Environmental engineering is a relatively new branch of the engineering profession that has developed in response to environmental pollution. Environmental engineers work to provide safe drinking water, treat and dispose of solid waste, clean up sites contaminated by hazardous waste, and maintain air and water quality. Environmental engineers must have a thorough understanding of the biological, chemical, and physical processes involved in treating and disposing of society's by-products. For example, they need to know how bacteria living in the soil work to break down a particular waste product, how minerals such as iron and magnesium in the soil will react with the waste, and how the waste travels through the soil and groundwater. Few other careers have such an impact on our health and quality of life.
Environmental engineering overlaps some areas of chemical engineering and environmental science.
Environmental engineers use many of the principles and tools of chemical engineering to address problems of public health and environmental impact due to pollution. Environmental engineers also use knowledge of the characteristics of healthy ecosystems gathered by environmental scientists to determine appropriate solutions to environmental problems. The University of Delaware also offers degree programs in chemical engineering and environmental science. The University of Delaware was among the first wave of universities to offer a bachelor's degree program in environmental engineering. Our program was established in 1995 and provides greater depth and focus on environmental engineering than programs in civil or chemical engineering.