Question

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this assignment is to enable the students to enhance their knowledge on the environmental engineering and sustainable development for environmental engineering.

TASK 1 (DOCUMENTATION)

Development in science and technology has increase the level of human lifestyle which leads to technology advancement. However, everything good comes with a price. One of the greatest problems that the world is facing today is that of environmental pollution, increasing with every passing year and causing grave and irreparable damage to the earth as a results of the chemical by-products produced from a human activities. Nowadays, more than 700 emerging pollutants, their metabolites and transformation products, are listed as present in the European aquatic environment alone (www.norman-network.net). The presence of emerging contaminants, including pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), pesticides, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), in water bodies is a serious problem in many countries. However, the environmental fate of emerging contaminants and their behavior is largely unknown. They are presently not monitored in the environment but have a high potential of causing environmental damage and suspected detrimental effects on ecosystems and human health (Geissen et al., 2015).

The goverment of Malaysia is requesting the environmental consultant company you are currenly working to do a study on the impact of emerging pollutants to water suppy system in Malaysia. This study must include the current management apply to manage this pollutant. As a team leader you are required to prepare a documentation consist of:

1. Introduction: Described what is the Emerging pollutants
2. Discuss the significant impacts of Emerging pollutants to our water supply system
3. Discuss the current action taken by authorities to reduce, remove and manage this emerging pollutants according to current law and regulations.
4. As an engineer responsible, suggest potentially sustainable methods for the treatment and management of emerging pollutants. Write a reason why you chose the methods.
5. Conclusion

requirement:

1. Number of words: 3500 - 5000 Words excluding references.

[TOTAL: 100 marks]

Answer 1

i) Emerging pollutants in the water supply system:

Now a days our lifestyle is getting better day by day and as a result of the convenience we are getting we are also polluting our environment directly or indirectly. There are numerous pollutants which are found but there are some which should be taken care off immediately and fatal.

1. Pollutants from the pharmaceutical and personal care products imparts estrogenic compounds like ethinylestradiol, Endocrine disrupting chemicals, sometimes compunds like phenol and other toxic micropollutants, Gemfibrozil, citalopram also noticed in treatment plants which comes from the cholesterol and liver function drugs etc.

2. Pollutants from the emissions from vehicles and power plants and manufacturing units. They disturbs carbon and sulphur cycle as a result increased carbonaceous BOD of waste water, Presence of sulphur by products and pollution from the waste solids are common

3. Agricultural pollutants from pesticides and insecticides imparts toxic chemicals like aldrin, chlordane, DDT, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, hexachlorobenzene, mirex and toxaphene etc

4. Electronic waste : one of the fastest emerging field and one the greatest future hazard of concern is the e waste management. These imparts Arsenic, cadmium, silicon, polybrominated di phenyl ethers, mercury to the waste water which are all toxic.

ii) Significant impact of emerging pollutants to our water supply system:

Once PPCPs are in the water, they can be extremely challenging to remove effectively and the drug contamination in the water is not easily removed in waste water treatment while water supply system carries chemicals and other toxic substances by the time with water and will show detrimental results.

iii) Current actions taken by authorities:

There are EPA standard that should be maintained by every industry for every pollutant.

Government agencies like pollution control boards are there for the continuous monitoring of the effluent from various sources.

Standards are set for the effluents which are discharged by industries.

Environmental impact assessment is taken our seriously because of various lawa came into action to commence any project.

Government is taking steps towards very low usage of the toxic metals like arsenic and replacing them with other non toxic materials.

iv) For the treatment and management of the emerging pollutants

we should use the new technologies and should advance our technologies towards the management of these pollutants so these will be removed easily and doesn't become a hazard.

We can go for the Advance filteration techniques with regular screening and disinfection for the treatment.

I choose advanced filteration techniques like nano filteration, ultra fliteration and reverse osmosis.

As they are capable of filtering micronutrients and bacteria as well so they will work but relatively on high cost but better we will see management.