ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

and ENGINEERING
INTRODUCTION
ENVIRONMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

Environmental science is the study of living organisms and how they interact with our
environment.
Environmental science deals with the interactions between the physical, chemical, and
biological components of the environment.

ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

Environmental engineering is the branch of engineering that is concerned with protecting

people from the effects of adverse environmental effects, such as pollution, as well as
improving environmental quality.
ENVIRONMENT
Environmental studies is a multi-disciplinary subject which needs knowledge
interest from:

1. NATURAL/PHYSICAL SCIENCES
2. SOCIAL SCIENCES
3. HUMANITIES
ENVIRONMENT
• The word “environment” originates from “environ” which means things that
surround.

• Environment is the surrounding on which a living system operates.

• Environment is the sum total of all conditions and influences that affect the
development and life of all organisms on earth.

• Environment Protection Act (EPA) defines , environment includes all the

physical and biological surroundings and their interactions.
ENVIRONMENT
COMPONENTS OF ENVIRONMENT

1. ABIOTIC (non-living) 2. BIOTIC (living)

• Air • Plants
• Water • Animals
• Land • Human beings
ATMOSPHERE
Atmosphere is the gaseous envelope that surrounds our globe. It gives
us oxygen to breath; air keeps us warm by retaining sun’s heat. It shields us
from harmful ultra violet rays coming with solar rays. The atmosphere extends
up to a height of 700 km, but it has no distinct boundary. As it extends into
space, it becomes thinner, eventually fade out.

The atmosphere is a mixture of gases. Dry air contains (by volume)

78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen, 0.93% Argon, 0.03% CO2 and 0.04% other gases.
Air also contains variable amount of water vapor (about 1%). Mixture of gases
is called as air.
LAYERS OF ATMOSPHERE
TROPOSPHERE
• the layer closest to the Earth’s
surface, reaching about 7 to 15
km from the surface
• It contains 75% of the
atmosphere gases, water vapor
and clouds , most of weather
phenomena takes place in this
layer
• It is the only layer in which living
things can survive naturally.
LAYERS OF ATMOSPHERE
STRATOSPHERE
• The next layer from the Earth
surface , and reaches from the
top of the troposphere.
• it extends up to 50 km above the
earth’s surface
• In lower portion of stratosphere
i.e. 15 to 35 above the earth’s
surface, there is ozone layer that
absorbs ultra violet radiations of
Sun’s rays.
LAYERS OF ATMOSPHERE
MESOSPHERE

• It reaches as far as about 85 kms

above the earth’s surface.
• Temperatures decrease in
mesosphere with altitude, falling
as low as -90 C.
• Air still thick enough that
meteors burn up while entering
the atmosphere
LAYERS OF ATMOSPHERE
THERMOSPHERE

• It ranges from 80 to 480 kms.

• Temperature in this layer rises to
2000 C as gases (though very thin)
absorb sun’s X-rays and ultra violet
radiations.
• Part of this layer is ionosphere
where gases are electrically
charged or ionized by the Sun’s
light.
LAYERS OF ATMOSPHERE
EXOSPHERE
• The uppermost layer, from 480
to 1000 km which is considered
to be outer space.
• The pull of Earth’s gravity is so
small here that the molecules of
gas escape into outer space.
• Only traces of oxygen, nitrogen,
argon and helium are present.
 HYDROSPHERE
• it consists of all earth’s water i.e oceans,
seas, lakes, polar caps and ice sheets,
ON and underground water bodies, and in the
atmosphere as water vapor.
BELOW THE
• it helps to regulate Earth’s temperature
SURFACE and climate.
OF EARTH Evaporation from the hydrosphere provides the medium for
cloud and rain formation in the atmosphere. The atmosphere
brings back rainwater to the hydrosphere.

Job 36:27,28
“He draws up the drops of water; They condense into rain from his
mist; Then the clouds pour it down; They shower down upon
mankind.”
ON and BELOW
THE SURFACE
OF EARTH
LITHOSPHERE

• is the solid inorganic top crust

of the earth, nearly 40 km thick
in continental regions and 11
km thick under ocean floor.

• solid rocks make most of the

Earth’s crust which is only 1%
weight of the Earth.

• Silicon, aluminum and

magnesium are the elements
that make this layer
 BIOSPHERE
ON and
BELOW THE • is a thin shell encompasses the
SURFACE Earth’ and is made up of lithosphere,
hydrosphere and atmosphere.
OF EARTH
• It is within the biosphere that all life-
forms of the planet Earth survive.
DEFINITION OF
ENVIRONMENTAL
TERMS

ECOLOGY
is a science which studies the inter-
relationship of living organisms i.e.
plants and animals with their
environment

HABITAT
the habitat of a species is the
natural home in which it lives,
including rocks, soils, water and
trees.
DEFINITION OF
ENVIRONMENTAL
TERMS
COMMUNITY
• several species that exist together at a
place is a community.
• a typical community contains a mixture
of plants, animals that feed on them or
hunt one another.

