What Does an Environmental Engineer Do?

Environmental engineers help identify and develop solutions to environmental problems in order to protect the population from harm or enhance people’s quality of life. An environmental engineer may assist with a project aimed at improving a recycling process in a nearby municipality, or may work with an organization to monitor levels of air pollution and take necessary action.
Those interested in environmental engineering might consider how to create sustainable buildings, or how contaminated waste sites are cleaned up. To pursue this profession, prospective environmental engineers will need to complete a bachelor’s degree in environmental, civil, mechanical, or chemical engineering. In addition, because environmental engineers often work in teams to complete large-scale processes or projects, they must have an ability to work well with others.