Environmental Engineering – Pollution Prevention Essay Example
Environmental Engineering – Pollution Prevention Essay Example

Environmental Engineering – Pollution Prevention Essay Example

Available Only on StudyHippo
  • Pages: 12 (3153 words)
  • Published: July 28, 2018
  • Type: Research Paper
View Entire Sample
Text preview

Engineering addresses sustainability and pollution prevention through the integration of diverse disciplines that consider the social, cultural, and economic impacts while pursuing objectives. These include managing water supply, disposing of waste, recycling materials, developing community drainage systems, and regulating water quality, soil health, air pollution, and environmental effects resulting from land-based activities. The increasing population growth and extensive use of natural resources play a crucial role in creating environmental challenges.

The research examines different types of pollution, including air, land, water, marine, and noise. Pollution refers to the introduction of harmful substances that disrupt a specific ecosystem. The study also covers topics such as radiation, natural disasters, drugs, narcotics, and food additives. Environmental engineering is vital in promoting a cleaner and healthier environment for an improved quality of life.

Science a

...

nd engineering are confronted with the task of preserving a clean and healthy environment amidst growing ecological concerns. It is important to recognize that these problems are interconnected, which implies that tackling only one issue globally is not enough. In Asia, for instance, there are air and water pollution challenges, whereas Africa struggles with water supply issues. Environmental engineering needs to devise future solutions for overcoming these obstacles.

The concept of the ecosystem involves a community of organisms and their interactions with the environment, where energy exchange and system-level processes occur. It is a fundamental idea in Biology and Ecology, representing the level at which organisms interact with each other and the environment. Ecosystems are above ecological communities but below biomass and the biosphere.

Biomass and the biosphere are both ecosystems. Biomass refers to regional ecosystems while the biosphere encompasses the largest ecosystem. Ecosystems

View entire sample
Join StudyHippo to see entire essay

consist of living organisms, their deceased organic matter, and the biotic environment (such as soils, water, and atmosphere) in which they exist. These components interact to create complex systems with emergent properties. This demonstrates the interconnectedness of all elements within the system and emphasizes that the whole is greater than its individual parts.

In the past years, human activities such as agriculture, forestry, recreation, arbitration, and industry have had a significant impact on Earth's ecosystems. The most noticeable consequence is the reduction in biodiversity. Since the Industrial Revolution, the number of extinctions resulting from human dominance over ecosystems has been consistently rising. The frequency of species extinctions is linked to the planet's human population size, which is directly influenced by resource consumption, land-use changes, and environmental degradation.

Other human impacts to ecosystems include species invasions to new habitats, changes to the abundance and dominance of species in communities, modification of biochemical cycles, modification of hydrological cycling pollution, and climatic change. Ecosystems can be classified into two types: aquatic and terrestrial, with sub ecosystems falling under each category. Terrestrial ecosystems are found in all areas except bodies of water and are further divided into the following subparts: Forest ecosystem, which is characterized by a variety of plants and organisms.


The density of life in it is quite high: the forest ecosystem is also divided into the following forests.

  • Tropical-evergreen - It receives rainfall at an average varying from inches 80-400 yearly. Vegetation is very dense having trees Of different lengths.
  • Tropical-deciduous - Has dense shrubs and bushes as well as trees.
  • Temperature-evergreen - Have

fewer trees with leaves spiked for minimizing transpiration.

  • Temperature- deciduous -? Found in regions where temperature is moist with enough rainfall.
  • Desert ecosystems, which cover about 17% of the Earth's land, are found in regions with yearly rainfall. To preserve water, plants in this ecosystem have spiny leaves. Animals in desert ecosystems are also well-adapted to survive in challenging dry conditions. It is worth noting that trees are rare in these environments.

    Grassland ecosystems exist in tropical and temperate regions worldwide. These habitats consist mainly of grasses, with few trees and shrubs present. There are two distinct types of grassland ecosystems called Savanna and Prairies.

    Mountain ecosystems exhibit a wide range of flora and fauna. The higher slopes lack tree vegetation while coniferous forests dominate the lower areas.

    Aquatic ecosystems encompass various bodies of water as their habitat.

    The Earth's surface consists mainly of two types of ecosystems: marine and freshwater. The marine ecosystem, covering around 71 percent of the planet, contains an astounding 97 percent water. It includes divisions like oceanic, inter-tidal, salt-marshes, estuaries, and coral-reefs. In contrast, the freshwater ecosystem occupies a smaller portion.

