APPLICATIONS OF PHYSICS IN ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

PRESENTED BY

ANGIE LIBETH MIRANDA RODRIGUEZ – 1650949

PAULA ANDREA ROA VELANDIA - 1651129

PAULA ANDREA BECERRA PACHON - 1651130

JEAN CARLOS TOLOZA SANCHEZ – 1651131

Francisco de Paula Santander University

FACULTY OF AGRICULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Cúcuta

2017

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APPLICATIONS OF PHYSICS IN ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

PRESENTED BY

ANGIE LIBETH MIRANDA RODRIGUEZ – 1650949

PAULA ANDREA ROA VELANDIA - 1651129

PAULA ANDREA BECERRA PACHON - 1651130

JEAN CARLOS TOLOZA SANCHEZ – 1651131

PRESENTED TO

JOSE FRANCISNO NIETO

Francisco de Paula Santander University

FACULTY OF AGRICULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Cúcuta

2017

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 INTRODUCTION

Since man has existed on earth, his activities have left their mark on the
environment around him. Among living beings, it is the only one capable of
modifying its natural environment to adapt it to its needs due to its reasoning
capacity and as the human population has grown, so has this capacity for
adoption, which is developed in the development of new technologies.

This modification of the environment has brought problems to nature since ancient
times, but these have become severe and some circumstances even irreversible
as industrial processes develop, the population concentrates in cities, agriculture
becomes more technological and a large quantity of chemical substances are
introduced into the environment as a consequence of urban, agricultural and
industrial development.

Environmental engineering seeks to resolve these problems in nature, for which

the application of physics is necessary. Physics plays a decisive role in modern
culture and is part of the history of man. Its development has contributed to the
progress of many other human activities, from medicine to space travel, from
economics to telecommunications, etc.

A clear example, to begin with, is electricity, since without physics electricity would
not be possible. Physics is present in all aspects of life and our day, from the
moment we get up until we go to sleep. Sometimes we don't pay much attention to
physics, but it is always present in the things you least imagine.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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 P.

INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………………….. 3

2. Objectives……………………………………………………………………………... 5

3. Theoretical
framework………………………………………………………………. .. .. 6

4. Applications of physics in environmental

engineering…………………………... ...8

5. Conclusions…………………………………………………………………………16

Literature

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 2. OBJECTIVE

The objective is to learn more about the application of physics to the environmental
engineering career, since physics is the science that observes nature, and tries to
describe the laws that govern it through mathematical expressions, physics is
responsible for studying the fundamental problems of nature, which is why it is the
basis of other sciences and technological applications, to help control, predict and
modify the course of phenomena; all of this is of total importance in the area of
interest of the career.

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 3. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

DEFINITIONS

 ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

Environmental engineering is defined as the branch of engineering that is

responsible for the design of technologies aimed at preventing and
controlling environmental pollution caused by human activities, as well as
reversing its effects.
This technological area is relatively new, even though sanitary, hydraulic,
chemical and civil engineering were already responsible for solving many of
the problems caused by environmental pollution. However, environmental
engineering comprehensively covers aspects related to the prevention and
control of pollution in the air, soil or water. It is therefore stated that a large
number of areas of knowledge from the natural sciences such as biology,
chemistry and physics converge in this discipline.
It also includes the restoration and cleaning of ecosystems that have been
significantly affected by one or more pollutants and the development of less
polluting technology, both for industrial processes and for alternative
sources of energy that are cleaner and safer.
In environmental engineering, the principles of natural mechanisms are
adapted to engineered systems for pollution control when large
smokestacks are built to disperse and dilute air pollutants, when biological
treatment facilities are designed to remove organic compounds from
wastewater, or when different chemical compounds are used to oxidize and
precipitate metals in water supply facilities.
In short, in this discipline all available technological tools are used to design
pollution treatment and control devices. This makes it extremely important in
our days and makes it perhaps the last link needed to close an important
circle: preserving the environment from the adverse effects caused by

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 human activity and therefore humans from the adverse effects of a
contaminated environment.

