20/09/2018

Environmental Management Series

CHING YERN CHEE

Assoc. Professor
Chemical Engineering Department
University of Malaya
50603 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
chingyc@um.edu.my

Marks
Group Assignment & Presentation 13%
Wk 13 & 14

Round Table Discussion 7%

17 Oct & 28 Nov

Quiz 1 & 2 + Tutorial 10%

Wk 4 & wk 10

1 Midterm Exam 10%

Wk 8

Final Exam 60%

1
 20/09/2018

What is Environmental Engineering?

Definition: The application of science and

engineering knowledge and concepts to care
for and/or restore our natural environment
and/or solve environmental problems.

2
 20/09/2018

Who does it affect?

• Everyone &
Everything!
– plants
– insects
– animals
– humans
– ecosystems

What are
environmental issues?

• Three areas:
– air quality
– land quality
– water quality

3
 20/09/2018

Air Quality
Why is air quality such a
problem?
Poor air quality can lead to:
• smog
• respiratory & other illnesses
• acid rain
• global warming

4
 20/09/2018

From where do air pollutants

come?
Air pollution

Air Quality

• Air pollutant: A known

substance in the air that
can cause harm to
humans and the
environment. Effects of acid rain on plants

– nitrogen oxides (NOx)

– sulfur oxides (SOx)
– carbon monoxide (CO)
– carbon dioxide (CO2)

5
 20/09/2018

Climate change & other environmental issues are inter-linked

Jungle burned for

Logging in Malaysia.
agriculture in southern
Mexico

6
 20/09/2018

Environmental impacts caused by

deforestation
• Burning forests and decay of wood after
logging contribute to the release of
greenhouse gases
• Loss of biodiversity
• Forests are important parts of hydrologic cycle
in nature

Mining

Chuquicamata, the largest open pit copper mine in the world, Chile

7
 20/09/2018

Environmental impacts of
mining
 Land/soil erosion
 Formation of sinkholes,
 Loss of biodiversity in the area
 Contamination of groundwaters by
chemicals from the mining process and
products.
 Abandoned mines can still pose safety
hazards such as deadly gases

Chemicals used for mining

 Sodium cyanide for extraction of gold

 Sulphuric acid for extraction of copper
from copper oxides
 If these chemicals are not handled
properly, serious environmental impacts
may occur to the neighbouring
environment

8
 20/09/2018

Global Warming

9
 20/09/2018

Environmental Effects of
Global Warming
 Melting of polar ice
 Rising sea level
 Spread of pests and disease
 Ecological impacts (e.g. disturbed life cycle)

Energy Food

Environmental management
& Sustainability

Biodiversity
Water

10
 20/09/2018

A possible way to implement?

Natural & Water Coastal

Human Induced Resources & Marine
Disasters Ecosystems

Human Health Energy Sustainable

& Well-Being Resources Agriculture &
Desertification

Weather Climate Biodiversity

Information, Variability &
Forecasting & Change
Warning

Examples
Renewable Resources Non-Renewable Resources

11
 20/09/2018

Texts: Introduction to Environmental Engineering. P. Aarne Vesilind. PWS Publishing

Company.
Age of Environmentalism. J.E. de Steiguer. McGraw-Hill Publishers.

Age of Environmentalism. J.E. de Steiguer. McGraw-Hill Publishers.

12
 20/09/2018

Tutorial 1

write in a paper describing your relationship

with the earth and responsibility for the
environment.

Round Table Discussion 1:

Date: 17 October 2018 ( 3 hr)
Title : Plastic Bags for packaging : To Ban or Not to Ban?
G Roles Students
1 Emcee / Chairperson/facilitators (time control) 3
2 Debate Group A: To ban plastic pacakging 4
3 Debate Group B: support the use of plastic packaging 4
4 Consumers /end user : food/general 4
5 Representatives from sellers, markets, and shops. 4
6 Petrochemical resin /plastic film manufacturers 4
7 Biopolymer resin /biofilm manufacturers 4
8 Players from Paper and Paperboard 4
9 Department of Environment : Environmental regulations/ policy makers 4
10 Government 4
11 Environmental protection agency 4

44 students = judges

13