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Lecture 1 - Introduction - 06.10.2024

The document provides an introduction to environmental engineering, defining the environment and its components, including abiotic and biotic factors. It outlines the four global environmental domains: atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere, detailing their characteristics and interconnections. Additionally, it discusses the objectives of environmental engineering, emphasizing the importance of protecting human health and the environment through sustainable practices.

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6 views

Lecture 1 - Introduction - 06.10.2024

The document provides an introduction to environmental engineering, defining the environment and its components, including abiotic and biotic factors. It outlines the four global environmental domains: atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere, detailing their characteristics and interconnections. Additionally, it discusses the objectives of environmental engineering, emphasizing the importance of protecting human health and the environment through sustainable practices.

Uploaded by

alvinmaina2.2
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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October 2024

Lecture 1
Environmental Engineering
Introduction

1.0 What is environment?


The environment is universal natural life supporting system and symbiotic relationship exists among
different living beings to sustain their life. The environment can also be defined as sum of all social,
ecological, biological, physical or chemical component which constitute the surrounding of man.
The environment has both abiotic (nonliving) and biotic (living) environment. Abiotic consists of: soil,
water, air, sunlight, humidity, temperature, etc. Biotic environment consists of living being, biological
entities, plants, animals, microorganisms, etc. All biotic and abiotic components of environment are inter-
linked and dependent on each other.
Environment can also be described as the physical surroundings and conditions affecting the lives of people
and animals.

2.0 Global Environment


The global environment consists of four domains:
a. Atmosphere.
b. Hydrosphere.
c. Lithosphere.
d. Biosphere.
The three domains atmosphere, lithosphere and hydrosphere are closely inter-linked with biosphere. The
biosphere is common interface meet with the three domains.

3.0 Atmosphere
It is the protective blanket of
gases surrounding the earth,
which sustains life, and saves it
from the hostile environment of
outer space. It absorbs most of
the cosmic rays from outer
space and a major portion of the
electromagnetic radiation from
the sun. It transmits only near
ultraviolet, visible, near infrared
radiation and radio waves while
filtering out tissue damaging
ultraviolet radiation.

It plays a key role in maintaining


heat balance of the earth,
through absorption of
ultraviolet radiation from the
sun. A mixture of gases
extending outward from the
surface of the earth, evolved
from the elements of the earth that were gasified during its formation and metamorphosis.
The major gases are: Nitrogen 78%, Oxygen 21% and The other 1% is for inert gases
The atmosphere consists of:
a. Troposphere.
b. Stratosphere.
c. Mesosphere.
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L. Ogutu October 2024 Environmental Engineering
October 2024

d. Thermosphere.

3.1 Troposphere

Troposphere is the lowest layer of the


atmosphere and lies between 10 – 12 km
from the earth surface. It is a region of
strong air movements and cloud formation.
It contains seventy per cent of the mass of
the atmosphere. In this region, the air
masses are constantly in circulation as
energy flows due to imbalances in heating
and cooling rates between equator and the
poles.

The temperature of air in the troposphere


decreases fairly steadily with increasing altitude from the ground temperature to a temperature of about
−𝟓𝟔𝟎𝑪.

Troposphere consists of nitrogen (78.084%), oxygen (20.947%), argon (0.934%), carbon dioxide (0.0314%),
neon (0.001818%), helium (0.000524%), methane (0.0002%), hydrogen (0.00005%), ozone (0.000001%),
nitrogen oxide (0.00005%), xenon (0.0000087%), krypton (0.000114%). Percentage of these gases is highly
variable.

3.2 Stratosphere
Stratosphere is the air mass extending from the uppermost level of the troposphere to uppermost level of
stratosphere, about 50 kilometres above the surface of earth.
The temperature in stratospheric region increases with height until 50 km, where the temperature attains
a maximum of −𝟐𝟎 𝑪.
The presence of ozone in the stratosphere serves as a shield to protect life on the earth from the harmful
effects of the solar 𝒖. 𝒗. radiation. The ozone blanket reduces the cooling rate of the earth.

3.3 Mesosphere
Mesosphere lies above stratosphere. It is about 50 – 90 km above the earth surface. As the altitude
increases temperature goes on decreasing, hence mesosphere is very cold with low atmospheric pressure.
The temperature may reach up to −𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟎𝐂.