    The text explores the percentages of Earth's surface and water, specifically Lentil, Wetlands, and Loti. It also highlights the ecosystem's two main components - biotic and abiotic. The biotic component encompasses nonliving elements like water, air, nutrients, and solar energy.

    The text addresses three main categories of biotic factors: climatic factors, adapted factors, and topographic factors. Climatic factors encompass sunlight, humidity, temperature, atmosphere, etc. Adapted factors pertain to the nature and type of soil, as well as land geology. Lastly, topographic factors involve land use.

    Adapted factors are associated

    with the physical and chemical properties of the soil that restrict the abundance and distribution of living organisms. Soil is a natural combination of mineral and organic materials found on the Earth's surface. It functions as a medium for plant growth and acts as a site for decomposing organic matter.

    The soil plays multiple roles in supporting life on land, serving as a habitat for animals and a medium for plants to anchor themselves and obtain nutrients and water. Both terrestrial ecosystems and aquatic life zones are affected by physical and chemical factors. One of these factors is the penetration of light in terrestrial ecosystems.

    Aquatic Life Zone

    • Sunlight
    • Temperature
    • Water current
    • Precipitation
    1. Dissolved nutrient concentrations . Wind (especially N and P)
    2. Latitudes. Suspended solids (distance from equator)
    3. Salinity (the amounts of various 6.
    4. Altitude inorganic minerals or salts dissolved (distance above sea level) in a given volume of water)
    5. Fire frequency
    6. Soil Biotic is made up of biological components consisting of living and dead plants, animals and microorganisms.

    The main biological components of an ecosystem are the producers or autotrophs. They are also known as self-feeders as they can make their own food using compounds from their environment. Producers are responsible for providing the source of all food in an ecosystem. On land, the majority of producers are green plants, while in freshwater and marine ecosystems, algae and plants play a significant role as the main producers near shorelines.

    In Open Water, the

    primary producers consist of phytoplankton which are mainly microscopic and float or drift in the water. The majority of these producers utilize sunlight to produce carbohydrates like glucose through photosynthesis. However, there are some specialized bacteria that act as producers and are capable of converting simple compounds from their surroundings into complex nutrient compounds without the need for sunlight, a process known as chemosynthesis. Consumers, or heterodox, obtain their energy and nutrients by consuming other organisms or their remains.

    In ecology, there are various groups of consumers. Primary consumers, also called herbivores, consume plants as their food source. Conversely, secondary consumers, or carnivores, prey on other animals. There are also omnivores that have a diet comprising both plants and animals. Additionally, decomposers—specifically certain bacteria and fungi—play a vital role in recycling organic matter within ecosystems. They accomplish this by breaking down deceased organic material to acquire nutrients and releasing simpler inorganic compounds into the soil and water. Producers can then absorb these compounds as nutrients.

    The term "environment" commonly refers to the natural surroundings that include both living and non-living entities. These elements, factors, and conditions impact the growth and development of organisms. The environment includes biotic factors like light, temperature, water, atmospheric gases, and surrounding species, as well as abiotic factors.

    Organisms have the capacity to adapt to their ever-changing surroundings, however, they each have a unique range of tolerance. When these limits are exceeded, organisms face environmental stress. Environmentalism is a significant political and social movement that seeks to safeguard the natural environment. It emphasizes nature's role in preserving the environment and implements diverse actions and policies for conservation.

    Environmentalism and environmental science

    share similar objectives but are separate disciplines. Environmentalism aims to decrease global reliance on fossil fuels and address various types of pollution including air, sea, and river pollution in order to achieve zero pollution. Moreover, it promotes the adoption of clean energy sources with low carbon emissions and advocates for sustainable management of finite resources such as water and land. Additionally, it emphasizes the preservation of endangered species and protection of biodiversity. Ultimately, a primary goal is to reduce worldwide consumption of fossil fuels as a means to combat climate change and global warming.

    Global warming is primarily caused by the burning of fossil fuels, which releases carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. To effectively address global warming, it is crucial to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. It is also important to decrease pollution and improve cleanliness, as pollution greatly impacts our air, seas, and rivers. This creates an unhealthy environment and leads to various health problems and diseases.

