Environmental Analyst

Environmental Analysts identify sources of pollution, and devise ways to stop it. Your work can be localized to a region or it can focus on one part of the environment, such as water, air, or soil.

As an Environmental Analyst, you act as one part Scientist and one part Advisor. You’re a lot like a superhero dedicated to protecting natural resources. Instead of using complex gadgets developed in your underground lab, though, your weapon of choice is the scientific method.

The first part of your job as an Environmental Analyst is to figure out why pollution is happening. You do this by collecting air, water, or soil samples, and testing them for toxins. Then, as hard as it can be, you must wait to see how the region is affected over time.

Changes and patterns in toxin levels or atmospheric conditions tell you when the area is most at risk, and alert you to where the contaminants are coming from. This information helps you suggest and implement ways of eliminating the polluting source and rehabilitating the damaged area.

Your skills are used primarily by companies, nonprofit environmental organizations, and government protection agencies. Usually, you get the call after an ecosystem has been adversely affected. In this case, you create a plan to reverse the impact.

However, more and more companies concerned about their carbon footprint are beginning to realize that it’s better to call even before a project starts. When one of these companies does call, your input helps them construct buildings and implement processes that have a minimal risk to the surrounding environment from day one.