Environmental engineering is a relatively young branch of the engineering profession.
It has developed in response to the serious problems of environmental contamination caused by the waste products and activities of our modern society. Environmental engineers work in many different specialties-air pollution control, hazardous waste management, industrial hygiene, solid waste management, wastewater collection and treatment, and water resource development. To meet the threats posed by polluted air, water, and soil, the environmental engineer is being called on to design solutions that are workable and cost-effective for our society. This includes, for example, quantitative aspects of environmental chemistry that will determine the regulatory approach to heavy metals in wastewaters, advanced oxidation processes for the remediation of contaminated groundwaters, and automation of control systems for the purification of drinking water. Research projects within the department furnish topics for independent study coursework by eligible undergraduates.