Environmental Health and
Safety Engineering
Environmental Components
SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
CHEMICAL & MATERIALS
ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
Copyright Michael B. Jennings, 2002
ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING IS
CONCERNED WITH POLLUTION
• MINIMIZING GENERATION OF POLLUTION
– Innovative technologies
– Increasing process efficiency
• MANAGING HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
– Prevention of Releases
– Recycling and Reuse
– Safe disposition
• REMEDIATION AND RECLAMATION OF
CONTAMINATED SITES
What is pollution?
• Pollution is a component or a condition that is
detrimental to the environment
– Examples of components are chemicals or trash from
a process
HC
HCCO
CO
NO
NOx
x
Example of Pollution Condition
• Noise from a process
Hey
Heyman,
man,can’t
can’tyou
youuse
use
something
quiet
like
something quiet likeaa
Leaf
LeafBlower?
Blower?
What is the Source of Pollution?
• Pollution can be the result of
•
•
natural or man-made
(Anthropogenic) processes
Natural processes, such as
volcanic eruptions, add
components that can be
absorbed into the
environment over time
The Global Warming
discussion is based on the
balance between naturally
occurring and anthropogenic
sources of Greenhouse gases:
(CO2), Methane, N2O, Ozone,
and CFC’s.
H2S,
H2S,COS,
COS,SO2,
SO2,
PARTICULATE,
PARTICULATE,
IT’S THE
CHEESE!
ANTHROPOGENIC POLLUTION
• Man-made pollutants
– may accumulate above
natural background levels
in the environment
– and also may react with
other components in
unexpected ways
• Examples include
contamination of water
supplies with MTBE or
pesticides.
CLASS PROJECT #1 (5 Min.)
• List at least 4 potential pollutants sources related to
•
•
using automobiles for transportation. (1 Minute)
Categorize these according to their severity (1 Minute 1 is most severe).
List ways to eliminate or minimize each of the pollutants
(3 Minutes)
No.
Pollutant Source Severity Eliminate or
Minimize
POSSIBLE ANSWERS TO PROJECT #1
No. Pollutant Source
Severity Eliminate or Minimize
1
Air Pollution (NOx,
HC’s) from
combustion
1
Eliminate gas engine or
operate only at optimum
conditions
2
Stream pollution from
oil, grease, tire rubber,
and brake linings
3
Leak inspections,
biodegradable
lubricants, change tire
formulation, nonasbestos brakes
3
Noise pollution from
engines
4
Better muffler design
4
Hazardous waste from
improper battery and
oil disposal
2
Collection systems to
easily recycle oil and
batteries. Deposits?
5
Solid waste from used
tires
5
Tire recycle to recover
raw materials.
OTHER POSSIBLE ANSWERS TO PROJECT #1
No. Pollutant Source
Severity Eliminate or Minimize
1
Pollution from oil
refining to produce
gasoline
1
Eliminate gas engine
and reduce plant
pollution sources
2
Pollution from steel
manufacturing
processes
2
Reduce energy required
for steel production or
use other materials
3
Pollution from
manufacturing of
tires and other
components
3
Use other materials or
reduce pollution from
processes
4
Pollution from road
construction and
maintenance
4
Usable public transit,
better planning, better
road materials
5
Pollution from auto
assembly operations
5
Alternate materials and
assembly methods
IMPOSSIBLE ANSWERS TO PROJECT #1
No. Pollutant Source
Severity Eliminate or Minimize
1
Noise pollution from
cars playing ______
music.
1
Disconnect or steal their
battery!
2
Noise pollution from
any music played
through a sub-bass
woofer.
1
Disconnect or steal their
battery!
3
Noise pollution from
horns!
1
Use hand signals!
4
Visual pollution from
cars that are newer,
larger, faster, etc.,
than mine
1
Drive in the fog, so you
don’t have to see them!
5
Visual pollution from
bumper stickers.
1
Tailgate while you are
reading them!
How does the EH&S Engineer fit
into the pollution equation?
• Prevention and Reduction of Pollutants
– Identify the actual and potential sources
– DESIGN the system to minimize quantities
Recycling and Reuse
• DESIGN systems to reuse materials in the
original process or in some other process
– Recycling unused raw materials increases yields while
reducing pollution
– Recycling products as raw materials reduces the
energy required to produce the raw material.