ECOSYSTEM
• an ecosystem contains several different
wildlife communities and their habitat.
• a community and its environment is
called ecosystem.
DEFINITION OF
ENVIRONMENTAL
TERMS
BIOMES
A biome is a large area
characterized by its vegetation, soil,
climate, and wildlife.

MAJOR TYPES OF BIOMES:

AQUATIC
GRASSLAND
FOREST
DESERT
TUNDRA
DEFINITION OF ENVIRONMENTAL TERMS
AQUATIC BIOMES

Aquatic biomes include both freshwater and marine biomes.

Freshwater biomes are bodies of water surrounded by land, such as ponds,

rivers and lakes.

Marine biomes cover close to three-quarters of Earth’s surface, includes

ocean, coral reefs , and estuaries.
DEFINITION OF ENVIRONMENTAL TERMS
GRASSLAND

Grassland are open regions that are dominated by grass and have warm, dry
climate.

there are two types of grasslands: the tropical grassland (called savannas)
and the temperate grassland.

it can support lots of grazing animals, some preyed on by swift running

predators.
DEFINITION OF ENVIRONMENTAL TERMS
FORESTS

Forests are dominated by trees, and cover about one-third of the Earth.

Forests contain much of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity, including

insects, birds, and mammals.

The 3 major forest biomes are temperate forests, tropical forests, and
boreal forests (also called as the taiga)
DEFINITION OF ENVIRONMENTAL TERMS

TROPICAL FORESTS are warm, humid, and found close to equator..

TEMPERATE FORESTS are found at higher latitudes, and experience all four
seasons.

BOREAL FORESTS are found at even higher latitudes, and have the coldest
and driest climate, where precipitation occurs primarily in the form
of snow.
DEFINITION OF ENVIRONMENTAL TERMS
DESERT

Deserts are dry areas where rainfall is less than 50 centimeters per year.

Deserts can be either cold or hot, although most of them are found in
subtropical areas.
there is not as much biodiversity found in desserts as in other biomes
because of their extreme conditions

Desert wildlife consists primarily of reptiles and small mammals.

DEFINITION OF ENVIRONMENTAL TERMS
TUNDRA

Tundra has a extremely inhospitable conditions, with the lowest measure

temperatures of any of the five major biomes with average yearly
temperature ranging from -34 to 12 degrees Celsius.
DEFINITION OF ENVIRONMENTAL TERMS
TUNDRA

• There are two types of tundra: arctic and alpine. The tundra does not have much
biodiversity and vegetation is simple, including shrubs, grasses, mosses, and
lichens. This is partly due to a frozen layer under the soil surface,
called permafrost. The arctic tundra is found north of boreal forests and the
alpine tundra is found on mountains where the altitude is too high for trees to
survive. Any wildlife inhabiting the tundra must be adapted to its extreme
conditions to survive.
TUNDRA
ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS

What are some Human Activities that

affect the Environment?
ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
1. OVERPOPULATION
2. DEFORESTATION
3. DESTRUCTION OF WILDLIFE HABITATS
4. AIR QUALITY DEGRADATION
5. WATER CONTAMINATION
6. DEPLETION OF GROUNDWATER
7. SOIL TOXICITY
8. SOIL EROSION AND LOSS OF NATURAL VEGETATION
9. LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY AND SPECIES EXTINCTION
10. WASTE PRODUCTION
11. CLIMATE CHANGE
IMPORTANT COMPONENTS OF SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT:
1. POPULATION STABILIZATION
2. INTEGRATED LAND-USE PLANNING
3. CONSERVATION OF BIODIVERSITY
4. AIR AND WATER POLLUTION CONTROL
5. RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCE
6. RECYLING WASTES AND RESIDUES
7. ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION and AWARENESS
References:
• Kothari, D.P; Singal, K.C.& Ranjan, R. (2016). Environmental Science and Engineering.
• Kumar De. Anil; Kumar De Arnab (2009). Environment and Ecology.
• https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/atmosphere/
• https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/biome/
• https://www.livescience.com/48390-environmental-engineering.html
• https://www.safeopedia.com/definition/1391/environmental-science-environmental-health-and-safety
• https://www.sciencefacts.net/layers-of-atmosphere.html