Future directions of environmental engineering in Canada

Abstract

Environmental engineering is one of the most complex and fastest-growing disciplines in engineering. The scope of the field includes issues from public health protection to aesthetics, and from the impact on business development to the development of legislation, standards, regulations, and guidelines, to their enforcement and environmental protection. The issues include contaminants in gases, liquids, and solids and the phase transfers of the contaminants. The sub-specialties of environmental engineering address all these areas including the treatment of water, liquid waste, solid waste, and gaseous materials, protection of the environment through proactive measures, and the development of effective regulations. Environmental engineers have the necessary skills to address these issues and improve the quality of life of humans and other living things in an effective, sustainable, and economical manner. This paper outlines the evolvement of environmental engineering and identifies many of the exciting new directions of environmental engineering profession. Key words: environmental engineering, quality of life, future directions, water, wastewater, air quality, solid wastes, site remediation.