    The third goal is to meet the world's significant energy requirements by decreasing our reliance on fossil fuels and utilizing alternative sources such as wind energy, solar power, and hydro-energy. These alternatives have immense potential and are environmentally friendly. However, their usage is still minimal globally compared to fossil fuels. Additionally, it is crucial to conserve water, a valuable but limited resource, for future generations.

    To secure the future of our planet, it is imperative to conserve water, land, and other resources. The increasing number of endangered species, including those that have already disappeared, highlights the significance of protecting these animals. Safeguarding them is essential for preserving ecosystems and biodiversity, which are vital for sustaining life on Earth.

    Each species has its own unique role in maintaining a harmonious and balanced system.

    Humans depend on even the tiniest elements of the circle for their proper functioning, without actually owning them. However, this crucial realization is frequently overlooked. In an ecosystem, organisms engage in interactions with one another, which can result in positive, negative, or neutral consequences for the species involved.

    Kinds of Organism Interactions

    Predation is the act of a predator, an organism from one species, capturing and consuming a prey from another species. A classic example is the interaction between a wolf (predator) and a rabbit (prey).

    Competition is an interaction between two organisms in which they both strive to obtain the same limited resource, causing harm to each organism to some extent, such as a decrease in population growth rates. Instances of competition include oak and maple trees competing for light within a forest and wading birds seeking food in a marsh.

    • Introspection competition - competition w/c is between members of the same species b. Interspecies competition -? competition among organisms of different species

    Symbiotic relationships

    • Symbiosis - is a close, long lasting, physical relationship between two different species of organisms. ?? the two organisms are usually in physical contact and at least one of the organisms derives some sort of benefit from this contact
    • Parasitism - is a relationship in w/c one organism, known as he parasite, lives in or on another Organism, known as the host, from w/c it derives nourishment.
    • Catastrophe - those that live on the surface of their host
    • Indoctrinate -

    those that live inside the bodies of their hosts

  • Commercialism - relationship in w/c one organism benefits while the other is not affected.
  • Ex Remove fish attached to shark.
  • Naturalism - symbiotic relationships that are actually beneficial to both species of organisms involved; examples include humans and house pets and insect pollination of flowers
  • Nationalism - One species harms another (typically by releasing a OIC substance), but is not affected itself; example: Elephant (plants that produce substances harmful to other plants): rye and wheat suppress weeds when used as cover crops, broccoli residue suppresses growth of other vegetables in the same plant family.
  • Air Pollution, also referred to as dirty air, is a danger to human health, flora and fauna, as well as property. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that air pollution arises when substances released through human activities reach harmful levels that impact health, property, crop yield or interfere with the enjoyment of property. Technical means are primarily used to minimize exposure to air pollution, employing various technologies either at its source or via filtration systems.

    In order to incorporate these technologies into practical situations, it is crucial to have government or corporate policies that facilitate making appropriate technical choices. With the use of advanced modeling and monitoring, it has become feasible to produce accurate assessments and maps of air pollution levels in significant urban areas. This offers an efficient approach for evaluating the present health impacts and anticipated enhancements derived from particular interventions targeting air pollution. The precise constituents of "clean" air remain unknown to us.

    The composition of

    the air has been significantly affected by human activities over time, even before its components could be measured. The air is a complex mixture containing different chemical elements, including nitrogen (NO), oxygen (02), and water vapor (H2O). Nitrogen and oxygen constitute approximately 99% of the air, with nitrogen making up 78% and oxygen comprising 21%. The remaining percentage encompasses minor quantities of other substances such as carbon dioxide (CA), methane (CHI), hydrogen (H2O), argon (Ar), and helium (He).

    Although there has always been some level of pollution in the air, when we talk about air pollution, it generally refers to pollutants that come from human activities. An air pollutant is a substance found in the air that can harm the environment and can be measured or detected. These effects have negative impacts on both health and well-being. Therefore, human actions have greatly influenced the composition of the air.

    Human activities and industrial processes, such as operating vehicles, burning fossil fuels, and producing chemicals, have significantly altered the composition of the air. This has led to the introduction of numerous pollutants into the atmosphere. These pollutants can be found in the ambient air, which is any accessible portion of the atmosphere available to the general public. The ambient air contains hundreds of these pollutants in two primary forms: particulate matter and gases. Particulate matter consists of small solid and liquid particles like dust, smoke, sand, pollen, mist, and fly ash.

