Module-1 PDF

ENVIRONMENT (BIOPHYSICAL) - Biotic and Abiotic surrounding of an organism, or population, and includes particularly the factors that have an influence in their survival. Biotic- living component of a community. Abiotic- non-living factors. SCIENCE - Systematic study of...

ENVIRONMENT (BIOPHYSICAL) - Biotic and Abiotic surrounding of an organism, or population, and includes particularly the factors that have an influence in their survival. Biotic- living component of a community. Abiotic- non-living factors. SCIENCE - Systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation, experimentation, and the testing against evidence obtained. ENGINEERING - Creative application of scientific principles to design or develop structures, machines, apparatus, or manufacturing processes. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE - A discipline that integrates different fields of science to understand the environment. - Study that includes both applied and theoretical aspect of human impact in the world. STUDY OF HUMAN IMPACT TO THE ENVIRONMENT Ecology- the study of living and non-living things and their interactions. ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING - The application of science and engineering principles to improve natural environment. - To provide a healthy water, air, and land for human habitation. HUNTER-GATHERERS - Small groups of people that migrated from place to place. - Obtained food by collecting, hunting, or scavenging. IMPACT ON ENVIRONMENT 1. Burned grassland to maintain prairies for hunting 2. Overhunting of some game animal 3. Took plants from their native areas AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTION - Neolithic Revolution (12,000 years ago) - Shift to agriculture from hunting and gathering. - Forages became farmers, transitioning from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to a more settled one. IMPACT ON ENVIRONMENT 1. More pressure on local environment. 2. Habitats were destroyed for farmlands. 3. Plants and animals were domesticated. 4. Increase in population. 5. Began to concentrate in small areas INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION - Shifted society from an agrarian economy to manufacturing economy. - Products are not made by hands but by machines. - Coal (1765) first industrial revolution. - Gas (1870) second industrial revolution. - Electronics and nuclear (1969) third industrial revolution. - Internet and renewable energy (2000) fourth industrial revolution. IMPACT ON ENVIRONMENT 1. Pollution became the first problem. 2. More waste to dispose. 3. Occurrence of diseases. 4. Population in urban areas grew. 5. Life improved: sanitation, nutrition, and medicine. 6. Growth in innovations and inventions. 7. Improvement in transportation. SANITARY ENGINEERING - separate engineering field in the mid-1800s as the importance of drinking wastewater and wastewater treatment became recognized. - Precursor of present-day field of environmental engineering. - Development of environmental engineering because of environmental quality issues such as air and water pollution emerged in the middle third of 20th century. ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING INVOLVES Wastewater management Air pollution control Recycling Waste disposal Radiation protection Industrial hygiene Environmental sustainability Public health issues Environmental engineering laws Environmental impact of proposed construction projects ROLES OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER 1. Collaborate with various types of environmental specialist to address environmental problems. 2. Provide technical-level support for environmental remediation projects including remediation system design and determination of regulatory applicability. 3. Inspect industrial and municipal facilities and programs to evaluate effectives and ensure compliance with environmental regulations. 4. Assess the existing or potential environment impact of land use projects on air, water, and land. 5. Develop site-specific health and safety protocols such as spill contingency plans and transporting of waste. 6. Design systems, process, and equipment for control, management, and remediation of water, air, and soil quality. 7. Develop and present environmental compliance training. 8. Provides assistance with planning, quality assurance, safety inspection protocols and sampling at complex facilities. 9. Monitor progress of environmental improvement programs. 