BES 19C Midterm Review: Environmental Science Overview

Environmental Science and Engineering

A multidisciplinary field that combines principles of science, engineering, and technology to study and address environmental issues.

Quantitative Environmental Science

Focuses on using data to understand and analyze environmental phenomena, leading to hypotheses that are tested and refined into theories or laws.

Environmental Engineering

A branch of engineering that focuses on the application of scientific and engineering principles to protect the environment and public health.

Air Pollution Control

One of the primary goals of environmental engineering is to protect public health by reducing exposure to harmful pollutants.

Inca Civilization

Known for sophisticated terrace farming.

Maya Civilization

Used mathematics and astronomy to optimize crop planting and harvesting.

Power and Energy Management

Essential for creating sustainable systems that reduce environmental impacts.

Egyptian Civilization

Created methods to predict and regulate the annual flooding of the Nile, ensuring fertile lands for agriculture.

Renewable Energy

Integrating sustainable, efficient, and environmentally friendly practices into the design and operation of infrastructure.

Romans Civilization

Built aqueducts to transport clean water over long distances, showcasing early environmentally friendly practices.

Clean Technology

Minimizes environmental impact, enhances resource efficiency, and promotes sustainability through innovative and eco-friendly solutions.

Waste Management

The process of collecting, transporting, processing, and disposing of waste materials.

Environmental Impact Assessments

Conducted to determine the potential environmental impacts of proposed projects or activities.

Environmental Science

An interdisciplinary field that integrates physical, biological, and information sciences to study the environment, understand its processes, and address issues such as pollution, resource management, and conservation.

Perrault (1678)

Conducted rainfall, evaporation, and capillarity measurements in the Seine.

American Society of Civil Engineers

Formed in 1852, focusing on water purification and public health.

Mariotte (1686)

Computed Seine River flow using cross-sectional and velocity measurements.

Bernoulli's Piezometer

Measures fluid pressure.

Pitot Tube

Measures fluid velocity.

Woltman's Current Meter

Measures water flow velocity.

Chezy Equation (1769)

Describes uniform flow in open channels.

Hagen-Poiseuille Equation (1839-1840)

Describes capillary flow.

Darcy's Law (1856)

Describes groundwater flow through porous media.

Dupuit Formula (1863)

Predicts flow from wells.

Rachel Carson's Silent Spring (1962)

Highlights the effects of pesticides, serving as a turning point for public awareness of environmental issues.

Hazen (1930)

Applied statistics to hydrology.

Mid-1970s

Environmental science is firmly established as an academic field.

Horton (1933)

Infiltration theory and rainfall excess method.

Theis (1935)

Nonequilibrium theory for well hydraulics.

High-Speed Computers (Late 20th Century)

Finite element analysis for contaminant migration.

Hydrology

The study of water in the environment.

Water Treatment

Processes to improve water quality.

Air Pollution Control

Methods to reduce air contaminants.

Solid and Hazardous Waste

Management of waste materials to protect health and the environment.

George Warren Fuller (1899)

Combined coagulation, settling, and rapid sand filtration in Cincinnati.

Nippur Sewer (3750 B.C.E.)

Earliest known sewer system.

Tel Asmar Sewer (26th Century B.C.E.)

Advanced sewer system near Baghdad.

Roman Aqueducts (97 A.D.)

Nine aqueducts delivered over 300,000 m³/day of water to Rome.

Royal Proclamations (1272)

King Edward I banned the burning of coal in London.

Paisley, Scotland (1804)

First water filtration process installed.

Hohlfeld (1824)

Used an electrified needle to clear fog in a jar.

Chelsea Water Company (1829)

Installed filters to improve Thames River water quality.

Fabric Filters (1852)

Developed for removing particles from air.

Paris Sewers (1833)

Large-scale sewer construction began.

Cyclone Collectors (1895)

Invented for separating particles from gas streams.

Hamburg Sewers (1842)

Supervised by W. Lindley.

Venturi Scrubbers (1899)

Designed to remove particles and gases from air streams.

John Snow (1854)

Linked cholera outbreaks to contaminated water at the Broad Street Pump.

Electrostatic Precipitator (1907)

Device to remove fine particles using electric charge.

