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College of Engineering
Department of Civil Engineering

EnvE 554 Course in Graduate Environmental Engineering

Microbial Theories in Environmental Engineering
  • Back to Environmental Curriculum

    Course Description: The theory and application of microbiology as related to environmental engineering; understanding and controlling the performance of biological unit processes when used in treatment of wastes and wastewaters.

    Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. (3 cr.)

    Text: Need new textbook!

    Reference: Need new reference!

    Coordinator: Ricardo B. Jacquez, Professor of Civil Engineering

    Goals: This course is designed to give graduate students the ability apply microbiological principles to design of public water supply systems, wastewater treatment systems, and bioremediation systems.

    Prerequisites by topic:

  • Fundamental Engineering design of public water supply systems
  • Fundamental Engineering design of domestic wastewater treatment systems
  • Aquatic / equilibrium chemistry

    • Topics:

  • Microbial morphology
  • Review of organic chemistry
  • Nutrition and environmental requirements
  • Quantitative growth of batch and continuous culture systems
  • Aerobic and anaerobic metabolism
  • Case history / design projects
  • Exams: 3

    • Computer usage:

  • Homework and project assignments requiring use of spreadsheets, commercial programs, and public domain software: enzyme kinetics, microbial growth kinetics, VISITT (EPA software)
  • Analysis of laboratory data
  • Must be typed, and graphs and tables must be generated using computer aid (spreadsheets or others CAD systems are satisfactory

    • Laboratory projects:

  • Enrichment and enumeration of bacteria, report required (2 weeks)
  • Nutritional growth requirements, report required (3 weeks)
  • Quantitative growth of batch cultures, report required (3 weeks)
  • Quantitative grown of continuous cultures, report required (3 weeks)
  • Energy and materials balance, report required (2 weeks)
  • Case history design project, report required (1 week)
  • Work will be performed in a team setting, but the reports are to be individual efforts

    • ABET category content as estimated by faculty member who prepared this course description:

  • Engineering Science: 2 credits or 67%
  • Engineering Design: 1 credit or 33%