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 many challenges in pollution cleanup and in preventing 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.
COURSE WORK The main goal of PPR is to prepare students for challenging, rewarding, and long-term careers in pollution management. To achieve this goal, students should have a good background in the following areas. Depending on the student's background upon entering Bren, suggested courses in each area ca be considered. |
Pollution Science: What are pollutants? This involves learning some chemistry, including inorganic and organic as well as knowing about microbial pollutants. |
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ESM 219 |
Microbial Processes in the Environment |
Chem 123 |
Fundamentals of Environmental Chemistry |
| Geog 114A | Soil Science and laboratory |
Transport of Pollutants: How do pollutants move around in the environment? This involves learning about the physical and chemical properties of pollutants within various environments, and learning about the processes that redistribute pollutants over time. |
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| 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: How can we assess pollution distribution? This involves learning how to manage, and make sense of, data acquired while monitoring pollution in the field. |
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| 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: What are the risks of pollutants? This involves learning what happens to "receptors" such as animals and humans in the environment when pollutants migrate and concentrate at those locations. |
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| ENVST 120 | Toxics in the Environment |
| ESM 299 | Principles of Nanotoxicology |
Pollution Remediation: How can we clean up pollution? This involves learnign about technologies and approaches that are used to clean up both hazardous and domestic waste streams. |
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| ESM 214 | Bioremediation: Wastewater and Hazardous Waste |
| ESM 223 | Managment of Soil and Ground Water Quality |
| ESM 224 | Sustainable Watershed Quality Management |
| Pollution Prevention: How can we prevent pollution? This involves learning how industrial processes and raw materials can be rethought to limit waste streams and reduce pollution to begin with. |
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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: How can we choose management alternatives? This involves learning about policies, economics, and strategies that would factor into recommending management approaches. |
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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 & Management |
| ESM 437 | Writing for Environmental Professionals |
| ESM 595A-Z | Seminars/Group Studies in Environmental Science & 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 Career Opportunities for PPR students
Bioremediation Discussion Group
MESM