POLLUTION PREVENTION AND REMEDIATION (PPR) Faculty Advisor: Trish Holden (1st and 2nd years) Specialization Description Pollution can be defined as chemical or biological mis-localization. Humans create pollution in a number of ways: by accident, by improper waste disposal, and in some cases by well-intended management of the environment. There are serious challenges to overcome in pollution cleanup and the prevention of future pollutant releases. This specialization prepares students to recognize pollutants, characterize the extent and consequences of pollution in the environment, identify and evaluate alternatives for remediation and prevention, and evaluate the economic and political viability of alternatives. Chemicals, microbes, and genes are the focal pollutants studied in this specialization. Upon completion of this specialization, students should be able to address the following for a given environmental venue: 1) What chemicals or biological entities are pollutants? |
COURSE WORK
PPR students should take at least one class in each of the following areas:
Pollution Science: Courses in chemistry and microbiology are recommended
ESM 219/219L |
Microbial Processes in the Environment and the Laboratory |
Chem 123 |
Fundamentals of Environmental Chemistry |
| Geog 114A | Soil Science |
| Transport of Pollutants: courses in mass transport and modeling are recommended | |
| ESM 222 | Fate and Transport of Pollutants |
| Ch E 120C | Transport Processes |
| Geol 169 | Tracer Hydrology |
| Geog 246 | Earth Systems Science: Hydrologic Modeling |
| Math 130 | Introduction to Mathematical Modeling |
| Distribution of Pollutants: courses in GIS and statistics are recommended | |
| ESM 263 | GIS |
| Geog 276 | Geographical Time Series Analysis |
| Geog 277 | Spatial Environmental Modeling |
| Geog 278 | Practice of Geostatistical Modeling of Spatial Data |
| Consequences of Pollution: courses in risk assessment and ecotoxicology are recommended | |
| ENVST 120 | Toxics in the Environment |
Pollution Remediation: courses in hazardous and non-hazardous waste treatment are recommended. |
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| ESM 214/214L | Bioremediation and Laboratory |
| ESM 223/223L | Managment of Soil and Ground Water Quality and Laboratory |
| ESM 224 | Sustainable Watershed Quality Management |
| Pollution Prevention: courses in industrial pollution prevention and environmental biotechnology are recommended. |
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| ESM 282 | Industrial Ecology |
| ESM 286 | Environmental Risk Management |
| ESM 289 | Green Supply Chain Management |
| CH E 212 | Risk Assessment and Management |
Economics and Policy of Pollution Management: courses in economics and policy analysis are recommended. |
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| ESM 243 | Environmental Policy Analysis |
| ESM 245 | Cost Benefit Analysis and Non-market Valuation |
| ESM 277 | Law of Environmental Management |
| ESM 281 | Corporate Environmental Management |
| ESM 288 | Energy, Technology, and the Environment |
| Other: The following variable topic courses may provide curriculum opportunities of value for PPR students: |
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| ESM 430, 436 | Workshops in Environmental Science and Management |
| ESM 437 | Writing for Environmental Professionals |
| ESM 595A-Z | Seminars/Group Studies in Environmental Science and Management |
ESM 294, 296, 297, 299 |
Advanced Topics |
Sample Programs of Study
Example I |
Example II |
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CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
The PPR specialization is intended to prepare students for mid-level jobs in consulting, industry, government or nonprofit organizations. For example, in a consulting capacity, PPR specialists could occupy scientific or engineering managerial or technical positions where they might develop remedial investigation of feasibility plans for hazardous waste sites, conduct field data collection and analysis of sites under investigation, work with engineering staff to facilitate the design of new treatment works in either hazardous or municipal waste treatement, administer regulatory decisions of public clients, delineate and report treatment alternatives plus conduct cost-benefit analyses for preparing recommendations, model environmental systems in support of any of the above, and develop new business.
These similar capacities could be exercised in industry, where, additionally, PPR specialists could develop and oversee the implementation of waste reduction and prevention strategies, as well as ensure compliance and reporting. The technical skills held by PPR specialists will accompany the crisp written and oral communication skills that are essential to all Bren MESM graduates.
Potential Job Areas
Air Quality Management Biological Resource Management Chemical Management Community Relations Environmental Compliance/Regulation Environmental Economics Education/Outreach Engineering Hazardous Waste Management Hydrogeology Hydrology Industrial Hygienist Environmental Law Environmental Policy |
Public Health Environmental Planning Product Design Project Manager Quality Control/Assurance Manager Recycling Manager Remediation Specialist Research and Development Risk Analyst Solid Waste Management Environmental Toxicology Water Quality Management Soil Management |
MESM