean pollution; oil spills - Combined maximum recovery of only 15% - Preventing and reducing surface water pollution - Farmers reduce soil erosion - Use slow release fertilizer, buffer zones for vegetation - Apply pesticides when needed - Control runoff and infiltration of manure - Canada Approach - Fisheries Act 1985, Canadian environmental protection act 1988, Canadian water act, 1970, Great lakes water quality agreement 1972/1978 - United States Approach - Clean water act 1972, water quality act 1987, Oil pollution act 1990 - What can we do? - Reduce water pollution - Fertilize gardens and yards with manure instead of commercial fertilizer - Minimize use of pesticides - Prevent yard wastes from entering drains - Do not use fresheners in toilet - Do not flush unwanted medicines in toilet - Do not pour harmful pesticides down the drain. Week 2 Soil Contamination: - Introduction - Upper layer of earth's crust is transformed by weathering and physical/chemical and biological processes. Composed of mineral particles, organic matter, water, air and living organisms - Soil pollution means the presence of a chemical or substance out of place and present at a higher than normal concentration - Hidden Danger - Industrialization, wars, mining and agriculture have left contaminated soils - Soil has been used as a sink for dumping solid and liquid wastes. - Main sources of soil pollution are anthropogenic - Point-source of soil pollution - Caused by specific event or series of events within a particular area in which contaminants are released into the soil - Easy identified - Anthropogenic activities represent the main sources of point-source pollution - Factory sites, excessive applications of agrochemicals, spills - Diffuse Soil Pollution - Spread over very wide area, accumulates in soil - Involves the transport of pollutants via air-soil-water systems - Difficult to analyze and challenging to track and delimit its spatial extent. - May be involved in diffuse pollution, since fate in the environment is not well understood. - Natural Geogenic sources - Arsenic contamination are volcanic releases and weathering of AS-containing minerals - Radioactive gas radon - Natural events such as volcanic eruptions of forest fires - High level of heavy metals identified in volcanic soils - Does not cause damage to environment because of ability to regenerate - Problems arise when ecosystems are subject to external pressures - Anthropogenic sources - Chemicals used in industrial activities, wastes and wastewater - Mining - Release huge quantities of heavy metals and other toxic elements to the environment, these continue long after activities are done - Waste and Sewage - As population increases, so does generation of waste - Municipal waste disposal in landfills and incineration are common ways to handle waste - Directly from landfills pollute the soil and groundwater or ash on plants. - Waste Management - 777 kg per person in Canada - Solid waste is a symptom of unnecessary waste of resources whose production causes pollution - In nature, essentially no solid waste because the wastes of one organism becomes nutrients - Mines, factories, food growers, businesses supply 98% of the worlds solid waste - What is garbage - Paper product and organic matter is largest % of waste in canada and usa - 40% in canada, 26% paper, 18% misc items, 9% plastic, 4% metal, 3% glass - Case Study: Canadian Garbage - 777 kg per canadian - 25% of municipal solid waste diverted by recycling - 2.6 billion waste management cost - 41% of paper in recycled material - 725 000 tons of e waste annually - E waste: - Temp exchange equipment (fridges), screen and monitors, lamps, large equipments, small equipment, small it and telecommunication equipment - Global e waste - 57.4 million tons of e waste in 2021, 7kg per person, more gold in your cellphone than gold ore - What does high waste society mean - Throwaway mentality, hard to separate mixtures of potentially valuable resources in landfills or other holes all over the world - Give little thought to keep people and natural systems safe - Waste management - Mix together wastes we produce and then transfer them from one part of the environment to another - Waste Reduction - Solid waste as potential resources that we should be reusing, garbage trucks and cans as resource containers - Options - 1st priority; Primary pollution and waste prevention (change industrial processes, refuse to buy harmful products, avoid waste, avoid excess packaging ) - 2nd priority; Reuse and repair products, recycle, compost - Last priority; Treat waste to reduce toxicity, bury waste in landfills, incinerate waste - Refuse,reduce,reuse,recycle,rethink  - Refuse purchasing products, reduce