School of Engineering, Architecture, and Information Technology Education

Engineering Sciences Department

CORRESPONDENCE LEARNING MODULE

ECOL 1013 – Environmental Science and Engineering

I. INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the short term of school year 2020 – 2021! You are enrolled in the
Correspondence Learning Modality 2. I am Engr. REDEN E. NOLASCO better known as
“Red”, your instructor for the course ECOL 1013: Environmental Science and
Engineering.

If you have trouble with the course material,

contact me through the inbox feature of your [email protected]
LMS. For other concerns, please feel free to
contact me through my email address:

Attached to this first week module are the following:

1. Course Syllabus

DESCRIPTIVE TITLE : Environmental Science and Engineering

CREDIT UNITS : 3 units
PREREQUISITE : None

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course is designed for the students to learn ecological framework of sustainable
development; pollution environments: water, air, and solid; waste treatment processes, disposal, and
management; government legislation, rules, and regulation related to the environment and waste
management; and environmental management system.

COURSE OUTLINE
MIDTERM FINAL
1. Introduction to Environmental 1. Water Quality Management
Science and Engineering 2. Wastewater Treatment
2. Natural Resources 3. Air Pollution
3. Biogeochemical Cycles 4. Solid Waste and Toxic/hazardous
4. Environmental Management Waste
5. Environmental Management System
2. Grading System

CRITERIA MIDTERM FINAL

Class Standing (50%)
Quizzes 30% 30%
Learning Tasks 15% 15%
Recitation 5% 5%
Major/Periodic Exam 50% 50%
TOTAL 100% 100%

3. The USL Vision – Mission and Values, Program Outcomes, Course Learning Outcomes

VISION
USL is a global learning community recognized for science and technology across all
disciplines, strong research, and responsive community engagement grounded on the CICM
mission and identity for a distinctive student experience.

MISSION
USL sustains a Catholic academic community that nurtures persons for community, church
and society anchored on CICM’s Missio et Excellentia.

EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY AND CORE VALUES

The University of Saint Louis upholds the philosophy that education is for building of self and
persons for the Church and the Society. Wisdom builds. To these ends, the following are
University of Saint Louis’s core values integral in the formation of every member of the
Louisian community.

a. Christian Living. We are witnesses to the Gospel values as taught and lived by Christ thus
making God’s love known and experienced by all.
b. Excellence. We seek and maintain uncompromising standard of quality in teaching,
learning, service, and stewardship of school resources.
c. Professional Responsibility. We are committed to efficiently and responsibly apply the
learned principles, values, and skills in the chosen field of discipline, taking initiative and
command responsibility in one’s professional advancement.
d. Social Awareness and Involvement. We engage ourselves with society by listening to
the prevailing issues and concerns in the society, thereby initiating and participating in
constructive and relevant social activities for the promotion of justice, peace and integrity
of creation and for people’s wellness and development consistent with the CICM charism.
e. Innovation, Creativity, and Agility. We keep ourselves relevant and responsive to the
changing needs of our stakeholders by being flexible, solution oriented, and having
cutting-edge decisions and practices.
PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
Code Program Learning Outcome
Apply knowledge of mathematics and sciences to solve complex engineering
EEO1
problems
Develop and conduct appropriate approximate experimentation, analyze, and
EEO2
interpret data
Design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic
EEO3 constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and
safety, manufacturability, and sustainability, in accordance with standards
Function effectively on multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural teams that establish
EEO4
goals, plan tasks, and meet deadlines
EEO5 Identify, formulate, and solve complex problems in electrical engineering
EEO6 Recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering practice
EEO7 Communicate effectively with a range of audiences
Understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic,
EEO8
environmental, and societal context
EEO9 Recognize the need for additional knowledge and engage in lifelong learning
EEO10 Articulate and discuss latest developments in the field of electrical engineering
Apply techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for electrical
EEO11
engineering practice
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of engineering and management
EEO12 principles as a member and/or leader in a team to manage projects in
multidisciplinary environments
EEO13 Preserve and promote Filipino historical and cultural heritage
Practice Christian values in both professional and personal endeavors in the
EEO14
service of the church and country, and for the advancement of CICM mission

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES

Explain the various concepts under environmental engineering such as Ecology

of Life, Biogeochemical Cycles, Ecosystems, Symbiosis and Ecological
CLO 1 Succession, Water Quality Management, Wastewater Treatment, Air Pollution,
Solid Waste and Toxic/ Hazardous Waste and Environmental Management
System
Evaluate proper ways towards helping mother earth especially the effect of
CLO 2
global warming and various types of pollution.
Apply the concepts and principles of environmental engineering practice
CLO 3 through actual practice learned theories/principles in preparation for everyday
life
4. Weekly Study and Assessment Guide

For this week (June 23-25, 2021), the following shall be your guide for the different
lessons and tasks that you need to accomplish. Be patient. Read them carefully before
proceeding to the tasks expected of you. GOD BLESS!

