Midterm Flashcards
What is Environmental Engineering?
Study of environmental solutions
What is the environment?
The aggregate of surrounding things, conditions or influences, especially affecting the existence or development of someone or something.
(1) <strong>Circumstances and conditions</strong> that surround (and affect) an organism or a group of organisms
OR
(2) <strong>Social and Cultural conditions </strong> that affect an individual or community.
What is the “physical” environment?
- Air, Water, Lands, Oceans, Rivers and Forests
- Buildings, Highways, and modern infrastructure of the urban settings (in increasing extent)
What does the State of the Physical Environment Affect?
State of Physical environment affects the viability
of all living things on the planet: People, Flora and
Fauna
What are the Criteria Air Pollutants?
1- Ambient Air Pollution
2- Indoor Air Pollution
3- Occupational (industrial Hygiene) Air Pollution
4- Personal Exposure
What is Ambient Air Pollution? What is the classification?
Ambient Air Pollution
• In the outdoor environment
• Involves a complex array of sources and pollutants, meteorological transport of the pollutants to a receptor, and a wide range of social, economic, and health effects.
What is Indoor Air Pollution? What is the classification?
Indoor Air Pollution
• Radon gas exposure and passive cigarette smoke, mole, etc.
• Many Canadian jurisdictions do not have specific legislation for indoor air quality issues.
• ONLY “general duty clause” applies:
• Employer must provide a safe and healthy workplace employer’s duty to maintain the indoor air quality.
• Government of Canada has prepared a number of publications on air quality.
• In the United States, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has compiled information on Indoor Air Quality.
• Building codes in Canada and the U.S. generally refer to the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Standard 62.1‐2010 ‐ Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality (or previous versions), or other acceptable standards.
• ASHARAE 62.1‐2010 (http://arco‐hvac.ir/wp‐content/uploads/2016/04/ASHRAE‐62_1‐2010.pdf)
Describe the category: Occupational (Industrial Hygiene) Air Pollution.
- Occupational (Industrial Hygiene) Air Pollution
• Exposure to a large range of pollutants (particles, mists, acid vapors, and organic and inorganic gases) in the workplace.
Describe the category: Personal Exposure.
- Personal Exposure
• This final category refers to exposure to dust, fumes, gases, or mists to which an individual exposes oneself. Examples include cigarette/cigar smoking, sniffing of glue, and many other practices which can cause damage to the human body.
• Exposure to dust, fumes, gases, or mists to which an individual exposes oneself.
• E.g. cigarette/cigar smoking, sniffing of glue, and many other practices which can cause damage to the human body.
What are the 2 big Air Pollution Incidents?
Donora Smog of 1948
Great Smog of 1952 (which killed 4,000 Londoners)
What is Photochemical Smog?
The product of chemical reactions triggered by sunlight (photochemical reactions). These chemicals are comprised of NOx and hydrocarbons which make up ground-level ozone.
What is Bad Ozone?
Ground-Level Ozone, known as bad ozone, is an extreme oxidant which is very reactive. It is known to cause many health problems because it attacks lung tissue, reduces lung function and sensitizes it. It is made up of NOx and VOC’s (volatile organic compounds) which are mainly hydrocarbons.
What do HAPs stand for? What are they?
HAP’s (Hazardous air pollutants) aka Air toxics.
HAP’s are present in much smaller quantities than air pollutants. The list is at 189 and increasing with new research. Industries must abide by the legislation accorded for each of them. To control industries cannot produce for more than 10 tons per year or a combined limit of 25 tons per year of these toxics.
Examples;
Benzene (in gasoline)
perchloroethylene (PCE) (solvent in dry cleaning facilities)
methylene chloride (solvent and paint stripper)
dioxin, asbestos, toluene
heavy metals: Cd, Hg, Cr and Pb compounds.
What is TRI?
Annual Toxic Release inventory that reports annual mass emissions of toxic substances from specific facilities
What is Acid Rain?
Acid disposition refers to the fallout of particles or any time of precipitation (rain, fog, hail) that is more acidic than normal (greater than 5-5.5 pH)
What does Surface waters include?
lakes, streams and rivers that subsequently flows into the oceans.
Oceans cover how much %?
70%
What does the groundwater refer to?
groundwater refers to underground water sources. These sources are made from water percolating through the earth’s surface.
Name some major water contaminants.
1- Pathogens 2- Organic Waste 3- Nutrients 4- Toxic Organic Chemicals 5- Toxic Metals 6- Sediments and suspended solids 7- Acidity 8- Salts 9- Heat
What are point sources vs Non-point sources?
Point sources: discharge points such as the outfall pipe from a factory or wastewater treatment plant.
Non-point sources: runoff from agriculture lands, erosion from mining and construction activities and fall outs r dispositions from the atmosphere.
What are Pathogens? How do they affect water quality?
Are disease-causing agents such as viruses, bacteria, protozoa, and parasitic worms. As we grow up chain organisms grow and are capable of carrying more diseases. Pathogens are usually very controlled in water supplies since they can cause life-threatening diseases. In many nonindustrial counties, this is a big problem
What is Organic Waste? How do they affect water quality?