packaging, reuse products, recycle products, rethink strategies, recover materials that might be wasted - Waste reduction is preferred solution, tackles problem of waste production at the front end-before it occurs - Saves matter and energy resources - How can we reduce solid waste - Consume less, redesign manufacturing processes and products to use less material and energy, redesign manufacturing processes to produce less waste and pollution, design products to last longer, eliminate or reduce unnecessary packaging - Industrial Ecology - Redesign them to mimic how nature deals with wastes - Shift of processes whereby systems that convert resources to wastes are altered to become recycling systems - Exchanging waste outputs and thus convert them into resources - Open dumps are illegal in Canada Air Pollution - The Atmosphere - Introduction - Contents of smoke depend on its origins and the pollution controls in place, include carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, steam etc - Additional polluting compounds - Science and Structure of Atmosphere - Consists of several layers with different temperatures, pressures and composition - Divided into several spherical sublayers, each different temperature, result in a difference of absorption of incoming solar energy. - Density and pressure also vary - Air we breathe at sea level has higher density - The average temperature of the atmosphere at the Earth’s surface is determined by a combination of two factors; Natural Heating by incoming sunlight and certain greenhouse gasses, other is natural cooling by surface evaporation of water and convection processes. - Troposphere - Atmosphere's inner-most layer is made of nitrogen and oxygen, with smaller amounts of water vapor and carbon dioxide. - 75% to 80% of the atmosphere's mass is found here - No thicker than apples skin if size of earth were apple - Turbulent layer of rising and falling air currents responsible for short term weather and long term climate - Stratosphere - Ozone in atmosphere's second layer filters out most of sun uv radiation that is harmful - Less matter than troposphere, similar composition, 2 exceptions; Volume of water vapor is about 1/1000, concentration of ozone is much higher. - Ozone in the stratosphere keeps about 95% of the sun’s harmful UV radiation from reaching the Earth’s surface. - Ozone in the atmosphere near earth’s surface damages plants, lung tissues and rubber. - Some human activities are decreasing the amount of beneficial or good ozone in the stratosphere and increasing amount of harmful - Outdoor Air Pollution - Come from natural sources and burning fossil fuels - Air pollution is the presence of chemicals in atmosphere in high amounts to affect climate - Most natural sources of air pollution are spread out - Burning oil, gas, and natural gas adds pollutants into atmosphere - Burning fossil fuels in power plants and cars are main cause of outdoor pollutant - 2 Categories; Primary pollutants are those emitted directly into troposphere in a harmful form, Secondary pollutants are when primary pollutants react with other components to form new - Cities have higher outdoor air pollution - Prevailing winds can spread long-lived primary and secondary air pollutants from urban and industrial areas to the countryside - Poverty can mean poor air for the poor - Canada set maximum allowable atmospheric concentration - Carbon monoxide (CO) Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) Sulfur dioxide (SO2) Suspended particulate matter (SPM) Ozone (O3) Lead - Most air pollutants are gasses, some are aerosols. - Carbon dioxide air pollutant? - Carbon dioxide can be classified as an air pollutant because it can warm the atmosphere and contribute to global climate change. - Global warming can change where and how much precipitation falls - How temperature inversions increase outdoor air pollution - Warm layer of air sitting on top of a layer of cool air near ground prevents pollutants from rising and dispersing. - This mixing of warm and cold air creates turbulence, which disperses the pollutants. - Because the cooler air is denser than the warmer air above it, the air near the surface does not rise and mix with the air above it. - Cold, cloudy weather in a valley surrounded by mountains - Sunny climate, light winds, mountains on three sides, and the ocean on the other. A layer of descending warm air from a high-pressure system prevents ocean-cooled air near the ground from ascending - Air Pollution from Acid Deposition - Sulfur dioxide, nitrogen reacts in atmosphere to produce acidic chemicals that travel long distances - Coal burning plants emit sulfur dioxide. - Tall smokestacks reduce local air pollution, increase