Date Topic Activities/Tasks

Orientation/Setting of Expectations
Course Outline
June 23, 2021 Read the Introduction part
Grading System
The USL-Vision-Mission-Values
Introduction to Environmental
June 23-25, 2021 Science and Engineering and Read Lessons
Natural Resources
Accomplish the worksheet
Submission of learning task and
June 25, 2021 in the Activities Portion of
quiz
this module
 CORRESPONDENCE LEARNING MODULE
ECOL 1013 – Environmental Science and Engineering
AY 2020-2021

WEEK INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND

1 ENGINEERING/ NATURAL RESOURCES

LECTURE CONTENTS
Natural Resources
Learning Outcomes
1. What are Natural Resources?
2. Forest Resources
2.1. Functions of Forests
2.2. Benefits of Forests
3. Water Resources
3.1. Hydrological Cycle
3.2. Distribution of Water Resources
3.3. Types of Fresh Water Resources
3.4. Uses of Water
4. Mineral Resources
4.1. Formation of Mineral Deposits
4.2. Classification of Mineral Resources
4.3. Uses of Minerals
4.3.1. Uses of Major Metallic Minerals
4.3.2. Uses of Major Non-Metallic Minerals
5. Food Resources
5.1. Types of Food Supply
6. Energy Resources
6.1. Development of Energy
6.2. Types of Energy Resources
7. Land Resources
7.1. Uses of Land Resources
Natural Resources
LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:

1. know and understand what natural resources are; and

2. determine their subtypes/subcategories and benefits.

1. WHAT ARE NATURAL RESOURCES?

Natural resources are the sources which are useful to man or can be transformed into a useful
product and may either be renewable or non-renewable.

1. Renewable Resources
• capable of being regenerated by ecological processes within a time
• have the potential to renew themselves
• can be used repeatedly and replaced naturally
• very healthy for the environment as they typically do not produce pollution nor
contribute to global warming
• EXAMPLES: biomass, oxygen, solar energy, soil, fresh water, air, wildlife, natural
vegetation, and new resources like goods/commodities e.g., paper and leather
• may either be continuous or extrinsic
✓ Continuous Resources – continuously renewed, e.g., solar energy, wind,
tidal energy (hydropower)
✓ Extrinsic Resources – a natural resource that has been adapted/modified by
people to provide additional values, particularly for recreation, e.g., historic
sites and archaeological sites, human skills, institutions, management abilities
2. Non-renewable Resources
• not capable of being regenerated by ecological processes
• take millions of years to be made, and cannot be renewed in a human lifetime or
even a nation's lifetime
• EXAMPLES: coal, diesel, fossil fuels, gasoline, ground water, mineral, natural gas, oil,
and plastics

2. FOREST RESOURCES

Forest is one of the most important renewable natural resources on earth as they are important
components of our environment and economy. Besides economy, forests also provide fuel wood,
coal, furniture, and checks air pollution, soil erosion, and saves the hillslopes from landslides. About
one-third of the world’s land surface is covered with forest.

According to the type of vegetation, forest may either be evergreen, deciduous, or coniferous.

