Life Sciences Commons^™

Quantifying Wastewater Contributions To The Upper Clark Fork River, Claire Utzman

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Though algae are at the base of food webs in many rivers, large algal blooms are increasing in frequency and can cause problems with nutrient cycling, depletion of oxygen supplies at night, and release of toxic chemicals. One leading cause of algal blooms is nutrient loading into rivers, and controlling nutrient release in wastewater is one approach that can help limit algal growth. To reduce the intensity of algal blooms in the Clark Fork River in western Montana, numeric nutrient standards were put in place that regulated the release of the nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus into the river from wastewater. …

Dephosphorylation Of Mpk6 And Mpk3 By Phosphatases Modulates Responses To Herbivory In Arabidopsis, Claire Teresa Hann

Theses and Dissertations

As sessile organisms, plants rely on extracellular signals and chemical responses to defend against stressors. Extracellular stress signals inducing defense responses originate both from biotic or abiotic threats, and from products of tissue damage or hormones. In defense against herbivores, essential responses include rapid generation of jasmonic acid (JA) at the wound site, followed by the global expression of genes that impede digestion and growth. Early defense gene expression amplifies JA production, while later JA-responsive gene expression causes the accumulation of defense products. MAP kinase (MAPK) pathways play a central role in mediating the perception of self, non-self, and hormonal …

State-Of-The-Art Approaches For Sequencing, Assembling And Annotating Naphthenic Acid Degrading Bacterial Metagenomes, Henry H. Say

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Naphthenic acids (NAs) are the main toxic component of oil refinery wastewater and require special processes to be removed. Harnessing bacterial biodegradation for NA removal has the potential to be effective, yet NA-degrading bacteria and pathways are poorly understood and uncharacterized. To improve our understanding of NA degradation, I characterize the metagenomes of novel NA-degrading bacterial communities seeded in NA-enriched granulated activated carbon (GAC) filters. I demonstrate methods that maximize the throughput of extraction, sequencing, and annotation of novel metagenomes - producing 72 MAGs and other 5432 circular contigs - 226 of which were putative phages. I also include state-of-the-art …

Endophytic Potential Of Entomopathogenic Fungi For The Remediation Of Wastewater, Huda Bilal, Hasnain Raza, Sana Sarfaraz, Danyal Haider Khan

Journal of Bioresource Management

Phytoremediation has the potential to significantly reduce water contamination caused by excessive harmful chemicals. The degradative properties of fungi are used in fungal phytoremediation to eliminate or neutralise the hazardous pollutants present in water. The goal of the current study was to endophytize water lettuce with the two entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopilae and Trichoderma harazium. The plant is inoculated with the fungus using the root-dipping procedure. There were two main treatments and a control all with five replications. The analysis of plant and wastewater were analyzed initially like frequency of fungus remained in plant weight, root length and for …

Effect Of Sub-Inhibitory Wastewater Stressors On Mutation Frequency In Clinically Relevant Aeromonas Species, Brandon Michael Schultz

Theses and Dissertations

Antimicrobial resistance among pathogens is steadily increasing resulting in untreatable infections and elevated mortality rates, with an estimation of claiming 10 million lives worldwide by 2050. A common factor accelerating resistance is the presence of sub-inhibitory microbial stressors (e.g. antimicrobials, heavy metals, and disinfectants), which can drive horizontal gene transfer and mutagenesis in various environments. Improper disposal of pharmaceuticals, excretion of antimicrobial byproducts from humans and livestock, and excess storm runoff are common sources of these pollutants. An environmental reservoir rich in stressors and bacterial populations, including the emerging pathogen Aeromonas, is wastewater. Our objective in this study was to …

Actionable Wastewater Surveillance: Application To A University Residence Hall During The Transition Between Delta And Omicron Resurgences Of Covid-19, Ryland Corchis-Scott, Qiudi Geng, Abdul Monem Al Riahi, Amr Labak, Ana Podadera, Kenneth K.S. Ng, Lisa A. Porter, Yufeng Tong, Jess C. Dixon, Sherri Lynne Menard, Rajesh Seth, R. Michael Mckay

Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research Publications

Wastewater surveillance has gained traction during the COVID-19 pandemic as an effective and non-biased means to track community infection. While most surveillance relies on samples collected at municipal wastewater treatment plants, surveillance is more actionable when samples are collected “upstream” where mitigation of transmission is tractable. This report describes the results of wastewater surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 at residence halls on a university campus aimed at preventing outbreak escalation by mitigating community spread. Another goal was to estimate fecal shedding rates of SARS-CoV-2 in a non-clinical setting. Passive sampling devices were deployed in sewer laterals originating from residence halls at a …

Wastewater Pandemic Preparedness: Toward An End-To-End Pathogen Monitoring Program, Justin R Clark, Austen Terwilliger, Vasanthi Avadhanula, Michael Tisza, Juwan Cormier, Sara Javornik-Cregeen, Matthew Clayton Ross, Kristi Louise Hoffman, Catherine Troisi, Blake Hanson, Joseph Petrosino, John Balliew, Pedro A Piedra, Janelle Rios, Jennifer Deegan, Cici Bauer, Fuqing Wu, Kristina D Mena, Eric Boerwinkle, Anthony W Maresso

Journal Articles

Molecular analysis of public wastewater has great potential as a harbinger for community health and health threats. Long-used to monitor the presence of enteric viruses, in particular polio, recent successes of wastewater as a reliable lead indicator for trends in SARS-CoV-2 levels and hospital admissions has generated optimism and emerging evidence that similar science can be applied to other pathogens of pandemic potential (PPPs), especially respiratory viruses and their variants of concern (VOC). However, there are substantial challenges associated with implementation of this ideal, namely that multiple and distinct fields of inquiry must be bridged and coordinated. These include engineering, …

Detection And Observed Correlations Of Statin And Beta-Blocking Pharmaceuticals In West Virginia Surface Waters And Ichthyofauna, Joseph W. Kingsbury

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Within this thesis the source, presence, and the estimated ecotoxicological effects of cardiovascular medicines, specifically statins and beta-blockers are described within the Buckhannon, Tygart Valley, and West Fork Rivers of West Virginia. Included within this thesis is a general introduction providing key background information and relevant research related to the source, presence, and known toxicity of statins and beta-blockers. Following the general introduction there are 3 distinct chapters. Chapter 1 focuses on the estimated demographic based source loadings and the surface water concentration characteristics of statins and beta-blockers within the three rivers. Chapter 2 investigates the effects of statins and …

Investigating The Effectiveness Of Microplastic Removal And The Relationship Between Microplastics, Bacterial Communities, And Nitrogen Cycling In The Natural Treatment Systems At The Arcata Wastewater Treatment Facility, Fiona Connor

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This thesis addressed two challenging aspects of microplastic research, including the quantification of microplastics in organic-rich water, and the investigation of how microplastics impact microorganisms and related nutrient-cycling. Two projects were designed and executed to address specific research objectives relating to these broad topics. The first objective was to develop and implement methods to determine the effectiveness of microplastic removal across the natural treatment systems at the Arcata Wastewater Treatment Facility (AWTF). The second objective was to observe how microplastics found in domestic wastewater impact the bacterial communities and nitrogen cycling in freshwater treatment wetland sediment through a bench-scale experiment, …

Nutrient Recovery From Wastewater By A Consortium Of Algae Species For Biofuel Production, Edgardo Ayala

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Current energy sources are predominantly petroleum-based and their use increases greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As the global population grows, and along with it the demand for energy, there is a need to further develop renewable energy sources to avoid the effects of increasing atmospheric CO₂ concentrations on the climate. Biofuels, a renewable energy source, have gained significant interest as a replacement for petroleum-based fuels due to their environmental benefits and carbon neutrality. Biofuels are expected to make up 9.0% of the total fuel consumption in the U.S. by 2040, up from 7.3% in 2019 [1]. Currently, terrestrial crop-based biofuels …

Listeria Monocytogenes Is A Solvent Tolerant Organism Secreting A Solvent Stable Lipase: Potential Biotechnological Applications, Priyanka Priyanka Dr, Gemma K. Kinsella, Gary T. Henehan Prof, Barry J. Ryan Dr

Articles

Purpose The emerging biobased economy will require robust, adaptable, organisms for the production and processing of biomaterials as well as for bioremediation. Recently, the search for solvent tolerant organisms and solvent tolerant enzymes has intensifed. Resilient organisms secreting solvent stable lipases are of particular interest for biotechnological applications.