The main source of oxygen-depleting substances in surface water. Dissolved oxygen is the most important requirement for aquatics life to exist. Depletion exist naturally with water fluctuations
What are BOD’s and COD’s?
BOD (Biological Oxygen Demand) is the demand for oxygen by bacteria.
COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) is a greater oxygen demand on waters since some substances trigger chemical reactions.
Example: sewer ~300BOD, Pig manure factory ~100 000 BOD.
How do Nutrients affect water quality?
Nitrogen and phosphorus needed to support vegetation and other life. These chemicals are widely used in fertilizers and detergents. When they reach surface
waters they become responsible for the over-enrichment of nutrients. (Eutrophication happens)
A eutrophic body of water supports an abundant growth of algae that can crowd out other forms of aquatic life. For drinking water, this can cause blue baby syndrome which restricts oxygen transport in the bloodstream of newborns.
What are Toxic Organic Chemicals? How do they affect water quality?
Built of Carbon and other atoms which make up living things. These toxics chemicals are extremely mutagenic. Can damage vital organs and are carcinogenic. Oil spills in waters are of great concern. Once they reach the coast they can cause 3 generations worth of disaster. (Highest product is gasoline and lower is asphalt). DDT and VOC’s part of toxic organic chemicals as well. Substances such as vinyl chloride in solvent are extremely harmful if in water. More present in groundwater since it is hard to evaporate.
What are Toxic Metals? How do they affect water quality?
Mercury, arsenic, lead => most toxic of the metals. Can damage vital organs and kill. Some metals are found naturally in waterways but human activities have altered the levels and distribution of toxic metals. Metal smelting and other industrial processes are main activities.
What are Sediments and suspended solids? How do they affect water quality?
suspended soil particles in water. Stops light from penetrating which in turn does not allow aquatic life to grow. They can also harm aquatic organisms by destroying natural habitats. Land erosions from mining has caused higher levels of siltation.
How does Acidity affect water quality?
Water acidity must usually be in normal range. Most change in normal acidity is due from industrial processes. A lot of organisms cannot survive under 5.5 pH.
How do salts affect water quality?
75% of our planet covered with water and most of it is unfit for human use because of high salt concentration. Compounds which produce positively charged ions in
solution. Measured in TDS. (TOTAL DISSOLVED SOLIDS). Sea water TDS is 60 x more than drinking water. The effect of salinity depends on water use since different organisms have different salt tolerances. Salinity is controlled depending on its use.
How does heat affect water quality?
High heat can damage just about anything. Thermal pollution is another way that human activity can affect the quality of water. Comes from electric power plants. Warm water holds less oxygen and much aquatic life are sensitive to temperature change.
What does MCL stand for?
Maximum contaminant level
What does Ignitability mean?
an ability to burn easily
What does Corrosivity mean?
Strong acids or bases or substances able to corrode metal
What does Reactivity mean?
An ability to react violently or cause explosions including reactions with water.
What does Toxicity mean?
an ability to threaten water supplies and health, determined by laboratory test of leachability
TCLP?
EPA developed it to check weather a substance meets the toxicity criteria.
It stands for Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure
RCRA?
It stands for Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Under it is where hazardous and non hazardous waste is defined and calls for control.
CERCLA?
It is the Superfund. (Comprehensive Environmental Response, compensation and liability act). It is Able to pay in order to decontaminate sites. 8.5 billions $
Non-Hazardous Waste
It is Trash and Garbage. Regulates by the municipality.
Landfills compared to incinerators:
U.S. and Canada uses them. Linear has become important because it can reach the ground. In Europe, Incinerators are used.
MSW?
Municipal Solid Waste Management
Radioactive waste:
Comes from Military and Civilian Use of Energy. 1954 Atomic Energy Act but in 1970 taken over by NRC (Department of Energy and Nuclear regulatory commission). Responsible for radioactive waste. State authorities only responsible for low-level waste
High-Level Waste:
Spent fuel in nuclear reactors and reprocessed spent fuels to make plutonium and uranium. It requires permanent isolation for the human environment. Classes are alpha
(cm penetration), beta (meters) and gamma (km). Yucca Mountain site was supposed to be final spot, but Obama killed this off due to transportation concerns. It remains stored at power plants and government facilities.
Transuranic Waste (TRU):
Result of weapons production, principally the fabrication of plutonium weapons components, chemical separation of plutonium and recycling of plutonium from production scraps, residues or retired weapons. Since it has long half - life like high - level waste it can remain radioactive for hundreds of years. The U.S. department of Energy (DOE) currently manages this waste
Low-Level Waste:
LLW is anything not classified as the others. 80 comes from civilians and 20 from military. Examples are cloths like gloves and glasses used by nuclear power plant workers or bottles and test tubes in medical research. LLW has class A B and C (A being least dangerous because least radioactive and shortest-lived material). State governments are responsible of low level waste. Approved method to put in drums and await treatment of disposal
Uranium Mill Tailings
Largest volume of radioactive waste is sand-like residue that comes from processing uranium ore. 2000kg must be processed for 1kg of enriched uranium for nuclear reactors. Residues are from refining uranium ore (milling) is called mill tailings
Renewable and Non-renewable resources
Renewable have capacity to be replenished whereas non-renewable exist only in limited, finite, amounts.
