This course applies the fundamental concepts of the natural sciences to study the behaviour of anthropogenic pollutants in the environment and how remedial measures may be applied to contain their harmful effects. It also contains a unit on environmental disasters and how anticipatory policy measures may be applied to protect populations at risk.
Course content
Introduction: Contaminants in the environment and their impacts on earth systems; Fate and transport processes in aquatic systems: Chemical equilibrium, the carbonate equilibrium system in natural waters, advection, diffusion, sorption, biodegradation, volatilization; Lake hydrology: Determination of lake stratification, use of conservative tracers to model flows in lakes; Contaminants in the atmosphere: Local and global air pollutants and their atmospheric chemistry, meteorology and its impact on transport of air pollutants, atmospheric stability, Gaussian plume model for predicting air pollutant concentrations; Types, Causes, Factors, Consequences of Environmental Disasters: Geological (earthquakes, landslides, tsunami, mining), Hydro-meteorological (floods, cyclones, lightning, thunder-storms, hail storms, avalanches, droughts, cold and heat waves,) Biological (epidemics, pest attacks, forest fire), Technological (chemical, industrial, radiological, nuclear) and Man-made (bomb blasts, building collapse, village and urban fire) hazards/disasters; Case Studies of recent disasters: Disasters at local, state and national level and preparation of disaster risk management plan; Significance of disaster management and the role of engineers in disaster management.
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