Treatment
• DESIGN systems to treat materials and
recover reactants that have not been
consumed and/or valuable byproducts
A RECYCLE
C&D
SEP’N &
TREATMENT 1
C PRODUCT
A
SEP’N &
TREATMENT 3
A, B, C & D
B
SEP’N
REACTOR
B, C & D
B RECYCLE
D PRODUCT
DISPOSAL
• The last-resort option is to DESIGN a safe means
for disposal
– Long term disposal systems are very expensive
– There are few locations to accept waste materials
REMEDIATION
• Many non-hazardous wastes
sites, if properly designed,
can be recycled into
productive operations.
– Must avoid Groundwater
contamination.
– Include Soil layers to seal and
provide biota to break down
wastes
Photos from
http://www.zerowasteamerica.org
/Pictures.htm
EH&S Engineers Design for the
Environment (DFE)
• DESIGN for
ENVIRONMENT considers
the environmental impact
of a material from cradle
to grave.
Raw Materials
Production
Manufacturing
Product Distribution
Final Disposition
or Recycle
Product Use
What are the basic concepts involved in
Design for Environment?
• Compare and improve the performance and
•
•
human health and environmental risks
and costs of existing and alternative products,
processes, and practices, OVER THE LIFE CYCLE
OF THE PRODUCT.
Projects for integrating cleaner, cheaper, and
smarter solutions into everyday business
practices MAKE GOOD ECONOMIC SENSE.
If you don’t make a mess in the first place, you
won’t have to clean it up!
LIFE CYCLE EXAMPLE – PAPER OR
PLASTIC BAGS? – AN EH&S
ENGINEERING ANALYSIS
• Considering the
SOURCES OF RAW
MATERIALS:
– Oil – Not renewable, easy
to extract
– Trees – Renewable, costly
to harvest
– Recycle – both are
recycled, but not at the
same fraction of original
material
Life Cycle Example - Manufacturing
and Distribution
• Both products are manufactured by
automated processing
• Both materials are distributed in bulk
Life Cycle Example
USE AND RECYCLE
• Both materials are used and recycled in a similar
•
manner
The fraction of each material that is recycled
may vary
Life Cycle Example – EVENTUAL
DISPOSITION
• Both materials can be used as fuels and
reduce energy costs
• Both materials can end up in land-fills
– Organic landfill materials can produce natural gas
– Paper decomposes more rapidly than plastic
Life Cycle Analysis
EMISSIONS FROM PROCESSING
• Total particulate, hydrocarbon, and
greenhouse gases are greater for the
paper sacks than the plastic sacks.
Life Cycle Analysis – SUMMARY
• The energy
•
•
requirements are less
for plastics
The emissions are
less with plastics
Plastics use a
nonrenewable
resource for a raw
material
Results of DFE
• This is a money-making process for most companies.
• DFE has been formalized using ISO 14000 to promulgate
environmental management standards
EH&S ENGINEERS and
REMEDIATION & RECLAMATION
PROCESSES
• Recover contaminated sites for productive purposes
• Most sites result from improper disposal of materials
PHOTOS FROM http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/minres/bamr/bark_camp/barkhomepage.htm
TYPES OF POLLUTION FROM
LANDFILLS & DUMP SITES
– Ground Water
Pollution.
– Air Pollution.
– Noise Pollution
– Odor Pollution
– Blowing Trash
– and Visual
Pollution.
Photo from
http://www.zerowasteamerica.org/Pictures.htm
GROUNDWATER REMEDIATION
• Project for Steam Injection in Visalia
PHOTOS FROM:
http://www.llnl.go
v/str/Newmark.ht
ml
CLASS PROJECT #2 DESIGN FOR
RECYCLING OPERATIONS (20 Min)
• Over the last few
centuries, we have
produced some
interesting deposits of
materials that are
referred to as:
• MUNICIPAL
SOLID WASTE
(MSW)
HOW WAS THIS MATERIAL
GENERATED?
• On any weekend you can see it is being
•
bought and sold.
Signs show:
Sometimes folks
just forget the B.
SATURDAY & SUNDAY
8:00 UNTIL 5:00
BIG
GARBAGE
GARAGE
SALE
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
• We assume some process has been
developed to collect MSW (Municipal
Solid Waste)
– The process does not separate the
materials for recycling
– The landfill is almost full, so some way
to reduce volume is necessary.