 PHYSICS

Physics is the science that observes Nature, and tries to describe the laws
that govern it through mathematical expressions.
Until the mid-19th century there were texts and courses on what was called
natural or experimental philosophy. This name was used to recognize the
contrast between subjects that depended on experiments and others, such
as Literature or Religion, that did not. As the results and conclusions of
experimental philosophy accumulated, it became difficult for one person to
work on the entire field, so subdivisions appeared. Well before 1850,
Chemistry, Astronomy, Geology and other similar disciplines separated as
independent sciences. The core that emerged as this happened was called
Physics. Because of its centrality to other sciences, an understanding of
Physics is required in many other disciplines.
Physics is a quantitative science that includes mechanics, thermal
phenomena, electricity and magnetism, optics and sound. These subjects
are part of classical physics. If, in solving a physical problem, speeds close
to the speed of light or sizes comparable to those of an atom must be
considered, then the principles or laws of modern physics, that is, the
discoveries of the 20th century, must be taken into account. These
principles include relativity and quantum mechanics.
It is not difficult to recognize that we live in a scientific and technological
world; physics is a fundamental part of our world that influences our society
at all scales, since it covers everything from the infinitely large, astrophysics,
to the infinitely small, elementary particle physics. It is therefore not
surprising that physics is present in everything that has represented
scientific and technical progress.

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 4. APPLICATIONS OF PHYSICS IN ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

The word environmental engineering is divided into two parts: the first word is
engineering, which is the set of scientific knowledge and techniques applied to the
creation, improvement and implementation of structures for solving problems that
affect the daily activity of society. The second, as its name indicates, refers to the
environmental part. If we put them together we obtain environmental engineering,
which would be a set of scientific knowledge and techniques applied to the
resolution of environmental problems related to the development and advancement
of society.

In reality, physics has different uses within human society, being divided into
branches such as: mechanical physics, thermodynamics, acoustics, optics,
electrical physics and modern physics. The contributions that physics has made
throughout history are invaluable.

It is easy to identify the uses of physics, for example elevators, ovens, buildings,
lenses, tires; all these things linked to forces, optics, heat, friction, terms belonging
to the study of physics. When one decides to study a particular career, one tries to
have general knowledge of the courses that will be taught for each semester. Many
times, as an applicant or student, one may be afraid of the content of each subject,
especially if one does not clearly distinguish the concepts and their professional
applications. This is why it is important to take on the task of investigating each
class in the program in more depth. In this case we will talk about physics in
environmental engineering, a subject that can also be present in programs such as
optometry, industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, among others.

Physics, like many other sciences, is responsible for explaining how many of the
things around us work or happen, among which we highlight all natural processes.
These studies are useful to allow humans to duplicate certain phenomena that are
useful for other tasks for the benefit of the community. Physical science in
essence, as is already known, is responsible for knowing and/or understanding the
natural environment (World and Universe) of man. Examples of these are all the
laws that describe it, such as Newton's or the various theorems that are
responsible for modeling situations to describe the behavior of various systems. It
is thanks to all these studies that we know things like why things move? How do
we see colors? What magnetic effect does energy produce? How is heat released
and how can it be used? Among many other questions that can later be used for
certain activities for the benefit of the human species.

Problems begin when these actions for the benefit of humanity have certain side
effects that cause damage that is often irreparable. As an example of this we can

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mention the use of petroleum, when the first results were obtained thanks to its
calorific capacity it was a surprising discovery that came to facilitate countless
tasks, but what happened when the polluting products of its combustion were
discovered? Chaos began to be generated, with pollution levels increasing brutally,
largely due to its combustion and, furthermore, as it was a non-renewable
resource, there would come a time when there would be a shortage.

From this arose alternative forms such as nuclear energy, which although in some
aspects was less polluting and would not become scarce, resulted in certain
radioactive waste that would be difficult to dispose of in any way. There is also a
potential risk of an accident due to a loss of control in the system that could cause
a natural disaster. The discovery of this type of energy had certain other uses,
such as doctors who arrived to treat certain diseases, increasing the lifespan of the
population.

Due to this and thanks to certain other advances in physics, it has been possible to
take advantage of certain other types of energy such as solar energy, which thanks
to semiconductor materials and taking advantage of solid state physics, it has been
possible to create cells capable of converting photons into electrons, or rather
sunlight into electricity, thus eliminating problems such as irrigation, polluting waste
or pollution caused by combustion products. It is worth mentioning that within solid
state physics the concept of superconductors has also been developed. These are
elements that have minimal losses when conducting electrons. They will be able, in
addition to wasting less electricity, to create a much more efficient way of storing it
than the current ones in order to make better use of it, such as using the sun's
energy at night.

Physics has taken a transcendental role in the survival of the environment.

Although it is true that the Earth, if it had not been exposed to human beings with
changes against nature, would be a self-sustaining organism without considerable

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problems such as those we have now, we must also accept the benefits that such
impacts have caused on the environment, especially for our species. The scientific
community must therefore commit to finding increasingly better ways, more
efficient, economical and less polluting, to obtain benefits for all, always carefully
planning all possible effects to minimise losses. And it must also try to disseminate
its discoveries as widely as possible to prevent localized interests from causing the
continued deterioration of the system, thus achieving a better world for longer
which we can all enjoy.

