Description
Environmental technicians investigate sources of pollution and aid in the development of pollution prevention and environment protection plans. They take samples of soil, water or other materials and perform tests to analyse the pollution level and identify its source.
Duties
Environmental technicians typically perform the following duties:
- Gather air, water, and soil samples to determine contamination level and assess environmental conditions
- Perform chemical, physical, and biological tests on air, water, and soil samples and document results
- Participate in and lead field investigations and inspections
- Trace chemical, physical, and biological pathways of environmental pollutants
- Develop energy management plans for organizations and governing bodies
- Assess applications for environmental permits or certification, for example, waste disposal sites or water and wastewater treatment plants
- Issue instructions for corrections necessary to comply with federal and provincial regulations
- Explain and interpret regulations and procedures for environmental licensing applicants
- Relate economic, health, political, and social issues to the management of environmental systems in both industrial and municipal applications
- Initiate environmental monitoring and compliance activities
- Design methodologies for environmental sampling and analysis
- Implement quality control and quality assurance protocols for testing materials for conformity and compliance
- Measure field characteristics, properties, and composition of soils, river channels, and biological systems.
Many environmental technicians work under the supervision of environmental scientists and specialists, who direct the technicians’ work and evaluate their results. In addition, technicians often work on teams with scientists, engineers, and technicians in other fields to solve complex problems related to environmental degradation and public health. For example, they may work on teams with geoscientists and hydrologists to manage the cleanup of contaminated soils and ground water around an abandoned bomb-manufacturing site.
Other titles
The following job titles also refer to environmental technician:
groundwater protection technician
pollution prevention technician
environmental conservation technician
pollution control technician
environmental protection technician
Working conditions
Environmental technicians work in laboratories, offices, and the field. Fieldwork offers a variety of settings. For example, technicians may investigate an abandoned manufacturing plant, or work outdoors to test the water quality of lakes and rivers. They may work near streams and rivers, monitoring the levels of pollution caused by runoff from cities and landfills, or they may have to use the crawl spaces under a house in order to neutralize natural health risks such as radon. While working outdoors, they may be exposed to adverse weather conditions.
In the field, environmental technicians spend most of their time on their feet, which can be physically demanding. They also may need to carry and set up testing equipment, which can involve some heavy lifting and frequent bending and crouching. Fieldwork may be seasonal, depending on the location, since low temperatures in the winter could inhibit taking samples from water sources or soil.
Depending on the type of work and fieldwork they do, environmental technicians may need to wear protective gear such as hardhats, masks, and coveralls to protect them from hazards.
Work Schedules
Environmental technicians typically work full time. Working in the field exposes them to all types of weather. Also, technicians may need to travel to meet with clients or to perform fieldwork, either of which may require technicians to work additional or irregular hours.
Minimum qualifications
Environmental technicians typically need an associate’s degree in environmental science, environmental health, or public health, or a related degree. Because of the wide range of tasks, environments, and industries in which these technicians work, there are jobs that do not require postsecondary education and others that require a bachelor’s degree.
A background in natural sciences is important for environmental technicians. Students should take courses in chemistry, biology, geology, and physics. Coursework in math, statistics, and computer science also is useful, because technicians routinely do data analysis and modeling.
ISCO skill level
ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:
- the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
- the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
- the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.
Environmental technician is a Skill level 3 occupation.
Environmental technician career path
Similar occupations
These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to environmental technician.
groundwater monitoring technician
hazardous waste inspector
liquid waste treatment plant operator
radiation protection technician
incinerator operator
Long term prospects
These occupations require some skills and knowledge of environmental technician. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of environmental technician with a significant experience and/or extensive training.
water quality analyst
environmental expert
environmental policy officer
radiation protection officer
hydrologist
Essential knowledge and skills
Essential knowledge
This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of environmental technician.
- Environmental legislation: The environmental policies and legislation applicable in a certain domain.
- Laboratory techniques: Techniques applied in the different fields of natural science in order to obtain experimental data such as gravimetric analysis, gas chromatography, electronic or thermic methods.
- Metrology: The methods and theory of measurement in a scientific context, including internationally accepted units of measurement, practical realisation of these units, and interpretation of measurements.
- Chemistry: The composition, structure, and properties of substances and the processes and transformations that they undergo; the uses of different chemicals and their interactions, production techniques, risk factors, and disposal methods.
Essential skills and competences
These skills are necessary for the role of environmental technician.
- Perform laboratory tests: Carry out tests in a laboratory to produce reliable and precise data to support scientific research and product testing.
- Advise on soil and water protection: Advise on the effects of soil and water management practices in controlling pollutant loss, nitrate leaching and reduce soil erosion.
- Collect samples for analysis: Collect samples of materials or products for laboratory analysis.
- Document analysis results: Document on paper or on electronic devices the process and the results of the samples analysis performed.