1. Evergreen Forests
• generally found in the equatorial regions as temperature & rainfall are very high
• EXAMPLES: forest in Andaman, Nicobar Islands, and India
2. Deciduous Forests
• vegetation composed primarily of broad-leaved trees that shed all their leaves
during one season
• found in three middle-latitude regions which span between the tropics and the
polar regions of the earth as they have a temperate climate characterized by a
winter season and year-round precipitation
• these zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout the year and
more distinct seasonal changes compared to tropical climates, where such
variations are often small
• wood from deciduous trees is used in a variety of ways in several industries
including lumber for furniture, construction and flooring (oak), ornamental,
bowling pins and baseball bats (maple) and furniture, cabinets, plywood, and
paneling (birch)
• LOCATION: Eastern North America, Western Eurasia, Northeastern Asia
• may either be tropical or temperate
✓ Tropical Deciduous Forests
o occur in regions with heavy rainfall for part of the year followed
by a marked dry season
o as these forests receive only seasonal rainfall, they shed their
leaves during the summer season
o generally found in the tropical monsoon
o most diverse dry forests in the world occur in southern Mexico
and in the Bolivian lowlands
o sensitive to excessive burning, deforestation, overgrazing exotic
species (graze so heavily that the vegetation is damaged and the
ground becomes liable to erosion
o this ecosystem is sensitive to disturbances, which are particularly
challenging to restore given the slow successional vegetative
stages under unpredictable and changing conditions within a
year and between yea
 ✓ Temperate Deciduous Forests
o due to severe winter with heavy snowfall, the trees shed their
leaves just before the winter season and grow back in the spring
– this adaptation allows plants to survive in cold winters
o LOCATION: Eastern United States, Canada, Europe, China,
Japan, and Korea
3. Coniferous Forests
• the snow slides down the sloping sides of the trees and the needle-type leaves
preserve the moisture
• IMPORTANT TREES: pine tree, spruce tree
• vegetation composed primarily of cone-bearing needle-leaved or scale-leaved
evergreen trees, found in areas that have long winters and moderate to high
annual precipitation

2.1 FUNCTIONS OF FORESTS

• perform very important functions both to human and to nature

• serves as habitats to millions of plants, animals, and wildlife
• recycle rainwater and remove pollutants from air
• control water quality and quantity
• moderate temperature and weather and help to maintain humidity
• influence soil conditions and prevent soil erosion and perform watershed functions
• promote tourism and contribute aesthetic beauty

2.2 BENEFITS OF FORESTS

1. Commercial Uses – man depends heavily on a larger number of plant and animal
products from forests for his daily needs

USES
1. Forests supply woods Used as fuel
2. Forest supply wood for various Raw materials such as pulp, paper,
industries board, timber
3. Forests supply minor forest
Like gums, resins, dyes
products
Are utilized in preparing medicines
4. Many plants
and drugs
 5. Forest produces variety of animal
Honey, ivory, hides
products
6. Many forest lands are used for Mining, grazing, recreation, dams

• Pulp – also a mixture of water and small pieces of paper, cloth, or wood that is
used for making paper
• Resins – a sticky flammable organic substance, insoluble in water
• Ivory – a hard, white material from the tusks and teeth of animals, that can be
used in art or manufacturing. It consists mainly of dentine, one of the physical
structures of teeth and tusks.
• Hide (or skin) – an animal skin treated for human use
• Grazing – a method of feeding in which an herbivore feeds on plants such as
grasses, or other multicellular organisms such as algae
2. Ecological Uses
• Production of oxygen: during photosynthesis trees produce oxygen which is
essential for life on earth
• Reducing global warming: the main greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2), a
raw material for photosynthesis, is absorbed by the trees (forests) thus, the
problem of global warming caused by CO2 is reduced
• Soil conservation: roots of trees bind the soil tightly and prevent soil erosion
• Regulation of hydrological cycle: watersheds in forest are commonly planted
in hedgerows around the edges of fields on farms and act like giant sponges,
which absorb rainfall, slow down the runoff, and slowly release the water for
recharge of springs
• Pollution moderators: forests can absorb many toxic gases and help in
preventing air
• Wildlife habitat: forests are the homes of millions of wild animals and plants
3. Aesthetic Value
• forests also have aesthetic value and serve as gene reserve of important species
• for example, many kinds of alcoholic drinks and medicines are derived from
forest plants
• another are aromatic oils and other oils, used for lighting and cooking
• other examples include bamboo and wild grass for building the huts to reside
and for making other products like mats, baskets, cots
4. Touristic Value – Ecotourism provides a growing income for those who have facilitated
it. Several countries are now attracting tourists.
 3. WATER RESOURCES

Water is an important component of all the living things. Nearly 80% of earth’s surface is covered
with water. A tree is made up of 60% by weight of water, animals are made up of 50-65% of water.

