Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health

Perform laboratory and field tests to monitor the environment and investigate sources of pollution, including those that affect health, under the direction of an environmental scientist, engineer, or other specialist. May collect samples of gases, soil, water, and other materials for testing.

The occupation "Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health" has an automation risk of 50.2%, which closely aligns with its base risk of 51.0%. This suggests that while about half of the job's tasks could feasibly be automated with current or near-future technology, there remains a significant portion that relies on human judgment and adaptability. The tasks most susceptible to automation are largely procedural and data-driven. These include collecting samples of gases, soils, water, or industrial wastewater to conduct pollutant testing, investigating hazardous conditions such as spills or disease outbreaks (which involves routine sample collection), and recording or preparing reports and charts to interpret test results. These functions are repetitive, follow clear protocols, and can be efficiently handled by advanced robotics, sensors, or data processing algorithms. On the other hand, the role encompasses tasks that are much less amenable to automation due to their complexity or regulatory requirements. For instance, distributing permits or closure and cleanup plans typically requires navigating regulatory frameworks, exercising professional judgment, and communicating with multiple stakeholders—functions that are challenging for AI and automation to replicate reliably. Further, examining materials for contaminants like asbestos using microscopes demands fine motor skills and the ability to interpret subtle cues in imagery, which still exceeds what most automated systems can do accurately. Finally, determining the types and quantities of chemicals needed for decontamination or purification involves not just routine calculation but also context-dependent decision-making, adaptability, and often on-the-spot problem-solving. A key bottleneck in automating this occupation lies in skills such as originality, with scores of 2.9% and 3.1% indicating that tasks requiring creative problem-solving or novel solutions are difficult for AI to replicate. While automation can manage standard test procedures and data recording, it struggles with scenarios that require developing new approaches to environmental hazards, interpreting unexpected results, or modifying procedures for unique situations. The low levels for the originality skill highlight that, although much of the technical and repetitive workload can be offloaded to machines, the occupation retains human elements—especially for the most critical, judgment-based, and adaptive tasks. Thus, the overall automation risk for Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health settles near the halfway point, balancing automatable routine functions and resistant, skill-intensive responsibilities.