- Analyse environmental data: Analyse data that interpret correlations between human activities and environmental effects.
- Test samples for pollutants: Measure concentrations of pollutants within samples. Calculate air pollution or gas flow in industrial processes. Identify potential safety or health risks such as radiation.
- Advise on environmental risk management systems: Evaluate requirements and advise on systems for environmental risk management. Ensure the customer does his part in preventing or limiting adverse environmental impact through the use of technology. Ensure required licenses and permits are obtained.
- Analyse experimental laboratory data: Analyse experimental data and interpret results to write reports and summaries of findings
- Advise on environmental remediation: Advise on the development and implementation of actions which aim to remove sources of pollution and contamination from the environment.
- Assess environmental impact: Monitor environmental impacts and carry out assessments in order to identify and to reduce the organisation’s environmental risks while taking costs into account.
- Conduct environmental site assessments: Manage and oversee environmental site prospection and assessments for mining or industrial sites. Designate and demarcate areas for geochemical analysis and scientific research.
- Report on environmental issues: Compile environmental reports and communicate on issues. Inform the public or any interested parties in a given context on relevant recent developments in the environment, forecasts on the future of the environment, and any problems and possible solutions.
Optional knowledge and skills
Optional knowledge
This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of environmental technician. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.
- Contamination exposure regulations: The regulations concerning exposure to contaminated materials or a hazardous environment which regulate the actions surrounding risk assessment, minimisation of further exposure, quarantine, and treatment of the exposed persons.
- Microbiology-bacteriology: Microbiology-Bacteriology is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.
- Radioactive contamination: The different causes of the presence of radioactive substances in liquids, solids, or gases or on surfaces, and the manner in which to identify the types of contaminants, their risks, and the contaminants’ concentration.
- Biological chemistry: Biological chemistry is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.
- Pollution legislation: Be familiar with European and National legislation regarding the risk of pollution.
- Pollution prevention: The processes used to prevent pollution: precautions to pollution of the environment, procedures to counter pollution and associated equipment, and possible measures to protect the environment.
Optional skills and competences
These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of environmental technician. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.
- Remove contaminated materials: Remove materials and equipment which are contaminated with hazardous substances in order to protect the surroundings from further contamination and to treat or dispose of the contaminated materials.
- Ensure compliance with environmental legislation: Monitor activities and perform tasks ensuring compliance with standards involving environmental protection and sustainability, and amend activities in the case of changes in environmental legislation. Ensure that the processes are compliant with environment regulations and best practices.
- Investigate pollution: Identify the cause of pollution incidents, as well as its nature and the extent of the risks, by performing tests on the site of pollution as well as in a laboratory and performing research.
- Assess contamination: Analyse evidence of contamination. Advise on how to decontaminate.
- Apply statistical analysis techniques: Use models (descriptive or inferential statistics) and techniques (data mining or machine learning) for statistical analysis and ICT tools to analyse data, uncover correlations and forecast trends.
- Communicate with external laboratories: Communicate with the external analytical laboratories in order to manage the required external testing process.
- Advise on pollution prevention: Advise individuals and organisations on the development and implementation of actions which aid in the prevention of pollution and its related risks.
- Avoid contamination: Avoid the mixing or contamination of materials.
- Implement environmental action plans: Apply plans that address the management of environmental matters in projects, natural site interventions, companies, and others.
- Wear appropriate protective gear: Wear relevant and necessary protective gear, such as protective goggles or other eye protection, hard hats, safety gloves.
- Secure working area: Secure the operation site fixing boundaries, restricting access, placing signs and taking other measures in order to guarantee public and staff safety.
- Perform environmental remediation: Carry out activities which ensure the removal of sources of pollution and contamination from the environment, in compliance with environmental remediation regulations.
- Promote environmental awareness: Calculate the carbon footprint of business processes and other practices in order to promote sustainability and to raise awareness for the environmental impact.
- Monitor legislation developments: Monitor changes in rules, policies and legislation, and identify how they may influence the organisation, existing operations, or a specific case or situation.
- Develop scientific research protocols: Develop and record the procedural method used for a specific scientific experiment in order to enable its replication.
- Report pollution incidents: Examine the extent of the damage and consequences when an incident causes pollution, and report it to the relevant institution following pollution reporting procedures.
- Investigate contamination: Perform tests to investigate the properties of contamination in an area, or on surfaces and materials, in order to identify the cause, its nature, and the extent of the risk and damage.
- Develop environmental remediation strategies: Develop strategies for the removal of pollution and contaminants from soil, groundwater, surface water, or sediment, taking into account environmental remediation regulations and available technologies.
ISCO group and title
3111 – Chemical and physical science technicians
References
- Environmental technician – ESCO
- Environmental Science and Protection Technicians : Occupational Outlook Handbook – U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Environmental Technician/Technologist | ECO Canada
- Featured image: By Dan McCoy – U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Public Domain,