An environmental engineer is a person who applies science to the pursuit of making the world a safer place for humans and animals . Environmental engineering is like other engineering careers in that it combines the principles of mathematics and science to solve problems or create new products. The difference is the focus. Environmental engineers focus their work on environmental problems.
They do research on and discover methods to prevent, control and solve environmental problems in such areas as air pollution control, hazardous-waste, industrial hygiene and public health. For instance, they might help figure out how to clean up an oil spill, or design a process to make coal burn more cleanly.
Environmental engineers work on water-purification systems wastewater projects, and garbage disposal and recycling plants. They are involved with the control and prevention of air pollution, and often advise clients on how to appropriately dispose of gas, oil, and other chemical compounds.
Environmental engineering has many specialties, such as public health engineering, radiation protection, solid waste management, water supply engineering, and wastewater control.
The role of the environmental engineer is diverse. An environmental engineer may be responsible for accomplishing a range of task from inspecting public buildings, food processing plants, and transportation systems, to traveling into space to explore new life-support systems, such as a closed-loop life support system in which water, oxygen, and food can be recycled and used.
Private industry employs environmental engineers to ensure a safe work environment for employees and to ensure that waste products are properly managed. The environmental engineer can work either on the inside or outdoors. Most jobs find the environmental engineer on the inside about 75 percent of the time.
A bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline, such as chemical, civil or petroleum engineering, is a minimum requirement for an entry level position. A graduate degree may be required for a more advanced position. Anyone who plans to pursue a specialized career in environmental engineering and do research, or teach will need a master's degree.
According to the Association of Environmental Engineering Professors, universities produce only one third of the graduates needed to fill 5,000 openings a year, and schools likely won't meet the demand until around the year 2000. An environmental engineering career is in high demand because of the new regulations and a shortage of people trained to enforce them. Public awareness of a range of environmental issues is causing industry and government to do more to protect the environment by encouraging legislation.
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