Methods Screening of soil samples for lipase-producing organisms was carried out on Rhodamine B plates. The most productive lipase-producing organisms were further screened for their resistance to solvents commonly used in biotechnological applications.

Results In the course of screening, one of the isolated organisms that exhibited extracellular lipaseactivity, was identifed as the …

Heavy Metal Accumulation And Contamination Of Edible Plants Irrigated By Wastewater In Erbil- Kurdistan Region Of Iraq, Dilshad Abdulkhaliq Rasul, Karzan M. Khalid, Faeza Burhan Omer

Polytechnic Journal

Heavy metals are important factor for metabolic reaction in edible plants, and also needed by different organs of human body, but their relatively excessive accumulation is hazardous and health risk. Therefore, their concentration in edible plants must be ranged in line, otherwise considered as contaminants. In this study, three edible plants (E. sativa Mill., A. graveolens L. and L. Sativum L.) were harvested and separated to root and shoot parts, then followed by determining some essential and non-essential metals (Pb, Zn, Cd, Cu, Mn and Ni), using ICP-MS. As a result, the maximum mean values for those metals were (46.58 …

Heavy Metal Accumulation And Contamination Of Edible Plants Irrigated By Wastewater In Erbil- Kurdistan Region Of Iraq, Dilshad Abdulkhaliq Rasul, Karzan M. Khalid, Faeza Burhan Omer

Polytechnic Journal

Heavy metals are important factor for metabolic reaction in edible plants, and also needed by different organs of human body, but their relatively excessive accumulation is hazardous and health risk. Therefore, their concentration in edible plants must be ranged in line, otherwise considered as contaminants. In this study, three edible plants (E. sativa Mill., A. graveolens L. and L. Sativum L.) were harvested and separated to root and shoot parts, then followed by determining some essential and non-essential metals (Pb, Zn, Cd, Cu, Mn and Ni), using ICP-MS. As a result, the maximum mean values for those metals were (46.58 …

Sequencing The Guts Out Of Covid-19; The Evolution Behind The Covid-19 Pandemic, Madelyn Purnell

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The global COVID-19 pandemic has led to an urgent need for scalable methods for clinical diagnostics and tracking of virus variants. In this paper, we attempted a novel method of sequencing using Large Reverse Transcriptase-based cloning (LRTC). Although our methodology ended up not working due to high amount and fast degradation of RNA, we were able to sequence multiple variants of COVID-19 Positive samples from the BYU Student Health Center and 4 sewage samples to check for variant outbreaks in corresponding times. We were able to find several corresponding variants and track the progression of mutation in our local population.

Describing The Impact Of The Sales Of Antibiotics On The Environment And In Population Health, Andrés Gaviria-Figueroa

Theses and Dissertations

The role of antibiotics in human health is of significant importance in the advancement of the medical field. It has contributed to an improvement of the quality of life and the age expectancy of the population. Antibiotic resistance is an expected consequence of the use of antibiotics. Bacteria have developed biological mechanisms that would help them become resistant to antibiotics. The uncontrolled use of antibiotics is significantly contributing to the ability of bacteria to become resistant to those antibiotics. This study, using the model of the Socio-Ecological Coupling of Antibiotic Resistance, explains how social and environmental factors interact and impact …

Similarities In Virulence And Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase Gene Profiles Among Cefotaxime-Resistant Escherichia Coli Wastewater And Clinical Isolates, Elizabeth Liedhegner, Brandon Bojar, Rachelle E. Beattie, Caitlin Cahak, Krassimira R. Hristova, Troy Skwor