3.1 HYDROLOGICAL CYCLE

SOURCE: https://www.h2odistributors.com/pages/info/info-water-cycle.asp
EVAPORATION

• heat energy from the sun constantly causes evaporation from all the water surfaces
• oceans, rivers, streams, lakes, ponds lose water due to evaporation
• the energy from the sun also drives the weather systems, which moves the clouds (water
vapor) from one place to another

CONDENSATION & PRECIPITATION

• precipitation occurs due to the condensation of water from a gaseous state in the
atmosphere and falls to earth; main forms: rain, drizzle, snow, sleet, hail
• once water condenses, it is poured into the ground by gravity
• condensation – from vapor to liquid

TRANSPIRATION & RESPIRATION

• Plants use the soil water for photosynthesis and to transport materials within them. Much
of the water, they absorb through their roots, is lost to the atmosphere from the leaves.
This process is known as transpiration.
• i.e., transpiration is a process of water movement through a plant and its evaporation
from aerial parts, such as leaves, stems, and flowers
• In both animals and plants, the breakdown of sugar to produce energy (known as
respiration) with liberation produce CO2 and water.

3.2 DISTRIBUTION OF WATER RESOURCES

• about 97.4% by volume of water is found in ocean and is too salty and cannot be used
for drinking, irrigation, and industrial purposes
• the remaining 2.6% of fresh water, most of which is locked up in ice/in deep ground water
• thus, only about 0.014% of the earth’s total volume of water is easily available to us as
usable ground water
 3.3 TYPES OF FRESH WATER RESOURCES

SURFACE WATER – the water which comes out directly through precipitation and does not
percolate down into the ground or does not return to the atmosphere by evaporation.

• Standing Water Bodies

➢ Lakes
o Oligotrophic Lakes – these are generally deep, clear and deficient in
nutrients without much biological activity; blue or green highly
transparent water, low nutrient values which limits its ability to support
animal life
o Eutrophic Lakes – these are the lakes having more nutrients and are
more turbid and support more life; highly nutrient values allows
microorganism and algae to grow in large numbers
o Dystrophic Lakes – aka. humic lake, are shallow, colored lakes, contain
high amounts of humic substances and organic acids, brown color, low
PH level (4-6), and clogged with plant life
➢ Reservoirs – these are generally larger than lakes
➢ Estuaries – deltas formed at the mouth of rivers, where they join the ocean.
These are the water passages where the tide meets a river current; especially: an
arm of the sea at the lower end of a river. The mixing of fresh and saltwater gives
rise to estuaries.
• Flowing Water Bodies
o the water from the point of precipitation and flows in streams and rivers
 o the flowing water carries sedimentary materials (limestone, sandstone, coal) and
dissolved minerals

UNDERGROUND WATER

• the water which is found available deep in the group due to percolation of surface water
• the major source of water
• pure and used for all purpose in this world
• aquifer – a layer of highly permeable rock or sand that can absorb and hold water.
o good aquifer (have good permeability): layers of sand and gravel
o not good aquifer (poor permeability): clay and crystalline rocks
o permeable means it allows liquids or gases to pass through
➢ Unconfined Aquifer
o formed when water collects over a less permeable rock or compact clay
o they are recharged by water percolating down from the above surface
through permeable material
o also called water-table aquifer – which has the water table as its upper
boundary and occur near the near the ground surface
o a drop in head results in a release of water from storage by an actual
dewatering of pores as the water table declines
➢ Confined Aquifer
o formed when water collects over an impermeable rock
o sandwiched between two layers of impermeable rock
o recharged only in those areas where the aquifer intersects the land
surface
o bounded above and below by confining beds (confining beds are body
of distinctly less permeable material that is located above or below one
or
more aquifers (low hydraulic conductivity) does not transmit water well)
o occur at significant depth below the ground surface
o pores always remain fully saturated

3.4 USES OF WATER

• Domestic purposes: cooking, drinking, bathing, washing

• Agricultural purposes: farming, gardening, fisheries
• Industrial purposes: manufacturing
• Recreation: swimming, rafting, boating
 • Hydropower generation: capture the energy of falling water to generate electricity.
Turbine converts kinetic energy to mechanical energy then the generator converts
mechanical energy into electrical energy.

4. MINERAL RESOURCES

Minerals are naturally occurring substances in the earth having definite chemical composition
and physical properties, usually solid, inorganic, have a crystal structure, and formed naturally
by geological processes.

• A mineral can be made of single chemical element or more usually a compound.

• There are over 4,000 types of known minerals.
• Two common minerals are quartz and feldspar.