The environmental engineer must have the ability to identify, understand and
propose alternative solutions to environmental problems, using scientific and
technological knowledge, seeking sustainable development for the benefit of man,
society and nature. And it is there where physics plays a fundamental role in this
learning of scientific knowledge. An environmental engineer must know and apply
physical concepts to carry out environmental projects; he or she must interpret
natural phenomena through mathematical, physical and/or chemical expressions or
models related to the environment.

For example, the environmental engineer applies physics to operate wastewater

treatment systems, to waste collection and treatment systems, to conduct pollution
studies, to grant environmental licenses to buildings, among many other
applications, which is why physics is considered a basic science for an
environmental engineer.

WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS

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Wastewater treatment is a key operation in the process industry. Whether to
comply with environmental regulations or to avoid negative impacts on nearby
bodies of water, it is beneficial for every engineer to know the fundamentals of
wastewater treatment, and the technologies available to achieve the required
treatment goals. The disposal of untreated wastewater produces negative
environmental impacts on receiving waterways, depending on the concentration of
pollutants that the water contains.

By adding substances to the water below certain limit concentrations, a self-

purification process is initiated, due to various microorganisms (such as bacteria
and algae). These microorganisms break down waste, metabolizing it and
transforming it into simple substances, such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen, etc. This
process applies to organic substances, such as detergents and phenols, and also
to some inorganic substances, since there are microorganisms capable of
absorbing certain metals, incorporating them into their cells.

If the discharged substances have a high concentration of toxic materials, the

microorganisms are destroyed and self-purification is therefore cancelled. In
addition, larger organisms, such as fish, crustaceans, and aquatic plants, may die
from poisoning or from a lack of microorganisms to feed on. These in turn can
poison the rest of the fauna that make up the food chain, eventually reaching
humans.

High temperature discharges produce significant alterations, since they reduce the
solubility of oxygen in the water. As the solubility of oxygen decreases, its
concentration decreases, which is essential for aerobic aquatic life. Additionally, an
increase in temperature accelerates the metabolism of organisms. If the
temperature is high enough, it can even kill microorganisms, similar to
pasteurization.

Acidic or alkaline effluents kill microorganisms by poisoning them with hydrogen

ions or hydroxyls, so their prior neutralization is necessary.

Eutrophication is another problem resulting from the discharge of liquids with a

high content of organic nutrients, such as sewage effluents, or nitrates and
phosphates from fertilizers and detergents. These discharges produce an
enrichment of the waters, resulting in an excessive growth of algae that covers
large areas. When these algae die, they rot and give off bad odors that affect
residents, tourists and fishermen. In addition, some algae produce toxins that affect
fish. Another problem with eutrophication is that the amount of algae can clog the
filters in the water intakes or reduce their efficiency.

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Over the years, algae remains settle on the lake bed, which can eventually turn it
into a swamp. This process, which in nature would take millions of years, can occur
in just a few decades due to the effect of human activities. The effects that this type
of effluent has on the ecological balance make its treatment prior to discharge
necessary.

TREATMENT TECHNOLOGIES

Engineers have a whole arsenal of technological options at their disposal to tackle

the wastewater problem. Technologies may involve physical, chemical or biological
treatments of the effluent. The basics of each technology are detailed below.

PHYSICAL TREATMENTS

Industrial effluents containing insoluble elements in suspension are subjected to

physical treatments to separate them, thus preventing them from contaminating or
hindering subsequent stages of treatment.

The most common substances usually found in the effluent are:

 Floating fatty substances: fats, oils, aliphatic hydrocarbons, tars, etc.

 Suspended solids: Sand, oxides, pigments, fibers, etc.

The most common physical treatments are:

Roughing: Large solids are retained by suitable screens. The spacing between
the bars of the gate varies depending on the use, typically from 100 mm to 3 mm
between bars. They can have automatic or manual cleaning systems.

Dilaceration: Its purpose is to disintegrate or crush the dragged solids. Classic

equipment consists of vertical rotating cylinders with horizontal slots, into which
fixed cutting combs enter. Water enters the drum and solids are crushed between
the slots and combs.

Sand removal: This consists of separating sand and other mineral materials. It is
carried out in facilities that scrape the sand from the bottom, pushing it into lateral
pits, or by means of continuous pressure equipment.

Deoiling: Equipment is used that, using scrapers on conveyor belts, sweeps the
bottom and surface, allowing the oil drops to float and be separated.

Flotation: Waste water is mixed with water under pressure. When both come out
through a tube, bubbles are formed that drag oil particles or fibers to the surface,
which are easily separated there.

