Math, Ethics, Economics
20-25%of exam
StatisticsEngineering EconomicsNCEES Model RulesMaterials ScienceCalculator Rules
Water and Chemistry
35-40%of exam
Air and Waste
20-25%of exam
Risk and EHS
15-20%of exam
EPA Risk ParadigmHQ and Cancer RiskHierarchy of ControlsLEED v4.1Sustainability
Quick Facts
- Exam
- FE Environmental
- Questions
- 110 MC
- Time
- 5h 20m
- Pass
- Scaled score
- Fee
- $175 NCEES
- Handbook
- On-screen PDF
- Areas
- 12 knowledge areas
- Provider
- Pearson VUE
Math and Statistics
- t-test slope
- b divided by s_b
- Half-life
- ln2 over k
- CI formula
- x-bar plus t s
- Log-normal
- Ln transform first
- Complement
- One minus P none
- Regression
- Fit line to data
Ethics and Economics
- Public safety
- Paramount canon
- Conflict interest
- Disclose and avoid
- PW formula
- Present worth
- B/C ratio
- Benefits over costs
- AW analysis
- Annual worth
- Inflation
- Adjust future dollars
CSTR vs PFR
CSTR
- Complete mixing
- Uniform concentration
- Lower efficiency
PFR
- Plug flow
- Concentration gradient
- Higher efficiency
Mixed vs plug
Reactor Picker
- Complete mixing→CSTR(Same exit conc)
- Plug flow→PFR(No backmix)
- First-order decay→Exp model(C over C0)
- BOD in river→Streeter-Phelps(DO sag)
- Biological treatment→Activated sludge(SRT key)
- High quality effluent→MBR(Membrane barrier)
- Organics in water→GAC(Adsorption)
- Salt removal→RO(Membrane pressure)
Environmental Chemistry
- pH
- Negative log H plus
- Alkalinity
- Acid neutralizing capacity
- BOD
- Oxygen demand microbes
- k BOD
- First-order decay rate
- Monod
- Microbial growth model
- Henry's law
- Gas liquid partition
- Hardness
- Ca and Mg ions
- Stoichiometry
- Mole balance reactions
BOD vs COD
BOD
- Biodegradable oxygen
- 5-day test
- Biological treatment
COD
- Chemical oxidation
- Faster test
- Includes nonbiodegradable
Bio vs chemical
Water Resources
- Manning
- Open channel flow
- Rational Q
- C times i times A
- Darcy
- Groundwater flux
- Theis
- Transient well drawdown
- Streeter-Phelps
- DO sag curve
- Reaeration
- K_a oxygen transfer
- Hydraulic head
- Elevation plus pressure
SRT vs HRT
SRT
- Solids retention
- Biomass age
- Nitrification control
HRT
- Hydraulic retention
- Flow volume time
- Reactor sizing
Solids vs hydraulic
Water and Wastewater
- SOR
- Surface overflow rate
- CT rule
- Disinfection contact time
- SRT
- Solids retention time
- F:M ratio
- Food to mass
- MLSS
- Mixed liquor solids
- GAC
- Granular activated carbon
- MBR
- Membrane bioreactor
- TTHM MCL
- 0.080 mg per L
RCRA Lists
F non-specific K industry P acute U toxic
F: nonspecific sourceK: specific industryP: acute discardedU: toxic discarded
NAAQS vs NESHAP
NAAQS
- Criteria pollutants
- Ambient standards
- Six pollutants
NESHAP
- HAP emissions
- Source standards
- Technology based
Ambient vs source
Waste Class Picker
- Listed F/K/P/U→Hazardous(RCRA listed)
- Fails TCLP→Hazardous(D-code char)
- Passes TCLP→Nonhazardous(Subtitle D)
- Subtitle C disposal→Double liner(LDR rules)
- Municipal trash→Subtitle D(MSW landfill)
- Underground tank leak→UST program(Subtitle I)
- Ship off-site→Manifest(EPA form)
- Criteria exceedance→NAAQS review(Attainment check)
Air Quality
- NAAQS
- Criteria pollutant limits
- PM2.5
- 9 ug per m3 annual
- Gaussian plume
- Dispersion model
- AP-42
- EPA emission factors
- ESP
- Electrostatic precipitator
- Baghouse
- Fabric filter collector
- SCR
- Selective catalytic reduction
RCRA Sub C vs D
Subtitle C
- Hazardous waste
- Craddle to grave
- Strict tracking
Subtitle D
- Municipal solid waste
- State programs
- Landfill design
Hazardous vs MSW
Solid and Hazardous Waste
- RCRA Sub C
- Hazardous waste rules
- RCRA Sub D
- Nonhazardous solid waste
- TCLP
- Leachability test
- F-list
- Non-specific sources
- K-list
- Specific industry sources
- P/U-list
- Discarded commercial chem
- LDR
- Land disposal restrictions
- Manifest
- Cradle to grave tracking
EPA Risk Steps
Hazard Dose Exposure Characterize
Step 1: hazard IDStep 2: dose-responseStep 3: exposureStep 4: characterize
HQ vs Cancer Risk
HQ
- Noncancer endpoint
- CDI over RfD
- HQ less than 1
Cancer risk
- Slope factor model
- Lifetime probability
- 1E-6 target
Noncancer vs cancer
Risk Assessment
- Hazard ID
- Step one EPA paradigm
- Dose-response
- Step two toxicity
- CDI
- Chronic daily intake
- HQ
- Hazard quotient
- RfD
- Reference dose
- Slope factor
- Cancer potency
- Target risk
- 1E-6 to 1E-4
Controls Hierarchy
Eliminate Substitute Engineer Admin PPE
Best: eliminateEngineering controlsAdmin work rulesPPE last resort
Sustainability and EHS
- Triple bottom line
- People planet profit
- ISO 14040
- LCA framework
- GWP
- Global warming potential
- LEED v4.1
- Green building rating
- PEL
- OSHA exposure limit
- Hierarchy controls
- Eliminate first
- EPCRA TRI
- Toxic release reporting
Common Traps
CSTR vs PFR
CSTR fully mixed ≠ PFR plug flow
BOD vs COD
BOD is biological ≠ COD is chemical
SRT vs HRT
SRT is biomass age ≠ HRT is flow time
NAAQS vs NESHAP
NAAQS ambient air ≠ NESHAP source HAP
HQ vs cancer
HQ uses RfD ≠ Cancer uses slope
Subtitle C vs D
C is hazardous ≠ D is municipal MSW
Last Minute
- 1.110 Q in 5h 20m total
- 2.Handbook on-screen only
- 3.Casio FX-115 or TI-36X
- 4.Water/wastewater heaviest weight
- 5.BOD half-life = ln2/k
- 6.Streeter-Phelps for DO sag
- 7.PM2.5 NAAQS = 9 ug/m3
- 8.TCLP fail = hazardous waste
- 9.HQ = CDI/RfD; target <1
- 10.Eliminate hazard before PPE
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