3.4 Thermosphere
Thermosphere lies in between 90 – 700 km above earth’s surface. In this region, temperature increases
with increased altitude level as this layer absorb intense solar radiation from sun. The bottom zone of
thermosphere which contains ions (electrically charged particles), where ionization of molecules of oxygen
occurs is called ionosphere. Almost all the atoms in this region are ionized, their electrons are stripped off
by the sun.

4.0 Lithosphere
Lithosphere is a thin shell that encapsulates the earth. It is about 100 km thick. It is made of the atmosphere
and lithosphere adjacent to the surface of the earth, together with the hydrosphere. It is within the
biosphere that the life forms of earth, including humans.
Life sustaining materials in gaseous, liquid, and solid forms are cycled through the biosphere, providing
sustenance to all living organisms.
It contains the minerals, rocks and soils that human use as building materials, metals and agriculture. The
soil is the most important part of the lithosphere.

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5.0 Hydrosphere
The earth consists of almost 75% of the land as hydrosphere. It is estimated that About 97% of the earth’s
water is in the oceans. It is that part of earth that contains water resources e.g. oceans, seas, rivers, lakes,
streams, glaciers, polar ice and shallow groundwater bodies that interflow with surface water. The
hydrosphere like the atmosphere is always in motion.
Hydrosphere is important because no living being can sustain on earth for longer period without water.

6.0 Biosphere
Thin shell that encapsulates the earth, is made of the atmosphere and lithosphere adjacent to the surface
of the earth, together with the hydrosphere. It is within the biosphere that the life forms of earth, including
humans, live. Life sustaining materials in gaseous, liquid, and solid forms are cycled through the biosphere,
providing sustenance to all living organisms.
The structure and function of biosphere are dependent on exchange of matter and energy with other
sphere on earth, beneath earth and above earth.

7.0 Ecology and Ecosystem

7.1 Ecology
Ecology is the science which deals with the various principles which govern the relationship and
interdependence between organism and their environment. Ecology refers to a study of living species in
their place of living with their surroundings. It can also be referred to as the study of inter-relationship
between living things with nonliving component of environment.
Why we need to study ecology is that the biotic component needs group or association for their survival
as they all are interdependent. The biotic components exchange their energy and food in different forms
for their sustainability by associating with each other. Hence, the study of ecology is important for
understanding interdependency between them.
One of the objectives of ecology is to observe the biological productivity of physical environment or nature
and how the products may best serve the mankind or to improve the quality of man.

7.2 Ecosystem
The ecosystem comprises of a living system and non-living components. The ecosystem consists of plants,
animals, human being, air, water and minerals. The entire system of living and non-living components is
regulated by solar energy coming out from sun. All biotic components either animal or plant kingdom
interact among themselves as well as surrounding physical environment for their survival.
An ecosystem can be defined as a natural self-regulating system of biotic component which interacts with
abiotic and biotic components in the environment for exchange of their energy and food.

8.0 Environmental Engineering


Environmental engineering is the application of science and engineering knowledge and concepts to care
for and/or restore our natural environment and/or solve environmental problems.
Environmental engineering is the branch of engineering that is concerned with protecting people from the
effects of adverse environmental. Environmental engineering is the application of engineering principles
to minimize the adverse effects of human activity on the environment.
Environmental Engineering is the application of science and engineering principles to improve the natural
environment (air, water, and/or land resources), to provide healthy water, air, and land for human
habitation (house or home) and for other organisms, and to remediate polluted sites.
Environmental engineering is the application of scientific and engineering principles to improve and
maintain the environment to: Protect human health, protect nature's beneficial ecosystems, and improve
environmental-related enhancement of the quality of human life.

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8.1 Objectives of Environmental Engineering


The main objectives and scope of environmental engineering are:
a. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions which cause global warming.
b. To restrict and regulate the exploitation of natural resources.
c. Maintenance of environmental quality.
d. Pollution Prevention and Control.
e. Protection of environment from degradation.
f. Top enhance natural resources and reduce natural disasters.
g. Formulation of laws and regulations to control pollution.
h. To develop attitude of improvement of the environment.
i. Develop basic understanding and general knowledge in major issues related to protection of
the environment.
j. Design environmental engineering systems that include considerations of risk, uncertainty,
sustainability, life-cycle principles, and environmental impacts.
k. To create awareness in people about environmental problems.

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