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

The World Health Organization has identified antibiotic resistance as one of the largest threats to human health and food security. In this study, we compared antibiotic resistance patterns between ESBL-producing Escherichia coli from human clinical diseases and cefotaxime-resistant environmental strains, as well as their potential to be pathogenic. Antibiotic susceptibility was tested amongst clinical isolates (n = 11), hospital wastewater (n = 22), and urban wastewater (n = 36, both influent and treated effluents). Multi-drug resistance predominated (>70%) among hospitalwastewater and urban wastewater influent isolates. Interestingly, isolates from clinical and urban treated effluents showed similar multi-drug …

Arkansas Bulletin Of Water Research - Issue 2021-2022, Erin Grantz, Lillie Haddock, Brian E. Haggard

Arkansas Bulletin of Water Research

The Arkansas Bulletin of Water Research (Bulletin) is a publication of the Arkansas Water Resources Center (AWRC). We publish the Bulletin to communicate the major findings of research funded by the Water Resources Research Act Section 104(b) in Arkansas. This research is relevant to Arkansas water stakeholders, and the Bulletin provides an easily searchable and aesthetically engaging access option.

This is the fourth publication of the Bulletin. This issue contains final reports from research projects that were funded by the 104(b) program in fiscal years 2019 and 2020. The articles in this issue can be cited as an AWRC publication. …

Environmental Effects On Constructed Wetland Microbial Diversity And Function In The Context Of Wastewater Management, Sandrine Grandmont-Lemire

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Microbial communities play a crucial role in ecosystems, yet we know little about how microbial diversity influences ecosystem functioning. An important gap in our understanding is how environmental change affects microbial Biodiversity-Ecosystem Function relationships (BEF). These complex interactions between microbial biodiversity and ecosystem function can influence major biogeochemical processes, such as the nitrogen cycle in wetland ecosystems, which play an important role in managing wastewater. To address the effect of biodiversity on function, my study investigates the BEF relationships between microbial diversity and the function in terms of ammonia removal from wastewater at the Arcata Wastewater Treatment Facility (AWTF) both …

Hospital Effluents And Wastewaters Treatment Plants: A Source Of Oxytetracycline And Antimicrobial-Resistant Bacteria In Seafood, Bozena Mccarthy, Samuel Obeng Apori, Michelle Giltrap, Abhijnan Bhat, James Curtin, Furong Tian

Articles

The present study employs a data review on the presence and aggregation of oxytetracycline (OTC) and resistance (AMR) bacteria in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), and distribution of the contaminated effluent with the aid of shallow and deep ocean currents. The study aims to determine the fate of OTC, AMR bacteria in seafood, and demonstrate a relationship between AMR levels and human health. This review includes (1) OTC, (2) AMR bacteria, (3) heavy metals in aquatic environments, and their relationship. Few publications describe OCT in surface waters. Although, OTC and other tetracyclines were found in 10 countries in relatively low concentrations, …

Field Evaluation Of Struvite As A Phosphorus Source, Niyi Sunday Omidire

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Phosphorus (P) is an element that is crucial in many biological processes in all forms of life and is not substitutable. Excess P in wastewaters leading to the degradation of receiving waters or eutrophication once released is a major environmental concern. Removal of excess P from wastewater as the mineral struvite (MgNH4PO4·6H2O) could be a promising solution to reduce P discharge into receiving waters and can potentially provide a valuable fertilizer-P source for agricultural production. The objectives of this project were to evaluate the effects of: 1) chemically precipitated struvite (CPST), compared to triple superphosphate (TSP) and an unamended control …

High-Throughput Sequencing Of Sars-Cov-2 In Wastewater Provides Insights Into Circulating Variants, Rafaela S. Fontenele, Simona Kraberger, James Hadfield, Erin M. Driver, Devin Bowes, La Rinda A. Holland, Temitope O.C. Faleye, Sangeet Adhikari, Rahul Kumar, Rosa Inchausti, Wydale K. Holmes, Stephanie Deitrick, Philip Brown, Darrell Duty, Ted Smith, Aruni Bhatnagar, Ray A. Yeager, Rochelle H. Holm, Natalia Hoogesteijn Von Reitzenstein, Elliott Wheeler, Kevin Dixon, Tim Constantine, Melissa A. Wilson, Efrem S. Lim, Xiaofang Jiang, Rolf U. Halden, Matthew Scotch, Arvind Varsani

