“Environmental Engineering and Waste Management (EEWM)”, What is the significancy

of EEWM? (10 marks)

 Public health.

It aids in ensuring the health safety of the public, with proper waste management, spread of
diseases among the public is controlled and came be easily avoided

 Energy security.

The waste collected can be used for production of energy I.e. Biogas, which is produced of
rotting organic matter. This can be incorporated at the waste management plant. This would
finally reduce on the energy demand of the public

 Food security.

Proper handling of the waste in a community would contribute t the factor of food security.
Proper waste handling i.e. proper disposal of plastics like polyethylene bags helps to keep soils
fertile, this in turn would aid in the growth of food

 Proper land use.

Through construction of sanitary land fill sand water treatment plants to reduce of improper
disposal of waste in the environment.

 Pollution control.

Proper handling of waste would aid in the control of pollution in different areas. i.e Improper
disposal of polythene bags leads to blockade of water pathways in the soil. This would highly
contribute to soil degradation and pollution.

 Bio diversity conservation.

Biodiversity refers to the living things in the environment. Proper disposal of wastes would
ensure their survival.

 Conservation of natural resources.

Improper disposal of waste may end up resulting into a deterioration of the natural resources
like lakes and rivers. Proper disposal would aid in ending this problem. Instead of dumping
factory wastes in lakes and rivers, they can be conveniently deposited at sanitary land fills.
  Culture conservation.

Improper disposal of waste degrades the relevance of cultural sites and lowers their
significancy. This can be controlled by improving the disposal posts I such areas I.e Places
dumping bins at every point possible

 Economic conservation.

Economic resources like tourism are dependent on the proper disposal of wastes in the
environment. This is because tourist attractions like lakes and rivers are dependent on how
clean or hygienic they are to attract tourists.

 Mitigate climate change.

Climate change can be controlled through practicing proper waste disposal practices. Waste
gives off bad odors which may result in to air pollution. Proper disposal would help mitigate this
problem

How can your knowledge of Chemical Engineering help improve the quality of the
environment? (10 marks)

 Sensitization.

The knowledge of chemical engineers is very broad, ranging from managerial to practical
science. To help improve the quality of the environment, this knowledge would have to be
passed on to other people

 Redesigning proper packaging material

With chemical engineering skills, products like packing materials can be redesigned to help in
their easy handling and disposal. i.e. Bio degradable plastics can be produced instead of the
usual un degradable plastics

 Modification of equipment design.

Equipment’s can be modified in order to limit their potential to pollute and make them more
environmental friendly

 Modification of production process.

Production processes modification be carried out to reduce on the toxic gas output, power
consumption and improve their overall efficiency
  Raw material substitution.

With chemical engineering skills, raw materials especially these used for non-degradable
products can be replaced with those that are degradable i.e. making plastics from starch

 Designing pollution control devices.

Pollution control devices like exhaust filters help reduce on the output of pollutant gases from
vehicles and factory toxic gas output

 Alternate sources of energy.

Finding alternatives sources of energy to those that are currently being used like burning of coal
would help mitigate air pollution. Some of these sources may be wind energy and solar power

 Sustainable agricultural.

Inventing and applying sustainable agricultural practices which would help reduce the pressure
on natural resources

 Recycling of material.

This helps reduce on the need for new raw materials which would in turn help in reduction of
pollution

 Gender equity.

Employing both skilled labour from both genders helps in proper handling of waste maintaining
a clean environment. This is because This would bring about different experiences among the
work force

 Proper land use.

Through construction of sanitary land fill sand water treatment plants to reduce of improper
disposal of waste in the environment.

Air Quality Index, how have the developed countries managed to uphold their index values
as low as possible? (15 marks)

