Turbulent Diffusion in the Environment

Book excerpt: The rather excessive public preoccupation of the immediate past with what has been labeled the 'environmental crisis' is now fortunately being replaced by a more sus tained and rational concern with pollution problems by public administrators, engineers, and scientists. It is to be expected that members of the engineering profes sion will in the future widely be called upon to design disposal systems for gaseous and liquid wastes which meet strict pollution control regulations and to advise on possible improvements to existing systems of this kind. The engineering decisions involved will have to be based on reasonably accurate quantitative predictions of the effects of pollutants introduced into the atmosphere, ocean, lakes and rivers. A key input for such calculations comes from the theory of turbulent diffusion, which enables the prediction of the concentrations in which pollutants may be found in the neighborhood of a release duct, such as a chimney or a sewage outfall. Indeed the role of diffusion theory in pollution prediction may be likened to the role of applied mechanics (,strength of materials') in the design of structures for adequate strength. At least a certain group of engineers will have to be proficient in applying this particular branch of science to practical problems. At present, training in the theory of turbulent diffusion is available only at the gra duate level and then only in a very few places.