10. Provide administrative support for projects by collecting data, providing project documentation, training staff, and performing other general administrative duties. COMPONENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT a) Atmosphere (air) b) Hydrosphere (water) c) Lithosphere (land) BIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT a) Flora b) Fauna c) Microbes CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT a) Society b) Economy c) Politics LITHOSPHERE - Earth’s outer layer consisting of soil and rocks. - Earth’s topmost layer is crust which compose of several minerals - 2 TYPES OF LITHOSPHERES 1. Oceanic lithosphere 2. Continental lithosphere - Earth’s tectonic plates are the primary part of lithosphere HYDROSPHERE - Includes all types of water bodies found on earth. ATMOSPHERE - Called as layer of gases. - Gaseous wrap that protects the earth from cosmic radiation and provides life supporting oxygen. - Plays a major role in asserting the heat balance of the earth by gripping the re-emitted radiation from earth. LAYERS OF ATMOSPHERE BIOSPHERE - A shell encompassing the earth’s surface where all the living things subsist. - 10000m underneath the sea level to 6000m above sea level. - Total computation of all ecosystem. - Also known as biomass or biota BIOLOGICAL COMPONENTS OF THE ENVIRONMENT FLORA- refers to plant life occurring in a particular region. FAUNA- refers to animal life in a particular region. MICROBES- tiny single-cell organisms. CULUTURAL COMPONENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT SOCIETY- large group of people sharing the same geographical or social territory. ECONOMY- economic system consist of the production, distribution or trade, and consumption of limited goods and services. POLITICS- activities associated with the governance of a country or an area.  THE ECOSYSTEM ECOSYSTEM - Community of organisms interacting with each other with their environment such that energy is exchanged and system-level processes, such as the cycling of elements emerge. - Include living organisms, the dead organic matter produced by them, the abiotic environment within which the organisms live and exchange elements. - Ecosystems embody the concept that living organisms continually interact with each other and with the environment to produce complex systems with emergent properties, such that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” and “everything is connected “. ECOSYSTEM TERMS HABITAT- natural environment in which an organism lives. SPECIES- consists of a group of organisms that look alike and have similar characteristics. POPULATION- consist of organisms living in the same habitat at the same time. COMMUNITY- collection of plant and animal species living within a defined area in an ecosystem. ECOLOGICAL NICHE- the role of an organism in an ecosystem.  FUNCTION OF ECOSYSTEM 1) PRODUCTION- creation of new organic matter PHOTOSYNTHESIS REACTION: done by phototrophs CO2 + H2O CH2O + O2 (light and enzymes) CHEMOSYNTHESIS- inorganic substances converted to organic substances in the absence of light. - Done by chemotrophs which are specialized bacteria. 2) RESPIRATION- process of unleashing bound energy for utilization. CH2O + O2 CO2 + H2O + energy released 3) CONSUMPTION- process in which a substance is completely destroyed or transformed into something else. Acts as a regulator for production and decomposition. 4) DECOMPOSITION- responsible for breakdown of complex structures. ABIOTIC DECOMPOSITION- degradation of a substance by chemical or physical structures. BIOTIC DECOMPOSITION (BIODEGRATION)- metabolic breakdown of materials into simpler components by living organisms. PRODUCERS - organisms such as plants that produce their own food are called autotrophs. - autotrophs convert inorganic compounds into organic compounds. - all of the species of the ecosystem depends on them. CONSUMERS - Organisms that cannot produce their own food. - Called heterotrophs. - Obtain foods by eating other organisms. - 3 TYPES OF CONSUMERS a) PRIMARY CONSUMERS- eats plant or plant products. b) SECONDARY CONSUMERS- feed on primary consumers. c) TERTIARY CONSUMERS- feed on secondary consumers. CLASSIFICATION OF CONSUMERS HERBIVORES- eats plants or plant products. CARNIVORES- eats another animal. OMNIVORE- eats both plant and animal. TROPHIC LEVEL - Corresponds to the different level of food chain. FEEDING RELATIONSHIPS 1) FOOD CHAIN- transfer of food energy from the source; has a pattern. a) GRAZING FOOD CHAIN- from plants to grazing herbivores to carnivores. b) DETRITUS FOOD CHAIN- from dead organic matter to microorganisms. 