EET CHAPTER 1

• Environmental Engineering Technology


  The application/use of science and engineering technology knowledge and concepts to care for and/or restore our natural environment and/or solve environmental problems
• Environmental engineering technologists and technicians

  • Work both indoors and outdoors to help ensure environmental quality
  • Aid environmental engineers in developing solutions to control, prevent, and mitigate damage caused by pollution and other environmental problems
• Sustainability


  Balancing a growing economy, protection for the environment, and social responsibility, so they together lead to an improved quality of life for future generations and ourselves
• Sustainable Development


  Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs<|>Makes ecological aspects a constraint on types of economic and social development
• Environmental Sustainability


  To conserve the natural resource and create alternate sources while mitigating/reducing pollution and harm to the environment<|>The responsible interaction with the environment to avoid depletion or degradation of natural resources as well as to protect the natural balance of the planet while limiting the impact of human activities on the environment
• Environment consists of the following 4 segments

  • Physical
  • Chemical
  • Biotic
  • Abiotic
• Pollution


  The undesirable change in physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of water, air, or soil that will harmfully affect human life and another organism
• Environmental changes are carried by

  • Natural Changes
  • Natural Process
  • Natural Disasters (Earthquakes, Floods, Sea storms, Droughts)
  • Anthropogenic Changes
• Anthropogenic


  Environmental pollution and pollutants originating in human activity
• Environmental Systems and societies

  The study of global issues and preservation/ conservation of the environment
• Three areas of environmental issues

  • Water Quality
  • Air Quality
  • Land Quality
• Water pollution


  The contamination of water bodies (e.g. lakes, rivers, oceans and groundwater)
• Sources of water pollution

  • Industrial effluents
  • Mining and agricultural wastes
  • Agricultural pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides
  • Sewage disposal and domestic wastes
• Ecosystems can be severely affected or damaged by water pollution


  • Contamination of groundwater from pesticides causes damage to the reproductive system in the wildlife ecosystem
  • When sewage water, agricultural run-off that contain organic materials are discharged into fresh water, causes increase in the growth of algae in turn causing oxygen depletion
  • Low levels of oxygen in rivers and lakes due to water pollution are a major cause for extinction of indigenous organisms
• Water pollution kills life that depends on these water bodies


  • Fishes and aquatic organisms are poisoned due to industrial chemicals and agricultural pesticides
  • Human litter let into the water system gets the aquatic animals caught and can get killed due to suffocation
  • Oil spills in water causes animals to die as they ingest it or come across it. Oil cannot be dissolved in water so it causes suffocation in fish and birds
• Humans are affected by water pollution

  • Diseases like hepatitis are caused by eating seafood that is poisoned or contaminated
  • In developing nations, there are frequent outbreaks of cholera and diseases due to poor drinking water quality from contaminated waters
  • Swimming and drinking in contaminated water can cause skin diseases and also can lead to cancer, reproductive problems, typhoid fever and stomach ailments in humans
  • Heavy metals poisoning due to consumption of contaminated fish. For example : Mercury poisoning interferes with the nervous system development in fetuses and young children
• Air pollution


  Poor air quality can lead to: Smog, Respiratory and other illnesses, Acid rain, Global warming

  
• Sources of air pollution


  • Mobile sources - such as cars, buses, planes, trucks, and trains
  • Stationary sources - such as power plants, oil refineries, industrial facilities, and factories
  • Area sources - such as agricultural areas, cities, and wood burning fireplaces
  • Natural sources - such as wind-blown dust, wildfires, and volcanoes
• Air pollutant


  A known substance in the air that can cause harm to humans and the environment

  
• Examples of air pollutants

  • Nitrogen oxides (NOx) - contribute to problems with heart and lungs
  • Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) - eye irritation, respiratory problems
  • Ozone - coughing and wheezing, eye irritation

  
• Greenhouse gases (GHGs)


  Heat-trapping gases that contribute to global warming
• Examples of greenhouse gases

  • Carbon dioxide
  • Nitrous oxide
  • Methane
  • Water vapour
  • Halons (halocarbons)
  • Chlorofluorocarbons (e.g. Freon)
• More carbon dioxide (CO2) being released in the atmosphere


  Traps more heat
• Greenhouse effect


  Heat from the sun gets trapped inside the glass of a greenhouse and heats up its air
• Global warming


  An increase in the average air temperature of the Earth
• Land pollution


  Destruction of the Earth's surface caused by human activities and the misuse of natural resources
• Natural resources


  Land and raw materials that exist naturally in the environment undisturbed by humans
• Renewable resource


  A natural resource that can be replaced by a natural process (sunlight, plant, wind, etc.)
• Non-renewable resource


  A natural resource that cannot be produced or re-grown or reused (e.g. topsoil, fossil fuels, petroleum)
• Examples of land pollution

  • Landfills
  • Pesticides and herbicides
• Pesticides can contaminate soil, water, turf, and other vegetation


  • In addition to killing insects or weeds, pesticides can be toxic to a host of other organisms including birds, fish, beneficial insects, and non-target plants
  • Insecticides are generally the most acutely toxic class of pesticides, but herbicides can also pose risks to non-target organisms
• Landfills become breeding grounds for mice, rodents, flies, and birds that can transmit diseases

  • Released toxic chemicals that affected the human body via vegetables and foods that are grown in polluted lands
  • Seep into water bodies used for consumer purposes or could be inhaled by humans from polluted dust
  • Abundant waste across the city result in tourist distraction and can be a loss of revenue for the tourism industry
• How to reduce land pollution

  • Buy biodegradable products
  • Store all liquid chemicals and waste in spill-proof containers
  • Eat organic foods that are grown without pesticides
  • Don't use pesticides if you can
  • Use a drip tray to collect engine oil
  • Buy products that have little packaging
  • Don't dump motor oil on the ground
• Environmental Act and Regulations

  Basis of environmental management in Malaysia
• Basis of environmental management in Malaysia

  • National Environmental Policy
  • Climate Change Policy
  • National Environmental Quality Act 1974
• Department of Environment (DOE)

  Government agency responsible for environmental management in Malaysia
• Division of Environmental Management and Climate Change, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE)

  Government agency responsible for environmental management and climate change in Malaysia
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

  Government regulation created for the purpose of protecting human health and the environment by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress
• Geologic sequestration


  Involves collecting and placing carbon dioxide into suitable underground formations for storage
• Main functions of the Department of Environment

  • Enforcement action and compliance targets for stationary sources premises and mobile sources
  • Ensure that air quality is kept clean and preserved for the people
  • Monitor, regulate, implement and damage related to water quality data, program, research, spill and affairs
  • Planning and implementing management strategies substance / hazardous waste
  • Assess & implement laws relating to Section 34A of the Environmental Quality Act 1974
  • Promote effective environmental awareness and promotion programs
  • Design and implement training programs (EiMAS)
  • Monitor DOE state offices