regional air pollution downwind. - Form secondary pollutants - Acidic substances remain in atmosphere for 2-14 days, then they descend to earth surface in 2 forms - One is wet deposition as acidic rain, snow, fog - Other is dry deposition as acidic particles - Resulting mixture is called acid deposition - Harmful effects of acid deposition - Lung disease, Corrosion, Haze and dead fish - Acid deposition can cause or worsen respiratory disease, attack metallic and stone object, decrease atmospheric visibility and kill fish - Acid shock is caused by the sudden runoff of large amounts of highly acidic water and aluminum ions into lakes and streams when snow melts in the spring. - How to reduce acid deposition - Reduce air pollution, reduce coal use, increase natural gas use, increase renewable resources - Indoor Air Pollution - Indoor air pollution is much greater threat to human health than outdoor air pollution - 4 most dangerous indoor air pollutants in developed countries are; Cigarette smoke, formaldehyde, radioactive radon-222 gas, very small fine and ultrafine particles - Indoor air pollution for the poor is by far the world's most serious air pollution problem - Are you exposed to formaldehyde - Found in variety of common materials and household products, cause number of health problems, a colorless, extremely irritating gas widely used to manufacture common household materials - Chronic breathing problems, dizziness, rash, headaches, sore throat, sinus and eye irritation, wheezing and nausea. - Building materials (such as plywood, particleboard, paneling, and high-gloss wood used in floors and cabinets), furniture, drapes, upholstery, adhesives in carpeting and wallpaper, urethane-formaldehyde insulation, fingernail hardener, and wrinkle-free coating on permanent-press clothing - Reduction and Prevention - Methods exist to minimize them and incentives can be introduced - Reducing emissions from internal combustion - Emission control systems in cars control mix of air and fuel to minimize production of nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide  - Catalytic converter transforms into nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide. - Preventing and Controlling Engine Exhaust - 10% of the vehicles on the road in the United States emit 50% to 70% of vehicular air pollutants. - Mass transit, walking and bikes, less polluting engines, fuels, improve fuel efficiency, getting older cars off road - Coal burning facilities - Burn low sulfur coal, convert coal to a liquid or gas fuel, shift to less polluting fuels - Reducing Indoor Air Pollution - Cover ceiling tiles and the lining of AC ducts, ban smoking or limit, set stricter formaldehyde emissions standards. Prevent radon infiltration, use office machines in well ventilated areas - Improve energy efficiency to reduce fossil fuels, rely on lower polluting natural gas Week 4 Noise Pollution - Introduction - Genuine threat to human health and quality of life. - Contaminant of the atmosphere - Noise can impair efficiency, adversely affect health and increase accidents - Is any unwanted, disturbing, or harmful sound that impairs or interferes with hearing, causes stress, hampers concentration and work efficiency, or causes accidents. - Characteristics of Noise - Noise may be defined as unwanted sound - Sound pressure is the variation in pressure above and below the atmospheric pressure - The sound pressure level represents magnitude of sound source, to consider if a sound is annoying - Frequency content, Duration, Presence of pure tones or transients, intermittency, Time of day, Location - The higher the dBA, the lower your daily exposure. 115 dB 0.25 hours, 90 dB is 8 hours - Sources of Noise - Urban areas are generally noisier than rural areas, from transportation, factories, industries - Noise sources can be grouped into three types: transportation, industrial, and residential. - Transportation - Automotive and Aircraft noises, Automotive traffic. Road gradient also has impact, 5% road gradient adds 3 dBA to truck noise. - Aircraft noises source of complaints, From 3000 ft to 1500 ft can be 9 dBA. - Industry - Noise levels are in the range of 105-115 dBA in grinding polycarbonates - Structure-borne noises are between 92 - 105 dBA. - Residential - Air conditioners, lawn mowers, power saws, dishwashers, kitchen appliances - Impacts of Noise Pollution - Irrelevant or excessive sound becomes noise and is undesirable. - Irritation, nervousness, increased stress, sleep disturbance, increased blood pressure - The effects of noise include physiological and annoyance types - Exposure to noise for long intensity can permanently damage inner ear - Loss of sleep from noise can increase