2) FOOD WEB- refers to interconnected relationship among food chain. 3) FOOD PYRAMID- over-all structure of dependency among the living elements. OTHER BASIC ECOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES 1) DIVERSITY- variety of habitats in the living world. Also refers that an ecosystem possesses different species. 2) DISTRIBUTION- frequency of occurrence where species occur. IMMIGRATION- a person moves into another country for the purpose of establishing residency. EMIGRATION- a person who leaves his place or country of residency to relocate into somewhere else. A person who emigrates is called emigrant. MIGRATION- term for the aforementioned terms. 3) POPULATION DENSITY- the number of individuals of a population. 4) DOMINANCE- the degree to which a species is more numerous than its competitors in an ecological community or make up more of the biomass. KEYSTONE SPECIES- species that have a disproportionately large effect on its environment relative to its abundance. 5) LIMITING FACTORS- environmental factors.  POPULATION PRINCIPLES AND ISSUES 1) NATALITY- birthrate which is the ratio of total live births to total population in an area over a specified period of time. Also refer to the inherit ability of a population to increase. Expressed as childbirths per 1000 people per year 2) MORTALITY- the ratio of death in an area to the population of that area. Expressed per 1000 per year. MORBIDITY- an incidence of ill health. 3) SEX RATIO- the ratio of males to females in a population that varies according to the age profile of the population. PRIMARY SEX RATIO- ratio at fertilization, SECONDARY SEX RATIO- ratio at birth. TERTIARY SEX RATIO- ratio in sexually active organisms. QUATERNARY SEX RATIO- ratio in post-reproductive organisms. 4) AGE DISTRIBUTION- the proportionate number of persons in successive age categories in a given population. KINDS OF ORGANISM INTERACTION 1) COMPETITION- two species share a requirement for a limited resource. Reduces fitness of one or both species. 2) PREDATION- one species feeds on another. Enhance fitness of predators but reduces fitness of prey. 3) SYMBIOSIS- close long-lasting relationship of 2 species. - CATEGORIES: a) PARASITISM- one species feeds on another. Enhances fitness of parasites but reduces fitness of prey. 2 kinds of parasites 1.a) ECTOPARASITES- lives on the bodies of the host. 1.b) ENDOPARASITES= live inside the bodies of the host. b) COMMENSALISM- one species receives a benefit from another species. Enhances fitness of one species no more fitness of the other species. c) MUTUALISM- two species provide resources for each other. Enhances fitness of both species. SUCCESSION - The orderly process of community development that involves change. - Results from the modification of physical environment. 1) PRIMARY SUCCESSION- occurs in lifeless areas in which soil is incapable of sustaining life as a result of such factor such as lava flows, newly formed sand dunes, or rocks left from a retreating glacier. LICHENS- pioneering species in primary succession. Aids in pedogenesis (formation of soil). 2) SECONDAY SUCCESSION- occurs in areas where a community that previously existed has been removed.  CLIMAX COMMUNITY- community in a final stage of succession. Self- perpetuating and in equilibrium with the physical habitat. MATERIAL CYCLES MATERIAL CYCLES - Nutrient cycles or biogeochemical cycles - Describe the flow of matter from nonliving to the living world and back again. - Matter can be stored, transformed into different molecules, transferred from organism to organism, and returned to its initial configuration. MATERIAL CYCLE INCLUDES: CARBON CYCLE NITROGEN CYCLE WATER CYCLE OXYGEN CYCLE PHOSPHORUS CYCLE SULPHUR CYCLE - PHOTOSYNTHESIS converts carbon dioxide into organic carbon and done by terrestrial and marine organisms. - Marine and terrestrial organisms and microbes that decompose dead organisms release the carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere through RESPIRATION. - Weathering of terrestrial rocks also brings carbon into the soil by entering the water through leaching and runoff. - Long term storage of organic carbon occurs when matter from living organism is buried deep underground and becomes fossilized. - Volcanic activity and human emissions stored carbon back into the cycle. NITROGEN CYCLE - Nitrogen is converted between its various chemical formulas. - Fixation, ammonification, nitrification, and denitrification are the cycles of nitrogen cycle. PROCESSES IN NITROGEN CYCLE 1) NITROGEN FIXATION - Nitrogen must be processed to be used by plants. - 4 ways to convert N2 into more chemically reactive form: 1.a) BIOLOGICAL FIXATION- symbiotic and free-living bacteria are able to fix nitrogen as organic nitrogen. 