An ore is an occurrence of rock or sediment that contains sufficient minerals with economically
important elements, typically metals, that can be economically extracted from the deposit.

Ores are minerals or combination of minerals from which useful substances, such as metals, can
be profitably extracted and used for manufacture.

4.1 FORMATION OF MINERAL DEPOSITS

• concentration of the minerals at a particular spot, which can be extracted profitably,

gives rise to a mineral deposit
• the formation of these deposits is a very slow biological process
• A rich nickel deposit is found in Nonoc Island, Surigao Del Norte, which is also believed
to be found in Davao Oriental, Palawan, Romblon, Samar, Camarines Norte, and
Occidental Mindoro.
• The important iron sources of the Philippines are those in Ilocos Norte, Camarines
Norte, Cotabato, Nueva Vizcaya, Surigao, Cagayan Valley, Marinduque, Zamboanga,
Samar, Bulacan, and Davao.
• The principal deposits of gold silver are found in Benguet, Camarines Norte, Masbate,
Bulacan, and Surigao.
• it takes millions of years to develop as a mineral deposit

4.2 CLASSIFICATION OF MINERAL RESOURCES

1. Identified Resources – the location, existence, quantity, and quality of these mineral
resources are known by the direct geological evidence and measurements
2. Undiscovered Resources – these mineral resources are assumed to exist based on
geological knowledge and theory, but their specific locations, quality and quantity are
unknown
 3. Reserves – these mineral resources are identified resources, from which a usable
mineral can be extracted profitably

4.3 USES OF MINERALS

1. Development of industrial plants and machinery

• e.g., iron, aluminum, copper
2. Construction, housing, and settlements
• e.g., iron, aluminum, nickel
3. Generation of energy
• e.g., coal, lignite, uranium
4. Designing defense equipment, weapons, ornaments
5. Agriculture purposes (fertilizers, seed dressings, fungicides)
• e.g., zineb (containing zinc, agricultural fungicide), maneb (manganese)
6. Jewelry
• e.g., gold, silver, platinum, diamond
7. Communication purposes
• telephone wires, cables, electronic devices
• copper (coaxial cable) quartz crystals
8. Making of alloys for various purposes
• phosphorite – aka. phosphate rock/rock phosphate, is a sedimentary rock
containing a high proportion of calcium phosphate

Minerals are used in many ways in everyday in domestic, agricultural, industrial, and commercial
sectors. The economy and political power of the country is determined from the number of
reserves of minerals and technical know-how to extract the elements.

4.3.1 USES OF MAJOR METALLIC MINERALS

• Aluminum – packing food item and transportation

• Chromium – making high strength steel alloys, in textile/tanning industries
• Copper – electronic goods, buildings, constructions, vessels
• Iron – heavy machinery, steel production
• Lead – leaded gasoline, car batteries, paints
• Manganese – making high strength, heat resistant steel alloys
• Platinum – automobiles, catalytic converters
• Gold – ornaments, medical use, electronic use, aerospace, jewelry
• Silver – photography, jewelry
• Nickel – chemical industry
4.3.2 USES OF MAJOR NON-METALLIC MINERALS

• Silicate minerals – sand and gravel for construction, bricks, paving

• Limestone – used in cement industry and agriculture for neutralizing acid soils
• Gypsum – plaster, wallboard in agriculture
• Potash, Phosphorite – fertilizers; potash is some of various mined and manufactured
salts that contain potassium in water-soluble form
• Sulfur Pyrites – medicine, car battery

5. FOOD RESOURCES

• food is an essential requirement for the human survival

• each person has minimum food requirement
• main components of food: carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals, and vitamins

5.1 TYPES OF FOOD SUPPLY

1. Croplands
• also known as Agricultural lands
• mostly produces grains and provide about 76% of the world’s food
• produces: rice, wheat, barley, sugarcane, potato, etc.
2. Rangelands
• these grasslands, shrublands, woodlands, wetlands, and deserts that are grazed
by domestic livestock or wild animals
• produce food mainly from the grazing livestock and provide about 17% of the
world’s food
• produces: meat, milk, fruits, etc.
3. Oceans
• oceanic fisheries supply about 7% of the world’s food
• produces: fish, prawn, crab, etc.

