环境工程专业英语全文.docx

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环境工程专业英语全文

Unit1

Text:

EnvironmentalEngineering

WhatIsThisBookAbout?

Theobjectiveofthisbookistointroduceengineeringandsciencestudentstotheinterdisciplinarystudyofenviroomentslproblems:

theircauses,whytheysreofconcern,andhowwecsncontrolthem.Thebookincludes:

Descriptionofwhatismeantbyenvironmentsndbyenvironmentalsystems

Informationonthebasiscausesofenvironmentaldisturbances

Basisscientificknowledgenecessarytounderstandthenatureofenvironmentalproblemsandtobeabletoquantifythem

Currentstateofthetechnologyenvironmentalcontrolinitsapplicationtowater,airandpollutionproblems

Considerablegapsinourcurrentscientificknowledgeofunderstandingandcontrollingmanyofthecomplexinteractionsbetweenhumanactivitiesandnature

Manyenvironmentalproblemswhichcouldbeeliminatedorreducedbytheapplicationofcurrenttechnology,butwhicharenotdealtwithbecauseofsociety’slackofwilltodoso,orinmanyinstancesbecauseofalackofresourcestodoso.

SomeImportantDefinitions

Wheretheyarefirstusedinthisbook,definitionsareintroducedinblockform,asshownhere,orprintedinboldtype.

Environmentisthephysicslandbiotichabitatwhichsurroundsus;thatwhichwecansee.hear,touch,smell,andtaste.

System.accordingtoWehster’sdictionaryD,isdefinedas“asetorarrangementofthingssorelatedorconnectedastoformaunitororganicwhole;as,asolarsystem,irrigationsystem,supplysystem,theworldoruniverse”.

Pollutioncanbedefinedasanundesirablechangeinthephysical,chemical,orbiologicalcharacteristicsoftheair,water,orlandthatcanharmfullyaffectthehealth,survival,oractivitiesofhumansorotherlivingorganisms.

Whenthegoalofimprovingenvironmentalqualityistakentobeimprovinghumanwell

being.theword“environment”broadenstoincludeallkindsofsocial,economic,andculturalaspects.Suchbroadnessisunworkableinmanyrealsituationsandimpracticalinatextbookdesignedforaone-semestercourse.Ourexaminationofenvironmentalproblemsisthereforelimitedbyourdefinitionof“environment”.

InteractionofSystems

Anumberofdifferentenvironmentalproblemsareassociatedwithwater,air,orlandsystems.Manyoftheseproblemswillapplyonlywithinoneofthesesystems,justifyingthebreakdownintothesecategories.Suchaclassificationisalsousefulforeasiercomprehensionofrelatedproblemswithinonesystem.Moreover,itissensiblebecause,formanagerialandadministrativereasons®,suchsubfieldsasairpollution,watersupply,wastewaterdiaposal,andsolidwastedisposalareoftendealtwithseparatelybygovernmentalagencies.

Unfortunately,manyimportantenvironmentalproblemsarenotconfinedtoanair,water,orlandsystem,butinvolveinteractionsbetweensystems.Acurrentexampleistheacidrainproblemstemmingfromtheemissionofsulfurdioxideandnitrogenoxidegasesintotheatmospherefromthestacksofgeneratingstations®,smelters,andautomobileexhausts.Thesegasesarethentransportedbyaircurrentsoverwideregions,Rainfall“washesthemout”,creatingacidrainwhichisharmfultoaquaticlife,forests,andagriculturalcrops.Twoexamplesofinteractionbetweensystemsthatcausemajorenvironmentaldisturbancesarepresented-thebuildupofatmosphericcarbondioxide,aglobalproblem.andtheacidrainproblem.normallyofregionalnature.

EnvironmentalDisturbances

Manymajorimprovementstoourstandardoflivingcanbeattributedtotheapplicationofscienceandtechnology.Afewexamplesarenotedhere.Canyouthinkofothers?

•Theproductionofmoreandbetterqualityfood

•Thecreationofhousingasprotectionfromextremesfromclimatesandaslivingapace

•Thebuildingoffastandreliablemeansoftransportation

•Theinventionofvarioussystemsofcommunication

•Theinventionofmachinestoreplacehumanoranimalpower

•Thesupplyofsafewaterandthedisposalofwastes

•Theeliminationofmanyinfectiousdiseases

•Theeliminationofmostwater-bornediseasesinthedevelopedworldthroughimprovedwatertechnology

•Theavailabilityofleisuretimethroughgreaterproductivity,providingtheopportunityforculturalandrecreationalactivities

•Theprotectionfromtheworsteffectsofnaturaldisasterssuchasfloods,droughts,earthquakes,andvolcaniceruptions.

Withtheseimprovements,however,havecomedisturbingsideeffects,suchaslostarableland,disappearingforests,environmentalpollution,andneworganismsresistantto

controls.Manyeffectsoriginallyconsideredtobejustnuisancesarenowrecognizedaspotentialthreatstonatureandtohumana.Inanagrariansociety,peoplelivedessentiallyinharmonywithnature,raisingfood,gatheringfirewood,andmakingclothingandtoolsfromtheland.Thewastesfromanimalsandhumanswerereturnedtothesoilasfertilizer.Few,ifany,problemsofwater,land,orairpollutionoccurred.

