Overview of FE Environmental Engineering
The Environmental Engineering discipline on the FE exam tests your understanding of water and wastewater treatment, air quality engineering, solid and hazardous waste management, environmental regulations, and hydrology. This discipline combines principles from chemistry, biology, and fluid mechanics to address pollution control and environmental protection challenges.
Key Topics
Water and Wastewater Treatment
Water treatment topics include coagulation and flocculation, sedimentation (Type I, II, and III settling), filtration (rapid sand, slow sand), disinfection (chlorination kinetics, CT concept, UV disinfection), softening (lime-soda process), and membrane processes (reverse osmosis, nanofiltration). Wastewater treatment covers preliminary treatment (screening, grit removal), primary clarification, biological treatment (activated sludge process, trickling filters, rotating biological contactors), nutrient removal (nitrification/denitrification, phosphorus removal), and sludge handling. Understand design parameters like hydraulic retention time, solids retention time, food-to-microorganism ratio, and BOD/COD removal efficiencies.
Air Quality Engineering
Air quality topics include atmospheric dispersion modeling (Gaussian plume model), criteria pollutants (PM, SO2, NOx, CO, O3, lead), air pollution control devices (cyclones, baghouses, electrostatic precipitators, wet scrubbers, catalytic converters), emission factors, and stack testing. Understand the Clean Air Act, National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), and how to calculate pollutant concentrations downwind of a source using the Gaussian dispersion equation.
Solid and Hazardous Waste Management
Solid waste topics include waste characterization, collection systems, landfill design (liner systems, leachate collection, gas management, cover systems), composting, incineration, and recycling. Hazardous waste topics cover RCRA regulations (listed and characteristic wastes, TSD facilities), CERCLA (Superfund) cleanup process, risk assessment methodology (hazard identification, dose-response, exposure assessment, risk characterization), and remediation technologies (pump-and-treat, soil vapor extraction, bioremediation).
Environmental Regulations and Impact Assessment
Understand the major federal environmental laws: Clean Water Act (NPDES permits, water quality standards, TMDLs), Clean Air Act (NAAQS, PSD, Title V), RCRA, CERCLA, NEPA (Environmental Impact Statements), and Safe Drinking Water Act (MCLs, treatment techniques). Know the regulatory framework and how each law applies to engineering projects. Environmental impact assessment covers baseline studies, impact prediction, mitigation measures, and public participation.
Hydrology and Water Resources
Hydrology topics include the hydrologic cycle, precipitation analysis (IDF curves, return periods), runoff estimation (rational method, SCS curve number), unit hydrographs, flood frequency analysis (Log-Pearson Type III), groundwater hydrology (Darcy's law, well hydraulics, Theis and Cooper-Jacob methods), and watershed management. Understand how to size detention basins, estimate peak flows, and perform basic groundwater contamination transport calculations.
Study Strategy
Water and wastewater treatment is the highest-weight topic on the FE Environmental exam, so focus your study there. Learn the purpose, design parameters, and calculations for each unit process. For regulations, focus on understanding the framework rather than memorizing specific numbers. Practice hydrology problems involving the rational method and curve number calculations. Use FE Exam Prep flashcards for treatment process parameters and mini exams for timed practice.