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
• DESIGN a process to separate and recycle
components in MSW
– 1. As it is collected, assuming recycling separates
metals, plastics, glasses, newspapers, mixed papers
and cardboard
– 2. As it is collected with no recycling
– 3. After it is mined from existing landfills.
WHAT IS THE RAW MATERIAL?
DEFINITIONS OF MSW 1
• Paper - Newsprint, high grade, magazines
boxboard, mixed recyclable paper and
nonrecyclable mixed paper
• Plastic - Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
and high density polyethylene (HDPE
• Metals – Aluminum, ferrous and nonferrous
• Glass - Clear, brown, and green glass
DEFINITIONS OF MSW 2
• Organic Materials - Yard waste, wood pallets, treated
•
•
•
•
wood, and untreated wood.
Problem Materials - Sources of trace metals such as
lead, cadmium, and mercury; such as batteries,
televisions, computers and electric and electronic
products
Household Hazardous Waste/Hazardous Waste
(HHW/HW) - Latex and oil paints, automotive used
oil/filters and anti-freeze.
Other Waste - Textiles, carpet, rubber, and sharp and
infectious wastes, construction and demolition debris
excluding wood) and household bulky items (furniture
and mattresses)
More Details are located at:
http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/nonhw/muncpl/factbook/internet/toc.htm
HOW ARE RECOVERED MSW
MATERIALS UTILIZED 1?
• PAPER – Recycled goes to paper mills.
http://recycledproducts.plasticsresource.com/ Reused can
be combusted. http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/nonhw/muncpl/disposal.htm
• PLASTIC - Recycled goes to into a wide range of products.
http://www.resystems.com/paper.html Reused can be
combusted or pyrolyzed into chemicals or fuels.
http://www.apme.org/literature/htm/05.htm
HOW ARE RECOVERED MSW
MATERIALS UTILIZED 2?
• METALS – Recycled goes to into a wide range of products
based on remelting to base metals for reuse in new
products. http://www.westinghouseplasma.com/gsteel.htm
• GLASS - Recycled goes to smelters and is use to make
new products. http://www.gpi.org/Handling.html Reused
can be used as an aggregate in for ceramic materials and
for sand blasting. http://www.crbt.org/glass.html
HOW ARE RECOVERED MSW
MATERIALS UTILIZED 3?
• ORGANIC MATERIALS – Reused materials are
•
•
composted for soil amendments or sometimes
combusted as a fuel
http://www.compostwashington.org/
PROBLEM MATERIALS – may be redirected to specialty
recyclers for recovery of precious metals
http://www.drms.dla.mil/pubaff/html/pmrp.html
HHW/HW – Recycled materials can be processed into
useable solvent or converted into fuels
http://www.romic.com/
HOW ARE RECOVERED MSW
MATERIALS UTILIZED 4?
• Other Wastes – These are sent to specialty recyclers for processing
and reuse. Some are used as combustion fuels.
http://www.tranclo.com/hp31.asp
http://www.happyharry.com/howwzer.htm
QUESTIONS TO ADDRESS
• SORTING - How can physical properties be used
•
to separate materials? Density, solubility
(washing), screening, grinding, etc.
IMPACT OF PROCESSING – What will be the
results of the sorting process.
– Can the material be recycled after sorting or are
additional processing steps required?
– Has the sorting process created any waste materials
that need special processing for disposal?
RECOMMENDED SEQUENCE FOR
THE PROJECT
• EACH TEAM MEMBER DEVELOP A DESIGN FOR
ONE OR TWO CLASSES OF MATERIALS IN MSW
– Examine techniques that work for each material
– Determine which of these will work for more than one
material
– Develop the optimum sequence to process the MSW
• COMBINE THE DESIGN INTO AN OVERALL
PROCESS
– Individual process steps
– Utility requirements
– Create a Flow Sheet for the Process, with a
description of the operation
– Write up a one page summary of the process design
EH&S CONTACTS FOR MORE
INFORMATION @
San Jose State University
• M. B. JENNINGS – 408/924-3926
• M. A. McNEIL – 408/924-3873
• ART DIAZ – 408/924-3944
• WEB PAGE ADDRESS:
• http://www.engr.sjsu.edu/ehs/