Workers who study, analyze, and evaluate environmental problems, apply scientific knowledge to prevent pollution, develop solutions to existing environmental problems, and predict possibility of future environmental pollution, including that concerned with air, water, land and land use, noise, and radioactivity. May prepare environmental impact reports or studies detailing types and causes of pollution and probability of future environmental problems. May work with federal, state, and local governmental agencies and community groups in establishing and promoting environmental policies.

General classifications are environmental analyst and pollution-control engineer. Since environmental work activities are interdisciplinary in nature, classifications are also made according to specific fields of specialization, such as civil engineering, soils engineering, chemistry, biology, geophysics, geology, geography, architecture, or forestry. Workers may direct and coordinate activities of other environmental scientists and be classified project manager, environmental research. Workers may function at the technician level, providing scientific or engineering support to environmental projects, and be classified biological aide, laboratory tester, pollution-control technician, scientific helper, or laboratory tester.