PE Environmental study guide
PE Environmental · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The PE Environmental is one of the NCEES Principles and Practice of Engineering exams, a computer-based licensure test for engineers pursuing the professional engineer designation in environmental engineering. NCEES describes the PE exam as testing for a minimum level of competency in a particular engineering discipline and designs it for engineers with a minimum of four years of post-college work experience in that discipline. The PE Environmental study guide has 5 sections and about 1,290 words.
01Air Quality
Air-quality questions reward fluency with the criteria pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, ozone, NO2, SO2, CO, lead), NAAQS averaging times, and the permitting framework: attainment status drives PSD or nonattainment NSR, with BACT, LAER, and offsets. NAAQS are ambient health-based limits, not stack emission limits.
268 words, about 1 min02Water Quality
Water-quality work centers on the Clean Water Act: NPDES permits, effluent limitations, water-quality standards (designated uses, criteria, antidegradation), TMDLs, stormwater permits, and pretreatment. Wastewater treatment questions test primary/secondary/tertiary processes, activated sludge operating parameters (MLSS, F/M, SRT/MCRT, HRT, RAS/WAS), clarifier hydraulics, disinfection CT, and residuals.
254 words, about 1 min03Solid and Hazardous Waste
Solid and hazardous waste questions hinge on RCRA: Subtitle C hazardous waste and Subtitle D municipal solid waste. Memorize the four hazardous-waste characteristics-ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, toxicity-and listed wastes (F, K, P, U).
260 words, about 1 min04Site Assessment and Remediation
Site assessment follows a conceptual site model: source–pathway–receptor. Phase I ESA is a records/reconnaissance review (ASTM E1527) and generally no sampling; Phase II uses borings, monitoring wells, soil vapor, and chemical analysis to confirm impacts.
257 words, about 1 min05Environmental Health, Safety, and Risk Assessment
Risk assessment has four steps: hazard identification, dose–response, exposure assessment, and risk characterization. For noncarcinogens, compare chronic daily intake (CDI) with the reference dose (RfD) to get hazard quotient; HQ 1 signals concern.
251 words, about 1 min