env4303

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Feb 20, 2024

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1 Unit VII Essay Rhonda Gilmer Columbia Southern University ENV 4303: Environmental Technology Professor Edwards February 10, 2024

2 Unit VII Essay I. The part of Environmental Technology that I found most interesting is air pollution. I live in Southeast Texas in Baytown along the Houston Ship Channel there is a lot of air pollution due to all the chemical plants and oil refineries so close to my home. The air quality is by far at times terrible. Learning what the Environmental Protection Agency EPA does and stands for has in a way awoken me to how bad the air quality is not to just me and my family or those who live in the area but also to the earth. I have somewhat been rethinking my career path from OSHA Oil / Gas to the EPA side of things. The air pollution that is being generated by all the plants and refineries just in my area has a large impact on the ozone and the livelihood of the Earth itself. Becoming more aware of all the pollution that is being sent into the atmosphere is a major concern that I think I would like to look deeper into. II. The equation for computing the water flow rate from a pipe diameter is Q = A x V Where Q is the water flow rate in cubic meters per second (m3/s) A is the cross-sectional area of the pipe in square meters (m2) V is the average velocity of the water in the pipe in meters per second (m/s) The cross-sectional area of the pipe is equal to π * (diameter/2)^2, where π is approximately equal to 3.14. The average velocity of the water in the pipe is affected by the pipe diameter, the fluid viscosity, and the pressure difference between the two ends of the pipe. The equation can be

3 used to calculate the water flow rate in a pipe for a given pipe diameter, viscosity, and pressure difference. An example of this, To calculate the water flow rate in a pipe with a diameter of 1 inch and a velocity of 2 feet per second: Q = π x ( 1 / 2 ) 2 x 2 = 0.314 cubic feet per second II. Two ways of treating water. Drinking water treatment plants Use filtration to remove particles and organisms that can cause disease. Filtration is a critical step in water purification that removes harmful bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens. Water passes through different types of filters made of layers of sand, gravel, charcoal, or membrane filters. Other conventional methods used in drinking water treatment plants include Chemical coagulation, Flocculation, Sedimentation, Disinfection, pH correction. Biological treatment According to Wang et al (2023), this is the oldest treatment technology for sanitary wastewater. It uses naturally occurring microbes to reduce organics, ammonia, and other impurities. The most common biological treatment is activated sludge, which is a suspended- growth process that uses aerobic microorganisms to biodegrade organic contaminants. IV. Two features of a solid waste landfill Two features of a solid waste landfill are the ways they layer the trash. They use a liner to protect the runoff of any water flowing through the trash to keep any runoff from flowing in or around the area and contaminating it. Each day after the trash is compacted and placed in the

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4 landfill, they will cover the trash with 6 inches of soil to make sure things do not fly away or go where they are not supposed to. This is done daily which is why our landfills turn into large hills. V. Two hazardous waste onsite techniques Two ways that hazardous waste is treated are by using double liners, double leachate collection, and removal systems, they use leak detection safeguards. Hazardous wastes must be deposited in so-called secure landfills, which provide at least 10 feet of separation between the bottom of the landfill and the underlying bedrock or groundwater table. A secure hazardous- waste landfill must have two impermeable liners and leachate collection systems. The double leachate collection system consists of a network of perforated pipes placed above each liner. The upper system prevents the accumulation of leachate trapped in the fill, and the lower serves as a backup. Collected leachate is pumped to a treatment plant. To reduce the amount of leachate in the fill and minimize the potential for environmental damage, an impermeable cap or cover is placed over a finished landfill per an article by Gautam and Kumar, (2021). A less costly alternative is the full containment of the waste. This is done by placing an impermeable cover over the hazardous waste site and by blocking the lateral flow of groundwater with subsurface cutoff walls. It is possible to use cutoff walls for this purpose when there is a natural layer of impervious soil or rock below the site. The walls are constructed around the perimeter of the site, deep enough to penetrate the impervious layer. They can be excavated as trenches around the site without moving or disturbing the waste material. The trenches are filled with a bentonite clay slurry to prevent their collapse during construction, and they are backfilled with a mixture of soil and cement that solidifies to form an impermeable

5 barrier. Cutoff walls thus serve as vertical barriers to the flow of water, and the impervious layer serves as a barrier at the bottom. VI. Purpose of electrostatic precipitator Electrostatic precipitators are extremely efficient at cleaning up flue gases — gases released into the atmosphere via a flue pipe-- produced during the combustion exhaust process at power plants and other industrial factories. Particulate matter with sizes of 1 micron (0.00004 inches) in diameter is not a match for a top-quality electrostatic precipitator. The saying “opposites attract” is a good description of how an electrostatic precipitator works (Oransi, n.d.) Available in different sizes and types, electrostatic precipitators electrostatically charge particles in the gas stream either positively or negatively. Two electrodes within the electrostatic precipitator produce the electrostatic charge. They can be bars, metal wires, or plates. Once the charge is produced, particulate matter is attracted to and trapped inside the precipitator. The plates within an electrostatic precipitator require occasional cleaning to remove the accumulated particulate matter. This must be done in a safe way to prevent the pollutants from becoming airborne again. The collected particulate matter should be disposed of in an environmentally safe way (Oransi, n.d.). E=Cin-Cout/Cin VII. The equation used to compute SPL in dB Two bulldozers side by side both giving the 90dBA sound levels would be computed by using the chart with both at 90 being side by side would be 93dBAs. VIII. Favorite part of this class My favorite part of this class were the two live lectures. Professor Edwards makes sure we are all engaged in the work we are doing. He explains everything very well. By listening to

6 him during the live lectures he was engaging and very informative. I wish all professors were as helpful and engaging with all the classes. In one class I have had we did not have “live” lectures we had two prerecorded YouTube videos that lasted maybe 20 minutes each. No asking questions no kind of commuting with the teacher. It was a class I could have used the extra help of live lectures. We did not even have the chance to say we attended a live lecture we just had to write an essay about what we watched. What I have learned about environmental technology has helped me with my career choice/path. I like the parts about being able to help the earth with greenhouse gases and the ozone which we all need to think about more than we do.

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7 References Gautam, P., & Kumar, S. (2021). Characterization of Hazardous Waste Landfill Leachate and its Reliance on Landfill Age and Seasonal Variation: A Statistical Approach. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 9(4). https://doi-org.libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/10.1016/j.jece.2021.105496 Oransi.com https://oransi.com/blogs/how-it-works/electrostatic- precipitators#:~:text=Electrostatic %20precipitators%20can%20help%20in,or%20oil%20to%20generate%20electricity. Wang, F., Li, X., Liu, T., Li, X., Cui, Y., Xu, L., Huo, S., Zou, B., Qian, J., Ma, A., & Zhuang, G. (2023). Removal of Taste and Odor Compounds from Water: Methods, Mechanism and Prospects. Catalysts (2073-4344) , 13 (10), 1356. https://doi-org.libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/10.3390/catal13101356