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Sludge settling: Equipment is used in which water is introduced into a vacuum
chamber, then a valve is opened and the water quickly exits through holes in tubes
at the bottom. Due to the difference in density, the water rises but the sludge does
not, so it concentrates at the bottom and is removed using siphons. The clarified
water remains on the surface.

Filtration: This is very rare in wastewater treatment, and is only carried out when
very strict regulations require it. Tanks with gravel, sand or other filter media are
used.

Degassing: Consists of separating gases or volatile materials dissolved in water. It

is carried out by countercurrent flow with another gas (which may be water vapor),
with equipment with a large contact surface, by spraying and sometimes with the
use of fillers.

CHEMICAL TREATMENTS

When contaminants are dissolved, chemical treatments are used to precipitate,

neutralize, oxidize or reduce them, as appropriate. The main treatments and when
each one is applied are listed below:

Precipitation: Applies to metals, toxic or not - Fe, Cu, Zn, Ni, Be, Ti, Al, Pb, Hg, Cr.
These metals precipitate in a certain pH range. Sulfites, phosphates, sulfates, and
fluorides are also precipitated by the addition of Ca++. Sulfides, phosphates,
cyanides, and sulfocyanides precipitate as iron salts or complexes.

Oxidation-reduction: It is required by cyanides, hexavalent chromium, sulfides,

chlorine, and nitrites. The most commonly used reagents for oxidation are sodium
hypochlorite, chlorine gas, and H2SO5 (Caro or peroxysulfuric acid). For reduction,
the most commonly used reagents are sodium bisulfite and ferrous sulfate.

Neutralization: Hydrochloric, nitric, sulfuric, hydrofluoric acids, and various bases

are used. Sometimes in the process industry an acidic effluent is neutralized with a
basic effluent, with subsequent final pH adjustment. This allows for saving
reagents.

Ion exchange and reverse osmosis: Salts of strong acids and bases and ionized
organic compounds are used (ion exchange), or pressure on membranes, in the

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case of reverse osmosis.

Wherever possible, substances are recovered for recirculation. This reduces

pollution and reduces purchases of reagents or raw materials. This recovery is not
always possible, as the processes are sometimes too costly and therefore
unprofitable. In such cases, the treated effluent is disposed of.

The processes can be carried out in very different decanter reactors, such as:

 Floats
 Special reactors with ejectors, propellers, precipitate scrapers, turbines, etc.
 Sludge clarifiers

The treatments carried out in these equipment are physicochemical, since both
chemical reactions and physical separations occur.

BIOLOGICAL TREATMENTS

These treatments are based on the use of microbes that decompose and
assimilate the substances present in the effluent. The two most important
treatments are activated sludge and fixed film systems.

Activated sludge: These treatments are carried out in large ponds with a
suspension of microbes that form a sludge or activated sludge. Contaminated
water is added and microorganisms break down the contaminants into simple
substances, or assimilate other substances inside them. Decantation is then
carried out to separate the sludge, treated water is obtained and part of the sludge
is sent back to the pond. The sludge to be reused is stabilized after contact with
wastewater.

For the system to work, it must have adequate agitation and aeration. Nutrients are
also often added to promote sludge activity.

The system has many variants, which have different aeration systems, sludge
concentration, and wastewater inlet flow.

Fixed film systems: In this system, the active particles form a film that is adhered
to walls or fillings of different types. As wastewater passes through these walls or
fillings, it comes into contact with microbial films and is purified.

Biological treatments are suitable for wastewater with a high content of organic
matter, but are not limited to them. Bacteria capable of assimilating heavy metals
and phosphates are known. In fact, almost any waste can be broken down by

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suitable algae or bacteria, whether natural or artificially obtained by genetic
engineering.

5. CONCLUSIONS

Although it is true that the Environmental Engineering career is a career that has a
great breadth in terms of work and scientific performance, the application of certain
sciences, such as physics among others, during the course of a student's training
is essential so that in the future he or she will be truly qualified to perform in the
workplace. This work explains why physics is of great importance in the
aforementioned professional career since it, together with other sciences, has
given us knowledge about the nature in which we live, giving us the power to
transform it and turn it into our advantage to continue evolving. And not only is
there an intimate relationship between physics and engineering, but it depends on
it and is a totally fundamental part of it.

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 LITERATURE

https://es.slideshare.net/DiiegoLopzz/aplicacio

https://es.scribd.com/doc/94534934/Ingenieria-Ambiental-y-Physica

http://www.buenastareas.com/ensayos/Importancia-De-La-F%C3%ADsica-En-La/
45352831.html

http://ingenieriaambientalapuntes.blogspot.com/2009/03/definicion-de-ingenieria-
ambiental.html

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