6. ENERGY RESOURCES

• energy is found available on the earth in several forms, some of which may be
immediately used to do work, while the others require some process of transformation
• all the developmental activities in the world are directly or indirectly dependent on energy
• life is unthinkable without energy, as it is essential to all
• All industrial processes like mining, transport, lighting, heating, and cooling in buildings,
all require energy. With the demands of growing population, the world is facing further
energy deficit (amount that is less than the amount that is needed). Our lifestyle is also
changing form a simple way of life to a luxurious lifestyle.
 6.1 DEVELOPMENT OF ENERGY

The first form of energy is fire. The early man discovered fire and used it for cooking and
heating purposes. Wood is the main source of energy, which was later replaced by coal. Coal is
now being replaced by the oil and gas. Now due to insufficient availability and price hike,
people started of thinking and using several alternate sources of energy, e.g., solar, wind, tidal
energy.

6.2 TYPES OF ENERGY RESOURCES

1. Renewable Energy Resources

• Solar Energy
o the energy that we get directly from the sun
o the nuclear fusion reactions occurring inside the sun release enormous
amount of energy in the form of heat and light
o METHODS OF HARVESTING SOLAR ENERGY
solar heat collectors – consist of natural materials like stones,
bricks, or materials like glass, which can absorb heat during the
day and release it slowly at night. These are used in cold places,
where houses are kept in hot condition using solar heat
collectors.
solar water heater – consists of an insulated box inside of which
is painted with black. It is also provided with a glass lid to receive
and store solar heat
o SIGNIFICANCE OF SOLAR ENERGY
solar cells are noise and pollution free
solar water heaters and cookers require neither fuel nor attention
while cooking food
solar cells can be used in remote and isolated areas, forests, and
hilly regions
• Wind Energy
o the energy recovered from the force of the wind
o windmills – the strike of blowing wind on the blades of the mill make it
rotate continuously. The rotational motion of the blade drives several
machines like water pump and electric generators.
 o wind farm
many windmills installed and joined together in a definite pattern
produces a large amount of electricity
CONDITION: The minimum speed required for satisfactory
working of a wind generator is 15kph.
ADVANTAGES: does not cause any air pollution, cheap
o SIGNIFICANCE OF WIND ENERGY
it is recommended to broaden the nation’s energy option for
new energy sources
it is made available easily in many off-shore, on-shore, and
remote areas
2. Non-renewable Energy Resources
• Coal
o A solid fossil fuel formed in several stages as buried remains of land
plants that lived 300-400 million years ago were subjected to intense
heat and pressure over millions of years.
o DISADVATAGES OF COAL
When coal is burned, it produces CO2, causes global warming.
Since coal contains sulfur and nitrogen, it produces toxic gases
during burning.
• Petroleum – aka. crude oil, is a thick liquid consisting of more than hundreds of
combustible hydrocarbons with small amount of S, O, and N as impurities.
• LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas)
o The petroleum gas, obtained during the cracking and fractional
distillation, can be easily converted into liquid under high pressure as
LPG.
o It is a colorless and odorless gas. But when mercaptans is added, it
produces bad odor.
o Thereby, any leakage of LPG from the cylinder can be detected
instantaneously.

7. LAND RESOURCES

• Land is one of the most important and valuable resources for mankind as it provides
food, wood, medicines, and other biological materials needed for food.
• soil is the mixture of inorganic (e.g., rocks and minerals) and organic (e.g., dead animals
and plants) materials.
 • topsoil is classified as a renewable resource because it is continuously regenerated by
natural process at a very slow rate.
• but if the rate of erosion is faster that the rate of renewal, then the soil becomes a non-
renewable resource

7.1 USES OF LAND RESOURCES

• provides food, wood, minerals

• nurtures the plants and animals that provides our food and shelter
• used as watershed or reservoir
• acts as a dust bin for most of the waste created by the modern society
• used for construction of buildings
REFERENCES

Textbooks
1. Davis, M. (2004). Principles of environmental engineering and science (3rd. Ed.) New York:
McGraw-Hill
2. Weiner, R. (2003) Environmental engineering. (4th Ed.) Amsterdam: Butterworth
Heinemann

Online References
1. The Hydrological Cycle (2021). Retrieved 2021 June from
https://www.h2odistributors.com/pages/info/info-water-cycle.asp
2. Natural Resources. Retrieved 2021 June from https://www.geo.fu-
berlin.de/en/v/geolearning/glossary/natural_resources/index.html
 CORRESPONDENCE LEARNING MODULE
ECOL 1013 – Environmental Science and Engineering

ACTIVITY 1
Score:
INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL
s SCIENCE
AND ENGINEERING/ NATURAL RESOURCES

Name: Course Code:

Instructor: Program/Year:

Answer the following questions.