1.b) INDUSTRIAL N-FIXATION- hydrogen and atmospheric nitrogen can be combined to form ammonia under great pressure at 600˚C with the use of iron catalyst. 1.c) COMBUSTION OF FOSSIL FUELS- automobile and thermal power plants release various nitrogen oxides (NOX).  1.d) OTHER PROCESSES: formation of NO from N2 and O2 due to photons and especially lighting can fix nitrogen. 2) AMMONIFICATION - Bacteria and fungi in some cases forms the organic nitrogen produced by plants and animals or when animals expel waste into ammonia. Process is called AMMONIA OF MINERALIZATION. 3) NITRIFICATION - Biological oxidation of ammonium. - Done by two steps: first is nitrite form then to the nitrate form. - Chemoautotropic bacteria genera uses inorganic carbon as their source for cellular carbon. NH4 + O2 NO2- + O2 NO3- 4 DENITRIFICATION - Biological reduction of nitrate to nitrogen gas. - Can proceed to several step in the biochemical pathway, with the ultimate production of nitrogen gas. - Hetrotrophic bacteria are involved in the process requiring an organic carbon source for energy. NO3- + organic carbon NO2- + organic carbon N2 + CO2 +H2O PHOSPHORUS CYCLE - In nature, phosphorus exists as the phosphate ion (PO43-) - Phosphates enters the atmosphere from volcanic aerosols which precipitate to earth. - Weathering of rocks also releases phosphate into the soil and water, where it becomes available to terrestrial food webs. - Some of the phosphates from terrestrial food webs dissolves in lakes and streams and the remainder enters the soil. - Phosphate enters the ocean via surface runoff, groundwater flow, and river flow where it becomes dissolved in ocean water or enters marine food webs. - Some phosphate falls to the ocean floor where it becomes sediment. SULFUR CYCLE - Sulfur dioxide (SO2) from the atmosphere is dissolved in precipitation as weak sulfuric acid. - This releases sulfates (SO42-) into the soil and water. - Marine sulfate can from pyrite and can break down to release oil sulfates. - Marine and terrestrial organisms’ ecosystems assimilate sulfate adding sulfur to organic molecules such as protein. - Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and vice versa while hydrogen sulfide (H2S) or sulfur dioxide (SO2) can be release in the atmosphere via volcanic eruptions and human activities. OXYGEN CYCLE -a biological cycle that helps maintaining the oxygen level by moving up through the three main spheres which are: atmosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere. STAGES OF OXYGEN CYCLE Step 1: - during the photosynthesis, plants release oxygen that goes back into the atmosphere as a by-product. Step 2: - all aerobic organisms use free oxygen for respiration. Step 3: - animals exhales carbon dioxide back in to the atmosphere that plants use for photosynthesis. The four main processes that use atmospheric oxygen are: Breathing - It is the physical process, through which all living organisms, including plants, animals and humans inhale oxygen from the outside environment into the cells of an organism and exhale carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere. Decomposition - It is one of the natural and most important processes in the oxygen cycle and occurs when an organism dies. The dead animal or plants decay into the ground, and the organic matter along with the carbon, oxygen, water and other components are returned into the soil and air. This process is carried out by the invertebrates, including fungi, bacteria and some insects which are collectively called as the decomposers. The entire process requires oxygen and releases carbon dioxide. Combustion - It is also one of the most important processes which occur when any of the organic materials, including fossil fuels, plastics and wood, are burned in the presence of oxygen and releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Rusting - This process also requires oxygen. It is the formation of oxides which is also called oxidation. In this process, metals like iron or alloy rust when they are exposed to moisture and oxygen for an extended period of time and new compounds of oxides are formed by the combination of oxygen with the metal.