    Gases in the atmosphere are diverse and encompass substances like carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SIS), nitrogen oxides (NON), and volatile organic compounds (Voss). Pollutants are further categorized as primary pollutants, emitted directly from their source

    and maintaining their original chemical composition, or secondary pollutants, formed through atmospheric reactions involving precursor or primary emissions. An instance of a primary pollutant is the ash generated from the incineration of solid waste.

    Secondary pollutants undergo a chemical change upon reaching the atmosphere, resulting in ozone formation. This occurs when organic vapors emitted at gasoline stations react with sunlight in the atmosphere, generating ozone which is a major component of smog. Managing secondary pollutants is typically more difficult than primary pollutants as it involves identifying precursor compounds and their sources, along with comprehending the specific chemical reactions responsible for forming these secondary pollutants.

    Air pollution can be caused by either natural or human-generated sources. Natural sources, also referred to as boogieing sources, have always been present and include phenomena like volcanic eruptions and lightning strikes. These events release particulate matter and gases into the atmosphere. Although these natural pollutants can occasionally cause problems, they are typically less worrisome than the pollutants produced by human activities, known as anthropogenic sources of pollution.

    Human activities are responsible for two primary categories of air pollution sources: mobile and stationary. Mobile sources encompass vehicles such as cars, trucks, and planes. In contrast, stationary sources comprise non-moving sources like power plants and industrial facilities. Moreover, within the category of stationary sources, there are two subcategories known as point source and area source. A point source refers to a fixed emission source like a smokestack or storage tank that releases air pollutants.

    An area source is a collection of small sources that collectively impact the air quality in a region. For example, if a community of homes uses woodstoves for

    heating, it would be considered an area source, even though each home emits small amounts of different pollutants.

    The term "Mobile sources" refers to various vehicles, engines, and equipment that produce air pollution and can be moved from one location to another. Mobile sources are categorized as on-road and inroad sources.

    "On-road" or highway sources include vehicles used for passenger or freight transportation. "Inroad" sources consist of gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles, engines, and equipment used in industries, agriculture, transportation, recreation, and other purposes. These sources release both criteria pollutants and other hazardous air pollutants.

    Mobile sources pollute the air through combustion and fuel evaporation. Combustion is the process of burning. Motor vehicles and equipment typically burn fuel in an engine to generate power. Gasoline and diesel fuels are composed of hydrocarbons - compounds containing hydrogen and carbon atoms.

    In an ideal scenario, oxygen in the air would react with hydrogen in fuel to produce water and with carbon in fuel to generate carbon dioxide. Nitrogen remains unaffected. However, combustion is imperfect and leads to the release of different pollutants. Evaporation occurs when a liquid substance transforms into vapor. "Evaporative emissions" occur when a liquid fuel evaporates and releases its molecules into the atmosphere.

    Gasoline leaks or spills and evaporation from hot fuel tanks or engines are significant contributors to hydrocarbon pollution. When fuel (hydrocarbons) mixes with air (oxygen and nitrogen), the combustion process in engines generates carbon dioxide, water, and unaffected nitrogen. Additionally, engine combustion produces unburned hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides (Knox), and carbon monoxide, which later transform into carbon dioxide and water. Pollution originating from stationary sources like power plants, chemical plants, oil refineries, manufacturing facilities, and other

    industrial sites remains localized.

    Stationary sources release both criteria pollutants and hazardous air pollutants (HAPS). Air pollution from stationary sources occurs through two main activities: stationary combustion of fuels, such as coal and oil, at power plants, and the release of pollutants during industrial processes. Industrial processes encompass refineries, chemical manufacturing facilities, and smelters. Stationary sources can have numerous emission points.

    An emission point refers to a particular location or equipment where pollutants are discharged. Air pollutants may be discharged from various sources including smokestacks, storage tanks, equipment leaks, areas for handling/treating process wastewater, loading and unloading facilities, and process vents. A process vent serves as an opening where substances, mostly in gaseous form, are released into the atmosphere. In a chemical plant, common process vents include distillation columns and oxidation vents.

    Emissions from storage tanks occur when pollutants leak either through the roofs or tank openings due to temperature fluctuations. Additionally, air pollutants can escape during the filling and emptying of a storage tank. Wastewater-related air pollution happens when volatile chemicals in wastewater interact with the air. Volatile refers to substances that can evaporate or transition from a liquid to a gaseous state.

    Get an explanation on any task
    Get unstuck with the help of our AI assistant in seconds
    New