1. List the similarities and differences of Environmental Science and Environmental
Engineering through a Venn diagram. (10 points)

2. Construct a graph showing the variation of temperature of the layers of the

atmosphere with a change in altitude. (5 points)

3. One pressing issue in this time is the destruction of the environment not only by our
fellow Filipinos but by the foreigners especially China in Zambales. Suppose you had
the opportunity to ask five (5) questions to a 2022 Presidential Candidate, what would
these be and what do you think their answers might be? For reference:
http://legacy.senate.gov.ph/press_release/2018/0918_delima1.asp (10 points)

4. List five (5) ways by which Environmental Science and Engineering can help you in
your future profession – Electrical Engineer. (5 points)
 CORRESPONDENCE LEARNING MODULE
ECOL 1013 – Environmental Science and Engineering

QUIZ 1
Score:
INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL
s SCIENCE
AND ENGINEERING/ NATURAL RESOURCES

Name: Course Code:

Instructor: Program/Year:

I. TRUE/FALSE
Write TRUE before each item if the statement is true otherwise write FALSE. (1 point
each)
1. The atmosphere is divided into different layers. Biosphere is the first layer relative
to the ground.
2. Natural resources are inherently useful to man. These resources may be
regenerated or not.
3. Non-renewable resources, as the term implies, cannot be regenerated by
ecological processes. However, regeneration is possible after a few million years.
4. Alloys are a combination of two or more elements. Useful substances can be
extracted from them.
5. Water has many uses. These include domestic purposes such as bathing, washing,
farming and for recreation such as boating.
6. Freshwater resources can come from surface water resources. Lakes and reservoirs
are examples of surface water.
7. Environment may either be man-made or natural. The former includes road,
railway, houses and the latter includes forests and seas.
8. Among the layers of the atmosphere, thermosphere has the highest temperature
because it is subjected to direct solar radiation.
9. Atmosphere plays an important role in sustaining life on earth. One of its gaseous
constituents is oxygen which can come from the photosynthetic activities of plants.
10. The main chemical constituent of stratosphere is the ozone layer.
11. Ozone absorbs the harmful ultraviolet rays coming from the sun. However, it is an
air pollutant in the troposphere.
12. Transpiration is a special type of evaporation which transpires on plants.
13. The important iron sources of the Philippines are those in Ilocos Norte, Camarines
Norte, Cotabato, Nueva Ecija, Surigao, Cagayan Valley, Marinduque, Zamboanga,
Samar, Bulacan, and Davao.
14. Environmental science and environmental engineering are two different fields in
which the former is application-based and the latter is theory-based.
15. Phosphorite is a sedimentary rock which contains a significant amount of calcium
phosphite.
 16. Energy is essential to living things as well as to the non-living ones. The first form
of energy discovered is fire which was mainly used for incinerating garbage.
17. Environment is defined as the sum of total of all the living and non- living things
around us influencing one another.
18. Biotic and abiotic components make up the environment.
19. Mercaptan is added to liquefied petroleum gas to neutralize its odor.
20. Soil may be a non-renewable resource. This happens when the rate of renewal is
slower than the rate of erosion.

II. FILL IN THE BLANKS

Fill in the blanks with the correct word/s to complete the sentence. (1 point each)
1. Lithosphere is considered as the solid part of the environment whereas
hydrosphere is the part.
2. is the part of the environment where living organisms
interact with the physical environment.
3. Animals release carbon dioxide which is utilized by plants to manufacture their
food though a process called .
4. In , pores always remain fully saturated.
5. The quality and quantity of cannot be determined.
6. Heat and light are released by the sun through .
7. is anchored on the interrelationships among the
environment and its living and non-living components.
8. is the layer of the atmosphere with the most uniform
chemical components.
9. To protect the environment, people can demand changes in .
10. Among the different layers of the atmosphere, is the densest.

III. CONCEPT
1. Construct a concept map on Natural Resources based on the learning materials
provided. (5 points)
2. In your own words, discuss comprehensively (7-10 sentences) the hydrological
cycle including the different process involved. (content – 3 points, grammar- 2
points)