tension and irritability - Noise can interfere with speech communication and perception - Affect mood, disturb relaxation, reduce opportunity for privacy - How to measure noise level - Subjective as well as objective factors, dBA is adjusted by a frequency weighting - Noise reduction and Control - Source, Noise Path, Receiver - Source Control - Control noise at source. - Noise control during new design of products - Adequate mufflers to control intake and exhaust noise - Source noise control can also be undertaken as a retrofit measure, but this may be more expensive and could result in performance compromises - Active noise/vibration control attempts to reduce sound levels by means of either injecting sound near source to force destructive interference - Operation oriented, effective noise control mat be achieved by introducing methods of performing an operation, used by major airlines - Path Control - Modification or alteration of the noise path between the source and the receiver. - Rerouting or relocation noise sources is an example of path modification - Interpose barriers between the source and receive, shielding is useful in attenuating highway noise levels - Source control step coupled with path modification result in noise reduction - Receiver Control - In factories or workshops, personal protection or control at receiver  - Land use Planning - Separate the most objectionable noise sources from noise sensitive areas by acoustical zoning, noise contour. - Prevents noise from becoming a problem in the first place - Conclusion - a complete study and analysis of the noise problems is essential - noise problems with regard to both magnitude and frequency Light Pollution - Introduction - Twenty- first century has seen an upsurge in the use of bright, usually white sources such as metal halide, CFL and increasingly, LED lamps. - Types of Light Pollution - Glare Excessive Brightness that causes visual discomfort, Skyglow Brighting of the night sky over inhabited areas Light trespass Light falling where it is not intended or needed Clutter Bright, confusing, and excessive groupings of light source - Skyglow - Careless or deliberately projected from ground to night sky. - Upward light from poorly designed lamps is scattered and reflected by aerosols in the atmosphere - The fewer the stars in the sky, the more severity of light pollution - 3 Causes - Street and Vehicle light, Advertising Light, Industrial Light - Impacts of inefficient artificial lighting - Waste of money and energy, Environmental degradation, skyglow, impact on wildlife, human health issues - Waste of Money and Energy - 1 third of all lighting in the usa is wasted by being directed where not needed - 30 million barrels of oil and 8.2 million tons of coal, 2 billion per year - Environmental Degradation - Skyglow, glare and light intrusion - Glare - Overbright and poorly directed lights - Caused by light that is spilled in any direction and causes discomfort, distraction or inability to properly see - That they have been correctly installed with the glass parallel to the ground below - Light intrusion - Shielding or reangling offending light or reducing power - Well controlled and well directed lighting, or sensible wattages - Impact on wildlife - Nocturnal animals, light can cause them to be disturbed or killed - Human health issues - Some victims of accidents caused by glaring lights no longer here to testify - Ill-directed or over-bright lighting can cause as much inconvenience and stress as other pollutants - Example 1 - May 2002, oxfordshire man was hit by a car and killed and security light blinded driver - Example 2 - July 2002 in australia, 2 aircrafts collide at melbourne's airport, poor visibility of the impact of surrounding lights, enormous collection of lights shining uselessly into the sky, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to see the airport and surrounding planes - Hormone Melatonin - Circadian clock has 24 hour clock and needs to reset - Light dark cycle - Light exposure at night, suppresses melatonin production and resets the biological clock, as it tries to reset to this new ‘day’ signal - Human Health Issues - Many species including humans need darkness to survive - Glare from bad lighting is a public hazard - Wasted light represents unnecessary energy and CO2 production - Definition - Excessive light, misdirected, obtrusive artificial - Kinds - Glare, sky glow, light trespass, over lighting - Cause - Traffic lights, advertising lights, industrial lights - Effect - Wasting energy, damaging environment, posing negative effects on people's health, degenerating plants and animals - Solution - Low voltage, warm lights, Sense it, Cut it off, Turn off, Be involved