 Sustainable energy.
Renewable energy sources like solar energy, bio-gas should be used as alternative energy sources
instead of energy sources like coal and charcoal for environmental conservation purposes.
  Sustainable agriculture
Encouraging the use of appropriate agricultural practices such afforestation, agro-forestry and
use of biodegradables
 Proper urban planning
Advocating for proper zoning of commercial centres, waste disposal sites, industrial areas, and
proper alleviation of roads netware and drainage system
 Legal framework.
This can be done through strengthening of the existing laws, policies and acts that govern the
environment.
 Ensuring law enforcement:
Law enforcement ensures that the environmental capabilities are not exceeded and its resources
are exhausted.
 Proper waste management:
A proper waste management system should be established to account for proper collection,
transportation and disposal to the sanitary land fields
 Institutional arrangement
Advocating for more systems and organs responsible for conservation and management of the
environment as well as strengthening those already in place.
 Proper information and data management
Continuous updating of information, proper record keeping of data concerning environmental
management helps in proper planning for an effective environment management.
 Technological advancement
This involves use of high tech machines especially in industries which produce less sounds, toxic
gases, dust, solid wastes and others. This reduces on the amount of waste generated to the
environment
 Raw material replacement and modification of industrial processes:
Replacing non bio-degradable wastes to bio-degradable reduces the weight of harm caused by
the wastes and increases the capability to manage wastes and increase manage waste
management coverage too.
  Decentralization of governmental power:
Changing control of power to local government eases the process of law enforcement and
investment in waste management coverage. This ensures that waste management is covered
utterly and is spread.
 Poverty alleviation
Creation of policies by the government which are financially beneficial to the people. This will
enable people afford to set up proper waste disposal facilities such as dustbins, pit latrines
among others.
 Infrastructural development
Setting up of facilities that deals with waste such as drainage systems such as sewer, waste
water treatment plants and sanitary land fields so that waste does not end in the natural water
resources and contaminate them.
 Political will
The government should provide sufficient funds to organizations responsible for the
environment to support the different activities done for example solid waste management.
 Technical capacity
This involves employment of well trained, skilled, and experienced personnel in issues
concerning the environment such as experts in waste water treatment.
 Technology advancements
This involves use of high tech machines especially in industries which produce less sounds, toxic
gases, dust, solid wastes and others. This reduces on the amount of waste generated to the
environment.
 Adequate sensitization
Increasing levels of sensitization and public awareness about the dangers which result from
environment misuse. This can be done through public lectures, media, and local council
meetings.
 Sectoral and inter-sectoral collaboration
There should be proper collaboration between sectors to ensure environmental sustainability.
For example, the industrial sector and ministry of water and environment should collaborate in
that the industrial waste water should be treated so that the water which ends up in water
bodies is of quality
 “Gender Mainstreaming, in environmental management”, how is Uganda pioneering this
very important SDG goal in ensuring that the environment is efficiently managed? (10
marks)
 Public awareness
sensitization of both men and the women about the dangers which result from environmental
misuse and teaching them how to maintain and keep a clean environment.
 Poverty alleviation:
Through the creation of various jobs with provide employment opportunities for both the women
and men.
 Women empowerment association setting up of women association such as FEEDER to
making motions
 Opening political space
 Political will
 Decentralization of power
 Girl child education
 Public participation
 Legal frame work
 Technical capacity.
 Public health

Wastewater treatment in very important in ensuring that the environment is conserved. As a

Chemical Engineer, how would you ensure that the wastewater treatment system is efficient and
effective in preventing environmental pollution? (15 marks)

 Regular maintenance. Maintaining sewere lines and waste water facilities to prevent un
intended/untreated discharges to water ways
 Keeping hazardous chemicals to protect the workers, the plant and the public
investment
 Developing simulation programmes to predict occurrence of a problem before it occurs
 Developing trouble shooting programmes to identify problems after they have occurred.
This ensures an easier operation of the plant
 Using alternative treatment processes, explore, evaluate and implement alternativs to
existing waste water treatment processes, such as uv treatment plants
 Technical Capacity. PEOPLE EMLOYED SHOULD BE advised on how to handle equipment
 Proper chemical selection in order to avoid acidents and destruction of machinery
 Evaluating opportunities for energy saving in the plant. This ensures efficient treatment
plant and helps reduce costs
 Explore and implement waste water treatment options like irrigation. This helps relieve
pressure on the water treatment plant
  Encourage water conservation measures in the community Eg Locate and repaire leaks
and when replacoing appliances, purchase high efficiency models
 Restrict the emission of excess ordour matter
 When designing, the plant must be able to adapt to varying flow rates
 Applying regular quality checks of the influents and effluents
 Technological capablty of the plant msut be improves in order to handle varying types of
water waste
 Proper data and information management systems must be installed in order improve
the quality of the effluents.

6)

- Public awareness. Through increasing levels of sensitization

- Proper solid watset management

- Improving infrastructure

- Propersanitary landfills

Proper urban planning

Disaster preparedness

Proper data systems

Gender equity

Sectoral and inter sectoral collaboration

Improving and increasing sanitarty facilities

Technological advancement

Vehicular control

7)

This means reduction of, in the limit prevention of waste at the source or potential of
generation. The objective here is to reduce the amount of urban and other types of waste that
must be disposed off in land fills/ incenarators

Waste reduction includes;

 - Rense of wastes within a genearation site or related sites
- Rense of materials essesntailly their current form by a similar group ie Rense of second
hand clothes

b)

Inreased level of awareness

Midification of packaging materials

Technological advancement

Process modification in factories

Reuse and recycling

Sectoral and sectoral collaboration

Import regulation

Deposit refunds

Material and product substitution

Pay as you throw policies