Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health Conduct research or perform investigation for the purpose of identifying, abating, or eliminating sources of pollutants or hazards that affect either the environment or public health. Using knowledge of various scientific disciplines, may collect, synthesize, study, report, and recommend action based on data derived from measurements or observations of air, food, soil, water, and other sources.
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health is Also Know as
In different settings, Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health is titled as
- Environmental Analyst
- Environmental Health and Safety Specialist (EHS Specialist)
- Environmental Health Specialist
- Environmental Programs Specialist
- Environmental Protection Specialist
- Environmental Scientist
- Environmental Specialist
- Hazardous Substances Scientist
- Natural Resources Specialist
- Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS)
Education and Training of Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health is categorized in Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Experience Required for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Education Required for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Degrees Related to Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health
- Bachelor in Environmental Studies
- Associate Degree Courses in Environmental Studies
- Masters Degree Courses in Environmental Studies
- Bachelor in Environmental Science
- Associate Degree Courses in Environmental Science
- Masters Degree Courses in Environmental Science
- Bachelor in Toxicology
- Associate Degree Courses in Toxicology
- Masters Degree Courses in Toxicology
- Bachelor in Molecular Toxicology
- Associate Degree Courses in Molecular Toxicology
- Masters Degree Courses in Molecular Toxicology
- Bachelor in Environmental Toxicology
- Associate Degree Courses in Environmental Toxicology
- Masters Degree Courses in Environmental Toxicology
- Bachelor in Marine Sciences
- Associate Degree Courses in Marine Sciences
- Masters Degree Courses in Marine Sciences
Training Required for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Related Ocuupations
Some Ocuupations related to Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health in different industries are
- Industrial Ecologists
- Environmental Engineers
- Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health
- Environmental Compliance Inspectors
- Conservation Scientists
- Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians
- Climate Change Policy Analysts
- Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers
- Environmental Restoration Planners
- Hydrologists
- Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors
- Hydrologic Technicians
- Water Resource Specialists
- Occupational Health and Safety Specialists
- Chief Sustainability Officers
- Biologists
- Water/Wastewater Engineers
- Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers
- Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary
- Occupational Health and Safety Technicians
What Do Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health do?
- Conduct environmental audits or inspections or investigations of violations.
- Evaluate violations or problems discovered during inspections to determine appropriate regulatory actions or to provide advice on the development and prosecution of regulatory cases.
- Review and implement environmental technical standards, guidelines, policies, and formal regulations that meet all appropriate requirements.
- Provide advice on proper standards and regulations or the development of policies, strategies, or codes of practice for environmental management.
- Analyze data to determine validity, quality, and scientific significance and to interpret correlations between human activities and environmental effects.
- Determine data collection methods to be employed in research projects or surveys.
- Prepare charts or graphs from data samples, providing summary information on the environmental relevance of the data.
- Develop the technical portions of legal documents, administrative orders, or consent decrees.
- Investigate and report on accidents affecting the environment.
- Monitor environmental impacts of development activities.
- Develop programs designed to obtain the most productive, non-damaging use of land.
- Research sources of pollution to determine their effects on the environment and to develop theories or methods of pollution abatement or control.
- Monitor effects of pollution or land degradation and recommend means of prevention or control.
- Design or direct studies to obtain technical environmental information about planned projects.
- Develop methods to minimize the impact of production processes on the environment, based on the study and assessment of industrial production, environmental legislation, and physical, biological, and social environments.
- Plan or develop research models, using knowledge of mathematical and statistical concepts.
- Collect, synthesize, analyze, manage, and report environmental data, such as pollution emission measurements, atmospheric monitoring measurements, meteorological or mineralogical information, or soil or water samples.
- Communicate scientific or technical information to the public, organizations, or internal audiences through oral briefings, written documents, workshops, conferences, training sessions, or public hearings.
- Provide scientific or technical guidance, support, coordination, or oversight to governmental agencies, environmental programs, industry, or the public.
- Process and review environmental permits, licenses, or related materials.
- Supervise or train students, environmental technologists, technicians, or other related staff.
- Conduct applied research on environmental topics, such as waste control or treatment or pollution abatement methods.
Qualities of Good Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health
- Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
- Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
- Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
- Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
- Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
- Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
- Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
- Flexibility of Closure: The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
- Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
- Mathematical Reasoning: The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
- Fluency of Ideas: The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
- Originality: The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
- Far Vision: The ability to see details at a distance.
- Number Facility: The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
- Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
- Memorization: The ability to remember information such as words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
- Speed of Closure: The ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.
- Time Sharing: The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
- Visual Color Discrimination: The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
- Perceptual Speed: The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
- Visualization: The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
- Hearing Sensitivity: The ability to detect or tell the differences between sounds that vary in pitch and loudness.
- Auditory Attention: The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.
- Depth Perception: The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.
- Finger Dexterity: The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
- Multilimb Coordination: The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
- Spatial Orientation: The ability to know your location in relation to the environment or to know where other objects are in relation to you.
- Manual Dexterity: The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
- Glare Sensitivity: The ability to see objects in the presence of a glare or bright lighting.