Land Use and Impact
Ecosystem refers to any biological community that functions as a cohesive unit within the physical environment
Framework for Environmental Issues:
https://i.imgur.com/VFY5N5n_d.jpg?maxwidth=640&shape=thumb&fidelity=medium
Give examples of Waste emissions or residuals discarded to the environment
Waste emissions or residuals discarded to Environment
• Air pollutants (combustion of fossil fuel( e.g. automobile,
factory, power plant)
• Water contaminants (pulp manufacturing, etc.)
• Solid Wastes (municipal)
• Pesticides
What is Photochemical Smog?
The product of chemical reactions triggered by sunlight (photochemical reactions). These chemicals are comprised of NOx and hydrocarbons which make up ground-level ozone.
What is Ozone?
Ground-Level Ozone, know as bad ozone, is an extreme oxidant which is very reactive. It is known to cause many health problems because it attacks lung tissue, reduces lung function and sensitizes it. It is made up of NOx and VOC’s (volatile organic compounds) which are mainly hydrocarbons.
Describe the History of Metallurgy
Started with Stone Age going back 8000 years ago. Only forming of metals with their natural form. Then came smelting (around 4000 B.C where adding tin to copper (1:2) to produce bronze. In early Babylonia, Iron was valued 8 times more than silver and in Egypt copper more valuable than gold for a certain time.
- Carburizing( giving Iron more strength by heating in the presence of carbon, such as coal.
- Quenching( making the heat reduce quickly.
- In Asia was really beginning of Iron Age, yet china still used bronze for a time. With the rise of the Greek empire, metal production greatly increased. Isolation of mercury was done by them.
- Roman empire followed by manufacturing iron and steel for tools, weapons and farming. Gold and silver started to be used in monetary form. Also use of lead was everywhere in for water pipes and tanks as well as food storage containers.
- The 1970s was a big step: A different way of smelting. Instead of using charcoal to use coke. This lead to an industrial revolution. Everything now made was with Iron.
- 1840( about 40 metals knows.
- 1990’s( 70 metals.
-Trace metals: Metals found in low concentrations.
What is Carburizing?
giving Iron more strength by heating in the presence of carbon, such as coal.
What is Quenching?
making the heat reduce quickly
What are trace metals?
Metals found in low concentration
Describe the distribution of trace metals in the environment.
Distribution of trace metals in the environment: Human activities have increased the amount of trace metals in our environment. Mining and metal smelters are the main cause of this. Methods have been developed to calculate human exposure to lead and other toxic metals.
Describe some exposure pathways
Inhalation of air, ingestion of water, ingestion of food and ingestion of dust
How do you calculate the absorption in a medium?
Ai=Ci Ui Fi; i= air, water, food, dust; C= Concentration of the trace metal in i;
U=uptake rate of i, F=fraction of trace metal absorbed by the bloodstream
What are the Traces of Metals in the Air?
(Size distribution depends on how they were formed
(From fuel combustion for example)
- Nuclei mode=0.02-0.05 um
- Accumulation mode=0.2-0.5 um
- coarse particle mode=10um
(Nasopharyngeal and tracheobronchial region is usually not related with absorption in bloodstream since it is upper respiratory system. Anything bellow which reaches pulmonary is usually absorbed in bloodstream. (EPA for lead in air=0.3).
What are the Categories that can contribute to metals in drinking water?
- runoff from agriculture lands containing fertilizers
- metals from industries that reach water through effluent streams
- contaminated rain and construction activities
- In some of the distribution systems in urban areas lead is used which adds significant amount of lead in drinking water
What is the EPA for lead in water (Environmental Protection Agency)
(EPA for lead in water=0.5).
What types of Trace metals get into food?
Trace Metals in food: Metal containing dust can leach metal into their contents, soldered cans, improperly applied glazes used on ceramic storage containers or plates may contain metals, especially lead.
What do we classify as dust and soil?
Dust and Soil: settled airborne particles. Microscopic pieces of human skin and hair, tiny insects, bits of fabric. Soil considered outdoors and is natural + contamination from human activity. High levels of metals can be found in these mediums. Leaded paint of big concern.
What is the Total Dose of Absorbed Metal mean?
Amount of metal absorbed instead of rate of absorption of certain metal.
What does the Total Doses in a population mean?
Total Doses in a population: Each person is exposed to different amounts of trace metals. Therefore for a population, we measure the concentration of a metal in human tissue, such as bloodstream in PbB (blood lead concentration). PDF in figure 10.9 comes from table 10.1 calculation.
