Environmental Engineering Solutions Lecture

A set of 40 vocabulary flashcards covering essential terms from the Environmental Engineering Solutions lecture, including air and water pollution controls, wastewater treatment, noise and soil management, green building, and sustainable development concepts.

Inertial Separator (Cyclone)

Air pollution control device that uses centrifugal, gravitational, and inertial forces to remove large dust particles.

Fabric Filter / Baghouse

Porous cloth filtration system that captures very fine dust as dirty gas passes through fabric bags.

Wet Scrubber

Equipment that sprays liquid, usually water, into a gas stream to dissolve or trap gases and particulates.

Electrostatic Precipitator

Device that charges airborne particles and attracts them to oppositely charged plates for high-efficiency removal.

Dust Unit Collector

Small, point-source dust collector that filters air directly at a machine or workstation.

Elimination (Pollution Control Hierarchy)

Complete removal of a pollutant or its source to avoid emissions.

Substitution (Pollution Control Hierarchy)

Replacing a polluting activity or material with a cleaner alternative, such as public transport for cars.

Engineering Control

Technological measure that physically reduces exposure, e.g., treatment plants or noise enclosures.

Administrative Control

Rules, policies, and penalties used to limit pollution or exposure.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Individual gear, such as masks or earplugs, that shields a person from environmental hazards.

Coagulation

Addition of chemicals like alum to destabilize and aggregate suspended colloids in water.

Flocculation

Gentle mixing step that grows micro-flocs into larger, settleable flocs.

Sedimentation (Water Treatment)

Process where gravity allows heavy flocs to settle to the bottom of a clarifier.

Filtration (Water Treatment)

Passing water through media (sand, gravel, etc.) to remove remaining fine solids and turbidity.

Disinfection (Water Treatment)

Killing or inactivating pathogens using chlorine, ozone, UV, or boiling.

Gray Water

Relatively clean household wastewater from sinks, baths, and laundry.

Black Water

Wastewater containing feces and urine from toilets.

Tertiary Treatment (Wastewater)

Optional advanced step that removes nutrients or residual contaminants for high-quality effluent.

Sludge Treatment

Thickening, digesting, and stabilizing solids removed from wastewater for safe disposal or reuse.

Preliminary Treatment

Initial screening and grit removal phase to protect downstream equipment.

Primary Treatment (Wastewater)

Settling stage that separates sludge and scum from liquid sewage.

Secondary Treatment

Biological process, often activated sludge, where bacteria degrade organic matter.

Amines (Odor Source)

Compounds that give wastewater a characteristic fishy smell.

Hydrogen Sulfide

Gas with a rotten-egg odor, produced by anaerobic decomposition.

Contour Cultivation

Plowing and planting along land contours to slow runoff and prevent soil erosion.

Strip Cropping

Alternating erosion-prone and erosion-resistant crop strips across a slope to reduce erosion.

Phytoremediation

Use of plants to absorb, degrade, or immobilize environmental contaminants.

Noise Barrier

Exterior sound wall or berm designed to shield sensitive areas from traffic or industrial noise.

LAeq

Equivalent continuous sound level representing averaged noise energy over a specified period.

LEED

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a global green building rating system.

BERDE

Building for Ecologically Responsive Design Excellence, the Philippine green building standard.

Sustainable Building

Structure designed to minimize environmental impact through resource efficiency and healthy indoor environments.

Energy Efficiency (Green Design Principle)

Reducing energy demand via insulation, efficient appliances, daylighting, and renewable sources.

Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ)

Condition of indoor air, light, acoustics, and comfort affecting occupants' health and productivity.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

UN-adopted 17 global objectives aimed at peace, prosperity, and environmental protection by 2030.

Three Pillars of Sustainability

Interconnected focus areas of social (people), economic (prosperity), and environmental (planet) wellbeing.

Noise Emission Standards

Legal limits on sound output from vehicles, equipment, and industrial sources.

Coagulant

Chemical, such as aluminum sulfate, added during water treatment to neutralize particle charges.

Low-E Glass

Low-emissivity glazing that reduces heat gain while permitting ample daylight.

Net-Zero Building

Structure that produces as much energy as it consumes annually, achieving zero net greenhouse-gas emissions.