Faculty Scholarship

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) likely emerged from a zoonotic spill-over event and has led to a global pandemic. The public health response has been predominantly informed by surveillance of symptomatic individuals and contact tracing, with quarantine, and other preventive measures have then been applied to mitigate further spread. Non-traditional methods of surveillance such as genomic epidemiology and wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) have also been leveraged during this pandemic. Genomic epidemiology uses high-throughput sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 genomes to inform local and international transmission events, as well as the diversity of circulating variants. WBE uses wastewater to analyse community spread, …

The Rapid Assessment Of Aggregated Wastewater Samples For Genomic Surveillance Of Sars-Cov-2 On A City-Wide Scale, Eric C. Rouchka, Julia H. Chariker, Kumar Saurabh, Sabine Waigel, Wolfgang Zacharias, Mei Zhang, Daymond Talley, Ian Santisteban, Madeline Puccio, Sarah Moyer, Rochelle H. Holm, Ray A. Yeager, Kevin J. Sokoloski, Joshua Fuqua, Aruni Bhatnagar, Ted Smith

Faculty Scholarship

Throughout the course of the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic there has been a need for approaches that enable rapid monitoring of public health using an unbiased and minimally invasive means. A major way this has been accomplished is through the regular assessment of wastewater samples by qRT-PCR to detect the prevalence of viral nucleic acid with respect to time and location. Further expansion of SARS-CoV-2 wastewater monitoring efforts to include the detection of variants of interest/concern through next-generation sequencing has enhanced the understanding of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak. In this report, we detail the results of a collaborative effort between public health …

Transcriptomics And Toxcast Data Identify Bioeffects In Zebrafish Embryos Exposed To Chemical Mixtures In An Effluent-Dominated Stream, Emma Meade

Theses and Dissertations

Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent-dominated streams provide critical habitat for aquatic organisms but also continually expose them to complex mixtures of pharmaceuticals and other contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) that can potentially impair growth, behavior, and reproduction. Limited toxicity data on the adverse biological impacts of in vivo exposure to these mixtures make it difficult to assess risk for aquatic organisms, particularly with respect to pharmaceuticals whose designed bioactivity often extends beyond conventionally monitored biological pathways. To address this knowledge gap, the goal of this thesis was to identify biomarkers of exposure to complex CEC mixtures relevant to specific chemicals …

Wastewater Sample Site Selection To Estimate Geographically Resolved Community Prevalence Of Covid-19: A Sampling Protocol Perspective, R. Yeager, R. H. Holm, K. Saurabh, J. L. Fuqua, D. Talley, A. Bhatnagar, T. Smith

Faculty Scholarship

Wastewater monitoring for virus infections within communities can complement conventional clinical surveillance. Currently, most SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) clinical testing is voluntary and inconsistently available, except for a few occupational and educational settings, and therefore likely underrepresents actual population prevalence. Randomized testing on a regular basis to estimate accurate population-level infection rates is prohibitively costly and is hampered by a range of limitations and barriers associated with participation in clinical research. In comparison, community-level fecal monitoring can be performed through wastewater surveillance to effectively surveil communities. However, epidemiologically defined protocols for wastewater sample site selection are lacking. …

Assessment Of Available Manganese In Milk By Using Fodders Grown In Long-Term Wastewater Irrigated Soil, Mudasra Munir, Kafeel Ahmad, Zafar Iqbal Khan, Asmat Zahra, Asma Ashfaq, Ifra Saleem Malik, Mumtaz Akhtar, Humayun Bashir, Muhammad Umar Farooq Awan