William Budd (1857-1873)

Identified water contamination as the cause of typhoid and proposed preventive measures.

Plate Tower for Gas Absorption (1916)

Developed to absorb gases like sulfur dioxide.

Edwin Chadwick (1842)

Advocated for public health reforms in Britain.

Air & Waste Management Association (1907)

Established as the International Union for Prevention of Smoke.

London Smog Incident (1952)

Severe air pollution episode caused 4,000 deaths.

American Water Works Association (AWWA, 1881)

Professional society for water purification.

Molina and Rowland (1974)

Discovered mechanisms destroying the ozone layer.

IPCC Report (1996)

Acknowledged human influence on global climate change.

Austen and Wilber (1885)

Found that using alum as a coagulant improved sedimentation.

Total Water on Earth

97% = saline water, 3% = fresh water (68.7% icecaps and glaciers, 30.1% ground water, 0.9% other, 0.3% Surface water).

Legal obligation in London (1297)

Householders to keep pavements clear.

Officials began paying informers (1414)

To report offenders dumping rubbish in streets.

The Great Fire of London (1666)

Temporarily reduced waste issues.

Surface Water Composition

Under 0.3% surface water, 87% lakes, 11% swamps, 2% rivers.

Modern Refuse Collection

1875: Modern refuse collection system implemented.

First U.S. Incinerators

1885: First U.S. incinerators installed for waste management.

Wastewater

Water that has been used and polluted by humans.

Sewage

Polluted form of water generated from rainwater runoff and human activities.

Incinerators Operational

1921: Over 200 incinerators operational in the U.S.

Sanitary Landfilling

1930s: Sanitary landfilling introduced in the United Kingdom.

John Snow's Discovery

Discovery of the link between contaminated water and cholera.

Sustainability

The development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Environmental Sustainability

Focusing on preserving and restoring the natural resources and ecosystems that support life on Earth.

Social Sustainability

Addressing social justice, equity, and the well-being of communities.

Economic Sustainability

Promoting responsible economic growth and development that minimizes negative environmental impacts.

Population

A group of individuals of a single species that live in a particular area and interact with one another.

Environmental Legislation

Plays a vital role in protecting our planet and ensuring a sustainable future.

Organism

Generally refers to a single or individual living species, which exhibits all the properties of life.

Biome

An area classified according to the species that live in that location.

Ecology

Study of the relationships between living organisms and their physical environment.

Biotic Factors

The living components of an ecosystem, including plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms.

Abiotic Factors

The non-living elements that shape an ecosystem, such as sunlight, temperature, water, soil, air, and minerals.

Biosphere

Defined as the region on, above, and below the Earth's surface where life exists.

Ecosystem

A community of living organisms in a particular area.

Energy Flow in Ecosystem

Follows a one-way path, starting from the sun and moving through different organisms.

Food Chain and Food Webs

Concepts that describe the flow of energy and nutrients through an ecosystem.

Ecosystem

A community of organisms and their physical environment interacting together.

Food Chain

Outlines who eats whom; shows a single path of energy flow through an ecosystem.

Community

Defined as a group of species that are commonly found together.

Food Web

All of the food chains in an ecosystem; shows all the different paths of energy flow.

Trophic Levels

The position of an organism in the food chain, ranging from 1 for primary producers to 6 for decomposers.

Hot Desert

Extremely dry, hot days, cold nights (e.g., Sahara Desert).

Cold Desert

Hot during the day and cold at night; organisms adapt to survive extreme heat.

Savanna

Warm, with seasonal rains and scattered trees (e.g., African Savanna).

Temperate Grassland

Less rain, dominated by grasses (e.g., Prairies in North America).

Arctic Tundra

Extremely cold, permafrost, low biodiversity (e.g., Alaska, Siberia).

Alpine Tundra

Found in high mountains, cold with strong winds (e.g., Himalayas).

Water Cycle

The continuous movement of water within the Earth and its atmosphere, involving evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, and runoff.

Freshwater

Rivers, lakes, and ponds with low salt concentration; supports unique plant and animal species.

Carbon Cycle

The process in which carbon atoms continually travel from the atmosphere to the Earth and then back into the atmosphere.

Marine

Oceans, coral reefs, and estuaries with high salt concentration; the largest ecosystems on Earth.