Thecitiesofancienttimes,particularlythoseoftheRomanEmpire®hadsystemstosupplywaterandtodisposeofwastes.TheaqueductssupplyingtheancientcityofRome（populationabout1million）withsafewaterfromtheCloacaMaxims©,thebestknownandoneoftheearliestsewerstobebuilt,areexamplesofsuchsystems.ThemunicipaltechnologyofancientcitiesseemstohavebeenforgottenformanycenturiesbythosewhobuiltcitiesthroughoutEurope.Watersupplyandwastedisposalwereneglected,resultinginmanyoutbreaksofdysentery,cholera,typhoid.andotherwaterbornediseases.Untilthemiddleofthenineteenthcentury,itwasnotrealizedthatimproperwastesdisposalpollutedwatersupplieswithdisease-carryingorganisms.Theindustrialrevolutioninnineteenth-centuryBritain,Europe,andNorthAmericsaggravatedtheenvironmentalproblemssinceitbroughtincreasedurbanizationwiththeindustrialization.Bothphenomena,urbanizationandindustrialization,wereandarefundamentalcausesofwaterandairpollutionwhichthecitiesofthattimewereunabletohandle.

Rapidadvancesintechnologyforthetreatmentofwaterandthepartialtreatmentofwastewatertookplaceinthedevelopedcountriesoverthenextfewdecades.Thisledtoadramaticdecreaseintheincidenceofwaterbornediseases®.Notethatallwastesdischargeintotheenvironment,andthuspolluteourwater,air,andlandsystems.

Unit2

Text:

HistoricalOverviewofHazardousSubstanceDisposalintheUSA

HazardoussubstancedisposalpracticesintheUnitedStateshavetraveledfullcircle.Priorto1978therewerefewifanyregulationsregardingthedisposalofthesematerials.Improperdisposalofmanyofthesechemicalsresultedinhealthproblemsformanycitizens,contaminatedwatersupplies,anddestructionofwildlife.WiththeenactmentoftheResourceConversationandRecoveryAct（RCRAY1of1978,manufacturingfacilitiesnowhaveanobligationtoaccountforallwastematerialsthataregeneratedbythefacility.ImplementationofRCRAhasbeenslow.

FromtheveryearlyindustrialperiodintheUnitedStatea,whichstartedabout1920,untilseveralyearsaftertheSecondWorldWsr,therewaslittleconcernforthepropermethodsofdisposalofwastematerialsthatweregeneratedasby-productsduringmanufacturingprocesses.Upuntilthe1960’aitwasquitecommontofindfreshwaterriversandstreamsfouledwithwastechemicalsfrommanufacturing,saltwaterfromoilproductionwellsandwasteacidsfromsteelmillactivities.Virtuallyeveryconceivablewasteoil,solvent,orresinwastecouldbefoundintherivers.Thelawsofthetimewereeithernon-existentornotenforced.Theliteraturehasmanyexamplesofhealthproblemsofindividualsaswellasdestructionoffishandwildlifehabitat.Manyothercasesoccurredthatwerenotreportedintheliterature.

Otherwastematerialaweredumpedhaphazardlyinmakeshiftexcavationseitheratthefactorysideorthroughoutthecountryaide.Becauseofignoranceandlackofeconomicincentivestodoso,thefactoriesmadenoattempttopreventcontaminationofundergroundwatersuppliesbythechemicalsthatweredisposedof.Infact,knowledgeablescientistsofthetimeacceptedlandirrigationandpercolationintotheporousundergroundformationsasmethodsofwastetreatment.Althoughthesetreatmentmethodsmayhavebeenintendedfornon-hazardousmateriala,theywereemployedforhazardousmaterialsaswell.Again,therewerenogovernmentalregulationsprotectingtheundergroundaquifersfromthesepractices.

TheproblemofdisposalofhazardouschemicalsdidnotimprovewiththecreationoftheEnvironmentalProtectionAgency（EPA）©in1966.Thefirsttaskofthenewagencywastocleanupriveraandstreams.Unfortunately,nooneinpowerinthegovernmentatthetimehadinsightintotheproblemathatweretobecreatedbythenewagency.

TheEPAwaaquitesuccessfulinthoseearlydaysintheenforcementofthemanywaterpollutionlawsthatevolved.Asthepracticeofthedumpingofhazardousmaterialsintotheriversandstreamswaseliminated,thosesamematerialscreatedotherdisposalproblems.

Manyofthechemicalssavedfromthesewerwereeitherworthlesaorofsuchalowvalueastorenderrecoveryuneconomical,Insomecases,recoverywastechnicallyimpossible.As

aresult,thewastechemicalsweredisposedofbyanyconvenientmethod.Themakeshiftdumpssiteswereexpanded.Becausetherewerenoregulationsregardingdisposal,personswithnotechnicalexpertiseenteredintothebusinessofwastedisposal.Theprofitswerehighbecausetheseindividualsdidnottreatthechemicals.Inmosrcases,thewastematerialsweretransportedtoimpoundingareaslocatedonprivatelyownedland.