Journal of Bioresource Management

Heavy metals are considered as most important contaminations due to industrialization of countries and an influence on its existence in soil, plant and milk. A study was carried out to check manganese content in soil, forage and milk at three sites of city Jhang, Punjab, Pakistan. All samples (milk, soil, water, fodder plants and ground water) were analyzed for manganese by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. Different health indices were also studied to check Mn flow in food chain. Level of Mn in samples was found within acceptable limits. Manganese level was higher in soil samples collected from Site-III than other sites. …

Exploration Of The Sludge Biodiesel Pathway, Zachary Christman

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Wastewater sludge is an overlooked source of fat, oil, and grease (FOG) that could be converted into biodiesel. The United States produces about 8 million tons of sludge per year. The disposal cost for this amount of sludge is about 2 billion US dollars. The widespread availability and low cost of sludge compared to other biodiesel raw materials make it an economical choice for a renewable fuel. Using sludge as a raw material can produce 25 to 30 mg per gram of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME); the main component of biodiesel. Sludge biodiesel has the potential of transforming a …

Arsenic And Cadmium Risk Assessment In A Domestic Wastewater Irrigated Area Using Samples Of Water, Soil And Forages As Indicators, Zafar Iqbal Khan, Kafeel Ahmad, Musarrat Batool, Ifra Saleem Malik, Humayun Bashir, Mudasra Munir, Asma Ashfaq, Pervaiz Akhter, Sonaina Nazar, Mubeen Akhtar, Mumtaz Akhtar, Muhammad Nadeem, Muhammad Umar Farooq Awan

Journal of Bioresource Management

The recent research was performed to investigate the toxicity of As and Cd in suburban area of Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan. Water, soil and forage samples were collected for this purpose in summer and winter season and analysis was done via wet digestion to determine the concentration of selected heavy metals. The mean concentration of As and Cd in water was found above the permissible maximum limit. Mean concentration of Cd in soil and forages was lower than the allowed limit whereas As which was higher than the PML in forages. So, continuous use of domestic wastewater for irrigation purpose should …

Pushing The Limits Of Sars-Cov-2 Survival: How Sars-Cov-2 Responds To Quaternary Ammonium Compounds And Wastewater, Benjamin Hawthorne Ogilvie

Theses and Dissertations

SARS-CoV-2 is the virus responsible for the current global pandemic, COVID-19. Because this virus is novel, little is known about its sensitivity to disinfection. In this study, we performed suspension tests against SARS-CoV-2 using three commercially available quaternary ammonium compound (Quat) disinfectants and one laboratory-made 0.2% benzalkonium chloride solution. Three of the four formulations completely inactivated the virus within 15 seconds of contact, even in the presence of a soil load or when diluted in hard water. We conclude that Quats rapidly inactivate SARS-CoV-2, making them potentially useful for controlling SARS-CoV-2 spread in hospitals and the community. In addition to …

Optimal Control Of Algae Biofilm Growth In Wastewater Treatment Using Computational Mathematical Models, Gerald Jones

Student Research Symposium

Microalgal biofilms are comprised of a syntrophic consortium of microalgae and other microorganisms embedded within an extracellular matrix. Despite significant processes in the application of microalgal biofilms in wastewater treatment, mechanistic understanding and optimization of microalgal biomass yield and productivity under environmental constraints is still lacking. This paper identifies theoretical insights on this challenging biological problem by leveraging novel mathematical and computational tools. In particular, this is a systematic parameter study in utilizing a computational mathematical model to advance the understanding of microalgal biofilm growth kinetics under environmental constraints. Moreover, the design of algae biofilm reactors for optimal biomass yield …

Utilization And Evaluation Of Treated Wastewater On The Production Technology Of Wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.) Under Different Modes Of Cultivation, Fatima Hasan Al Hamedi

Dissertations

In the recent past, the production of wastewater from domestic and industrial sources has been steadily increasing through the population, urbanization, industrial revolution and economic development. In the world, 80% of wastewater consists of several harmful substances and hazardous chemicals that cause many deadly effects to human beings as well as ecosystems. So, the elimination of this toxic substance before discarding into landfills is utilized as an alternative source of water which is an emerging need. Using the treated wastewater for agricultural purposes is an excellent approach for rendering wastewater beneficial. As the quantity of wastewater grows, there is a …