- Arm-Hand Steadiness: The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
- Control Precision: The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
- Trunk Strength: The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
- Peripheral Vision: The ability to see objects or movement of objects to one's side when the eyes are looking ahead.
- Night Vision: The ability to see under low-light conditions.
- Gross Body Coordination: The ability to coordinate the movement of your arms, legs, and torso together when the whole body is in motion.
- Gross Body Equilibrium: The ability to keep or regain your body balance or stay upright when in an unstable position.
- Extent Flexibility: The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
- Reaction Time: The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
- Rate Control: The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.
- Response Orientation: The ability to choose quickly between two or more movements in response to two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures). It includes the speed with which the correct response is started with the hand, foot, or other body part.
- Sound Localization: The ability to tell the direction from which a sound originated.
- Static Strength: The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
- Speed of Limb Movement: The ability to quickly move the arms and legs.
- Dynamic Strength: The ability to exert muscle force repeatedly or continuously over time. This involves muscular endurance and resistance to muscle fatigue.
- Stamina: The ability to exert yourself physically over long periods of time without getting winded or out of breath.
- Explosive Strength: The ability to use short bursts of muscle force to propel oneself (as in jumping or sprinting), or to throw an object.
- Wrist-Finger Speed: The ability to make fast, simple, repeated movements of the fingers, hands, and wrists.
- Dynamic Flexibility: The ability to quickly and repeatedly bend, stretch, twist, or reach out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Tools Used by Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health
- Aerosol spectrometers
- Air quality dataloggers
- Air/soil temperature sensors
- Airboats
- All terrain vehicles ATV
- Ambient air quality monitoring systems
- Ammonia meters
- Analog survey meters
- Anemometers
- Atmospheric deposition collectors
- Automatic samplers
- Bailers
- Bomb samplers
- Bottom dredge samplers
- Carbon monoxide meters
- Chlorine dioxide meters
- Chlorine meters
- Closed pipe Doppler water flow meters
- Coliform testing systems
- Colorimeters
- Combustible gas monitors
- Comparator water test kits
- Core samplers
- Dataloggers
- Depth meters
- Desktop computers
- Digital cameras
- Digital survey meters
- Dosimeters
- Drop count industrial water test kits
- Electromagnetic field EMF meters
- Evaporation gauge sensors
- Explosimeters
- Fiberglass metering manholes
- Field radiological measuring devices
- Fuel temperature sensors
- Gas chromatographs GC
- Gas spillage detectors
- Geiger-Mueller meters
- Global positioning system GPS receivers
- Groundwater monitoring systems
- Hand held augers
- Heat stress monitors
- HNu photoionization detectors PID
- Ionization chambers
- Lead air sampling kits
- Lead water sampling kits
- Liquid samplers
- Mainframe computers
- Manometers
- Mass spectrometers
- Mercury monitors
- Moisture meters
- Multichannel analyzers
- Multiparameter water quality instruments
- Nephelometers
- Noise dosimeters
- Notebook computers
- Oil water interface meters
- Ozone meters
- Particulate samplers
- Personal computers
- pH meters
- Photoionization detectors PID
- Pocket personal computers PC
- Psychrometers
- Radon monitors
- Rain water samplers
- Scintillation counters
- Scintillation probes
- Smoke generators
- Soil analysis kits
- Soil gas sampling systems
- Soil probes
- Sound level meters
- Spectrophotometers
- Stormwater samplers
- Submersible water data loggers
- Toxic mold test kits
- Turbidimeters
- Viscosity meters
- Water quality testing photometers
- Water velocity flow meters
Technology Skills required for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health
- ADMS pollution modeling software
- Adobe Acrobat
- Adobe Illustrator
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Bentley MicroStation
- C++
- CAP88-PC
- CERC EMIT
- Chemical management tracking software
- Chemicals and Irrigation CANDI
- Compass software
- Corel CorelDraw Graphics Suite
- Database software
- DataPipe EHS
- DQO ELIPGRID-PC
- EarthSoft EQuIS Geology
- Ecotech WinAQMS
- Ecotech WinCollect
- Emissions tracking software
- ESRI ArcGIS software
- ESRI ArcInfo
- ESRI ArcView
- Geographic information system GIS software
- Geographic information system GIS systems
- Geomechanical design analysis GDA software
- Golden Software Surfer
- Graphics software
- Hotspot
- IBM SPSS Statistics
- Laboratory information management system LIMS
- Lakes Environmental EcoRisk View
- Lakes Environmental Emissions View
- Lakes Environmental ISC-AERMOD View
- Lakes Environmental SLAB View
- Link Microtek
- Mapping software
- Material safety data sheet MSDS software
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office SharePoint Server MOSS
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Project
- Microsoft Visual Basic
- Microsoft Word
- MIRS Compliance
- Rad Pro Calculator
- RockWare ArcMap
- RSA RadCalc
- SAP software
- Smart Data Solutions RS Solutions
- SmugMug Flickr
- SoundPLAN
- Spreadsheet software
- Statistical software
- Structured query language SQL
- Sun Microsystems Java
- TANKS
- Tucows ChemBase
- Waters eLab Notebook
- Web browser software
- Wolfel IMMI
- Word processing software