Environmental Technician
Quick Facts
What They Do
An Environmental Technician assists with testing and sampling or monitoring needed for environmental clean-up efforts or projects to mitigate environmental pollution. Assists environmental engineers or environmental scientists. Collects air, water or soil samples, operates field test equipment and conducts laboratory research. Coordinates work at sites with contaminated soil or water, or hazardous waste clean-up sites.
Core Tasks:
- Collect samples of gases, soils, water, industrial wastewater, or asbestos products to conduct tests on pollutant levels or identify sources of pollution.
- Investigate hazardous conditions or spills or outbreaks of disease or food poisoning, collecting samples for analysis.
- Record test data and prepare reports, summaries, or charts that interpret test results.
- Prepare samples or photomicrographs for testing and analysis.
- Discuss test results and analyses with customers.
- Inspect workplaces to ensure the absence of health and safety hazards, such as high noise levels, radiation, or potential lighting hazards.
- Calibrate microscopes or test instruments.
- Weigh, analyze, or measure collected sample particles, such as lead, coal dust, or rock, to determine concentration of pollutants.
- Provide information or technical or program assistance to government representatives, employers, or the general public on the issues of public health, environmental protection, or workplace safety.
- Maintain files, such as hazardous waste databases, chemical usage data, personnel exposure information, or diagrams showing equipment locations.
- Set up equipment or stations to monitor and collect pollutants from sites, such as smoke stacks, manufacturing plants, or mechanical equipment.
- Develop or implement programs for monitoring of environmental pollution or radiation.
- Monitor emission control devices to ensure they are operating properly and comply with state and federal regulations.
- Make recommendations to control or eliminate unsafe conditions at workplaces or public facilities.
- Calculate amount of pollutant in samples or compute air pollution or gas flow in industrial processes, using chemical and mathematical formulas.
- Perform statistical analysis of environmental data.
- Develop testing procedures.
- Develop or implement site recycling or hazardous waste stream programs.
- Analyze potential environmental impacts of production process changes, and recommend steps to mitigate negative impacts.
- Direct activities of workers in laboratory.
What to expect as an Environmental Technician
40% of people achieve this level of education.
See Environmental Technician related courses on Tallo
837 openings for Environmental Technicians
Career Progression
in United States (Nation)
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